OGIER AND TOYOTA GAZOO RACING TRIUMPH AGAIN

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team’s Sébastien Ogier has secured a second successive win with his record-breaking sixth victory at the Rally de Portugal.

  Ogier and co-driver Vincent increased their margin with a storming stage win in a foggy first test on Sunday morning, allowing them to apply more caution in the following tests and ultimately take victory by 7.9s.

  Ogier now has more WRC victories in Portugal than any other driver, having matched Finnish legend Markku Alén’s tally of five wins back in 2017. TGR-WRT meanwhile has now won the last five editions of the event with four different drivers, bringing Toyota level with Lancia and Citroën on eight victories each across the history of the rally.

  Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin finished sixth overall, securing some important points after a difficult start to the rally on Friday. They faced a further challenge on Sunday after damage to the cooling package in the penultimate stage, but made repairs on the road section to ensure they reached the finish. They remain second in the championship, 24 points from the leaders.

  Kalle Rovanperä led after Friday but went off the road on Saturday’s second stage. He and Jonne Halttunen restarted on Sunday and took third in the Power Stage, helping to bank some extra points for the team.

  Takamoto Katsuta was also among those fighting for the lead early on before he too stopped on Saturday morning after picking up damage. He and Aaron Johnston rejoined the action on Sunday and were fifth in the Super Sunday and Power Stage classifications.

  The manufacturers’ standings remain close after five rounds, with TGR-WRT now four points from the lead.

The next Rally Italia Sardegna (May 31-Jun 2) features fast but narrow gravel stages, where exposed rocks as well as trees at the side of the road can catch out the unwary.

Please read the details on the team’s official web site: