The 22-year-old delivered a mature display befitting of a champion, while also showing flashes of brilliance notably his stage 13 win when the heavens opened, creating incredibly slippery conditions that saw many of his rivals struggle. A tyre that came off the rim towards the end of the penultimate stage was the only issue he suffered all event. This was perhaps the first time this season where Rovanpera has openly admitted to driving with the title race in mind. The Finn drove smartly once his championship rivals Thierry Neuville and Ott Tanak hit trouble to ensure he secured a strong points haul to boost his title defence. Rovanpera's performance starting first on the road was exemplary as he slotted into second overall on Friday, a position he held to the finish. Reigning world champions Kalle Rovanpera and Jonne Halttunen appear close to being back at their very best as they impressed once again. Honourable mentions: Kalle Rovanpera and Jonne Halttunen Kalle Rovanperä, Jonne Halttunen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 It will be remembered as one of Ogier's finest wins given the adversity he faced. He held off Rovanpera by 6.7s, the closest winning margin in Safari Rally history. A small error that resulted in clipping a tree on stage 15 cost him his tailgate and rear wing, but Ogier still went on to win the stage and re-establish his buffer to Rovanpera.Īn overheating issue caused by his GR Yaris ingesting sand and a rock smashing his windscreen on the final stage failed to stop Ogier from scoring a third win from five events in 2023. Despite seeing his 32.0s lead whittled down to 8.6s, Ogier held his nerve. Three punctures on Saturday, including a double-front failure, didn't halt Ogier although he did come under increasing pressure from charging Toyota team-mate Kalle Rovanpera. But this calculated move to run a lighter car proved a masterstroke in establishing an early 22.1s lead. The Toyota driver was brave to take the gamble of carrying only one spare on Friday, given the event is renowned for its high puncture risk. Ogier had to use all of his talent to score what will go down as one of his hardest fought victories. That may sound like it was a walk in the (safari) park, but that doesn't tell the full story. Ogier and co-driver Vincent Landais assumed the rally lead on stage two and that was where they stayed for the remaining 17 stages.
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