Elfyn Evans’ World Rally Championship lead has been cut further, as Sebastien Ogier made it back-to-back wins with victory at Rally Italia Sardegna.
Welshman Evans finished fourth, more than five minutes behind Toyota team-mate Ogier who became the most successful driver in the Italian event’s history with a fifth success.
The French eight-time world champion has cut his series deficit to Evans from 30 points to 19, with another GR Yaris Rally1 driver, Kalle Rovanpera, a further one point back.
Rovanpera was fourth in the baking heat of Sardinia, behind Hyundai’s Ott Tanak – who finished runner-up to maintain his own championship challenge.
All six of this season’s rallies so far have been won by Toyota.
Ogier’s victory was his third of the season and came 12 months after losing out to Tanak by 0.2 seconds following a heartbreaking final-stage puncture in this event.
He also had a scare on Sunday’s finale, when an overshoot in the final kilometres slashed his lead over the Estonian from 17.2s to 7.9s.
“In the ruts, I just couldn’t turn the car,” said Ogier.
“There was no speed at all, so I didn’t try to force it and hit it, I preferred to stop and reverse.
“Yeah, not ideal, still, it was enough to win.”
Evans once again found the gravel roads tough on the opening day, as he did in Portugal last month.
He never challenged for overall victory and also lost time on the top three when he punctured on Saturday’s stage 11, though ironically he gained a place to fourth with Toyota team-mate Sami Pajari taking even longer over a wheel change.
Josh McErlean’s Rally Italia was over almost before it started. He was one of six drivers caught out by the newly introduced Telti – Calangianus – Berchidda loop, ripping the entire rear-left corner off his M-Sport Ford Puma on stage two.
The Northern Irish driver was forced to retire with suspension damage before restarting, out of contention, on Saturday and finishing 11th in class.
He remains 10th overall.
The drivers face similar conditions in round seven of the 14-event series, with more gravel stages in Acropolis Rally Greece from 26 to 29 June.
1. Sebastien Ogier (France), Toyota, 3 hours 34 minutes 25.5 seconds
2. Ott Tanak (Estonia), Hyundai, +7.9secs
3. Kalle Rovanpera (Finland), Toyota, +50.5secs
4. Elfyn Evans (Great Britain), Toyota, +5min 05.7secs
5. Takamoto Katsuta (Japan), Toyota, +7min 29.6.secs
Selected
11. Josh McErlean (Ireland), Ford, +57min 10.1secs
1. Elfyn Evans (Great Britain), Toyota, 133 points
2. Sebastien Ogier (France), Toyota, 114
3. Kalle Rovanpera (Finland), Toyota, 113
4. Ott Tanak (Estonia), Hyundai, 108
5. Thierry Neuville (Belgium), Hyundai, 83
6. Takamoto Katsuta (Japan), Toyota, 63
Selected
10. Josh McErlean (Ireland), Ford, 12
12. Gus Greensmith (Great Britain), Skoda, 8
