Share

Ogier wins again in Poland

Mikolajki - Reigning world champion Sebastien Ogier of France in a Volkswagen Polo won the Rally of Poland counting toward the World Rally Championship on Sunday.

It was Ogier's fifth win of the season out of seven rallies and the 21st of his career.

After 24 special stages and 360 kilometres of timed sections, Ogier finished clear of his teammate Andreas Mikkelsen of Norway with Belgium's Thierry Neuville in a Hyundai in third place.

The win means that Ogier extended his lead atop the world championship standings with 166 points against 116 for his other teammate Jari-Matti Latvala, who could only place fifth in Poland.

The Frenchman dominated the rally from start to finish and he held a comfortable lead going into the final day's action.

He never looked like being caught and by any of his rivals with Latvala being ruled out of contention after his car suspension was damaged by a stray stone on Saturday's 14th special stage.

Latvala won in Sweden and Argentina earlier in the season, with Ogier winning the others in Monte-Carlo, Mexico, Portugal, Sardinia and now Poland.

"I think it was the perfect weekend for me," said Ogier.

"I am really happy - victory and a good step for the championship (too). The stages were good fun and high speed."

Despite his disappointment at missing out on top spot, Mikkelsen was able to cruise to second place, and he reflected on a solid weekend.

"It has been a great weekend for me," Mikkelsen said. "I really enjoyed the stages. We battled hard with Seb [Ogier].

"It was a shame we lost time yesterday with the brakes and a mistake from me, but still a very positive weekend."

Leading final standings at the end of the Rally of Poland on Sunday, the seventh leg of the world championship season:

1. Sebastien Ogier-Julien Ingrassia (FRA/VW Polo-R) 2:34:02.0, 2. Andreas Mikkelsen-Ola Floene (NOR/VW Polo-R) at 1:07.7, 3. Thierry Neuville-Nicolas Gilsoul (BEL/Hyundai i20) at 2:13.5, 4. Mikko Hirvonen-Jarmo Lehtinen (FIN/Ford Fiesta RS) at 2:32.4, 5. Jari-Matti Latvala-Mikka Anttila (FIN/VW Polo-R) at 2:33.1, 6. Juho Hnninen-Tommi Tuominen (FIN/Hyundai i20) at 2:49.9, 7. Kris Meeke-Paul Nagle (GBR-IRL/Citron DS3) at 4:27.9, 8. Hayden Paddon-John Kennard (NZL/Hyundai i20) at 4:32.1, 9. Henning Solberg-Ilka Minor (NOR-AUT/Ford Fiesta RS) at 4:59.0, 10. Martin Prokop-Jan Tomanek (CZE/Ford Fiesta RS) at 6:11.3, 11. Ott Tnak-Raigo Mlder (EST/Ford Fiesta R5) at 8:10.3

Drivers overall standings:

1. Sbastien Ogier (FRA) 166 points, 2. Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN) 116 pts, 3. Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR) 83 pts, 4. Mads Ostberg (NOR) 66 pts, 5. Mikko Hirvonen (FIN) 52 pts, 6. Thierry Neuville (BEL) 46 pts, 7. Kris Meeke (GBR) 38 pts, 8. Elfyn Evans (GBR) 36 pts, 9. Martin Prokop (CZE) 31 pts, 10. Henning Solberg (NOR) 24 pts

Constructors overall standings:

1. Volkswagen Motorsport, 262 points, 2. Citron WRT, 115 pts, 3. M-Sport WRT (Ford), 90 pts, 4. Volkswagen Motorsport 2, 82 pts, 5. Hyundai Motorsport, 80 pts

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1816 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1774 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1082 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 459 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 186 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 253 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE