Tanak secures Rally Italia Sardegna win by 0.2s over Ogier
2nd June 2024Hyundai’s Ott Tanak has secured victory with two-tenths of a second in hand over Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier, at Rally Italia Sardegna.
Tanak has secured his first WRC victory of the 2024 season having beaten Ogier by two-tenths of a second on the final stage of the weekend. The two drivers had exchanged blows on Saturday in a fierce battle for the rally lead.
Heading into ‘Super Sunday’ Ogier had the advantage with 17.1s in hand but Tanak slowly and surely cut this down to the penultimate stage. Only 6.2 seconds separated the two world champions as they embarked on the Wolf Power Stage.
Whilst Tanak completed the final test of the weekend, it was unknown that Ogier was carrying a puncture. The Frenchman could not determine where it was picked up but stated it was in the last few kilometres.
This untimely puncture allowed Tanak to seal victory in one of the tightest wins of the sport’s history.
The win will now promote the winning Estonian joint-second with Toyota’s Elfyn Evans, in the drivers standings, who had a less-than-optimal weekend in Sardinia.
Ogier’s second place, followed by two consecutive wins in Croatia and Portugal, places the eight-time world champion fourth in the drivers standings, on 92 points.
Although Neuville crashed out and retired from Saturday’s action, securing no points in the process, securing the fastest time on Super Sunday and the Wolf Power Stage win means the Belgian walks away with 12 points.
Provisionally, it means Neuville remains the championship leader on 122 points, ahead of Tanak (second) and Evans (third) on 104 points.
In the manufacturer’s standings, Hyundai stands on 269 points and extends its lead over reigning champion Toyota by 13 points.
Read more WRC here:
- Ogier leads as Neuville retires in WRC Rally Italia Sardegna
- Ogier takes overnight lead in WRC Rally Italia Sardegna
- Toyota targeting a trio of WRC 2024 wins at Rally Italia Sardegna
- Ogier secures unprecedented sixth WRC win at Rally de Portugal
- Ogier leads as Rovanpera crashes in WRC Rally de Portugal
- Rovanpera leads Toyota top three in WRC Rally de Portugal
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Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
