(Reuters) – Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier conceded his battle for a record-equalling ninth world rally championship was probably over after the Frenchman retired from Saturday’s foggy penultimate leg of Rally Chile.
Team mate and rally leader Kalle Rovanpera had a 15.1 second advantage over Toyota’s Elfyn Evans before Sunday’s final four gravel stages.
Evans had led after winning three of the four morning stages but his advantage of more than 13 seconds disappeared on the day’s penultimate stage when the Welshman was slowed by deteriorating weather and dense fog.
Hyundai’s Ott Tanak was running in third place, 18.5 seconds behind Evans.
“They were really difficult conditions,” said Rovanperä. “Huge fog, and some of the most challenging stages of the year, I think. I have never done anything like this, it’s crazy.
“You drive and you are just trying to stay on the road — it’s a big challenge.”
Ogier’s hopes ended when the Frenchman, who could return on Sunday, hit a rock and broke his car’s steering only 400 metres from the end of stage eight.
“It was just a broken bolt that is it, and then I cannot make the next corner and then we are stuck in a ditch as it was very soft in this place,” said Ogier.
“It looks like it (the championship is over) for sure. Again at least on this side I’m not even really disappointed because it just became a target maybe two rallies ago, and it wasn’t really one.”Hyundai’s championship leader Thierry Neuville was running in fourth place, 43.7 off the lead.
The Belgian had a 38-point advantage over Ogier coming in to the South American round with Tanak second overall and 34 off the lead.
Hyundai lead Toyota by 35 points in the manufacturers’ standings.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
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