the Belgian Thierry Neuville put his signature on Sunday to close out the World Rally Championship by winning in Japan with an advantage of one minute and 11 seconds over his Hyundai teammate, the Estonian Ott Tänak, while the Finnish Kalle Rovanperä, who has the title since last October 3, finished twelfth almost 11 minutes from the winner .
Hyundai closed the season with a double, although Dani Sordo, from the same team, suffered a serious accident on Friday when his Hyundai i20 Rally1 caught fire in the middle of the stage and, despite both he and his co-driver Cándido Carrera, left the rally unscathed. The car was completely burnt.
Neuville, who went into the final stage just four seconds ahead of Elfin Evans (Toyota), finished over four minutes off the British. The three Toyotas, driven by Japan’s Takamoto Katsuta, France’s Sebastien Ogier and Britain’s Elfyn Evans, had to settle for a second treble of third to fifth.
“a good feelingcommented Neuville after his victory.”It wasn’t an easy weekend and it hasn’t been an easy year, but finishing with a win and being fast throughout the rally is a great way to end the season.”
Rovanperä finished with the title marking a historic milestone in the World Cup: he was the youngest driver to win it, at the age of 22 years and one day (when he won in New Zealand) at the wheel of the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid, securing the final victory with two rallies to go in the championship.
The son of Harri Rovanperä, who drove for SEAT and Peugeot, among other brands, and won the 2001 Swedish rally (his only World Championship win), Kalle was crowned champion after just three seasons in the top flight of WRC.
“It was an interesting episode in the rain“, affirmed the champion. “We are here and that is the important thing. Good thing the season is over, I’ve been looking forward to it for a long time. It takes a lot of energy to fight for the title and now I’m ready for the holidays.”
The new champion added 255 points to the World Cup, where he achieved six victories. Tanäk, with 50 less, and Neuville with 193, complete the podium of honor of the championship, with the Spaniard Dani Sordo finishing eighth with 59 units.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
