Tänak’s Dominance Turns to Despair: Ott Tänak had been the driver to beat at Vodafone Rally de Portugal, controlling the event from Friday morning. Despite a challenging start to Saturday’s leg, the Hyundai pilot fought back impressively, winning three consecutive stages to establish a comfortable double-digit lead. As he approached the penultimate stage, Amarante 2, victory seemed within his grasp.
Mechanical Failure Costs the Lead: However, disaster struck for Tänak halfway through the demanding 22.10km Amarante 2 stage. A power steering failure crippled his Hyundai i20 N Rally1, forcing him into a desperate battle to reach the stage finish. The significant time loss of over 45 seconds meant he had to relinquish the hard-earned lead, dropping to third place overall.
Ogier Capitalizes on Misfortune: Sébastien Ogier, who had been consistently running behind Tänak throughout the day, suddenly found himself in the lead. The eight-time world champion now holds a 27.6-second advantage heading into Sunday’s six-stage finale. He is now in a prime position to secure a record-extending seventh victory at Vodafone Rally de Portugal.
Ogier’s Reaction: “It’s not the way you want to win any fight,” acknowledged Ogier. “We were both pushing really hard – that’s the game. We tried to keep the pressure on, even if he was a bit quicker. At the end of the previous stage, I actually said to my engineer: ‘Honestly, anything can happen – it’s rough out there. He’s pushing really hard, we need to keep the pressure on.’ I’m not happy,” he continued. “I don’t want to celebrate this way. I just hope he can still recover as many points as possible – it’s not over. Tomorrow is a long day.”
Tänak’s Disappointment: Reflecting on the mechanical issue, Tänak said simply: “It’s part of the game, I guess. Very unfortunate, but we gave everything from our side.”
Rovanperä Climbs to Second: Kalle Rovanperä benefited from Tänak’s misfortune, moving up to second place, 8.5 seconds ahead of the Estonian driver. The Toyota star began the day in fourth but overtook Takamoto Katsuta in the morning and gradually increased his gap as the day progressed.
Neuville and Katsuta Follow: Katsuta’s pace waned in the afternoon, allowing Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville to move ahead into fourth place on the penultimate stage. The Belgian now trails Rovanperä by 17.0 seconds, with Katsuta a further 2.2 seconds behind in fifth.
Evans Struggles Continue: Championship leader Elfyn Evans endured another challenging day and currently sits seventh overall, behind Sami Pajari. After losing time as the road opener on Friday, Evans struggled to find his rhythm again on Saturday, despite a better starting position, and now trails Pajari by 17.5 seconds.
McErlean Wins Team Battle: Josh McErlean climbed to eighth place, overtaking his M-Sport Ford teammate Grégoire Munster on the opening stage of the day. The Irishman finished the day 28.5 seconds ahead in their internal team competition. Oliver Solberg rounded out the top ten and continued his dominant run in the WRC2 category, maintaining a 50.1-second lead over Gus Greensmith.
Standings After Saturday (SS18 /24):
- S Ogier / V Landais FRA Toyota GR Yaris 3h 1m 4.7s
- K Rovanperä / J Halttunen FIN Toyota GR Yaris +27.6s
- O Tänak / M Järveoja EST Hyundai i20 N +36.1s
- T Neuville / M Wydaeghe BEL Hyundai i20 N +46.8s
- T Katsuta / A Johnston JPN Toyota GR Yaris +44.6s
- S Pajari / M Salminen FIN Toyota GR Yaris +1m 58.4s
Summary: Sébastien Ogier inherited the lead of Vodafone Rally de Portugal after Ott Tänak suffered a heartbreaking power steering failure on Saturday afternoon. Kalle Rovanperä moved into second place, with Thierry Neuville and Takamoto Katsuta rounding out the top five. Championship leader Elfyn Evans continued to struggle.
Disclaimer: Rally results are provisional and subject to final confirmation by the event organizers.
Source: WRC
AI Assistance: Gemini
