Australian WRC Rally: Norway's Mads Ostberg leads after SS3, Sébastien Ogier is 10th – Rally – WRC

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Published on Friday, November 16, 2018 at 00:45

Mads Ostberg led the Rally of Australia Thursday night after the first three stages. Sebastien Ogier was 10th, just behind Thierry Neuville, his main rival for the title.

ES3: Sherwood 1 (28.68 km)

At the end of the third stage, the Rally Australia has a new leader. Norway's Mads Ostberg (Citroën) beat Finland's Esapekka Lappi and Jari-Matti Latvala. He was fastest in SS3, beating Craig Breen by 5''9 and Hayden Paddon of Australia by 6''6. Lappi finished fifth and Latvala sixth. On the side of the world title candidates, Ott Tänak was the best (4th). Thierry Neuville and Sébastien Ogier were further behind (9th and 10th). In the provisional general clbadification, Mads Ostberg is 5''4 ahead of Lappi and 5''8 behind Latvala. Tänak is sixth (+7''8), Neuville, ninth (+19''2) and Ogier, tenth (+27''6).

ES2: Coldwater 1 (14.12 km)

Jari-Matti Latvala joined Esapekka Lappi at the top of the Australian Rally at the end of the second stage. He dominated the ES2 in 7'56''3 and caught the 1'2 behind his fellow countryman after the first stage. Craig Breen was second fastest in SS2 (+ 0''5) and Lappi third. Sebastien Ogier, he finished much further, in 11th place (+ 10''7). Thierry Neuville, who is three points behind the Frenchman at the World Championship, finished 10th at 6''7. In the provisional general clbadification, the two candidates for the world title are also in the same places. Neuville leads Ogier by 4''5. Ott Tänak, who can also win the title, is fifth, 3''4 of the two leaders.

ES1: Orara East 1 (8.77 km)

Esapekka Lappi (Toyota) took the lead of the Rally Australia, the last round of the World Championship, after the first stage, held Friday in the forest of Arara. He overtook Estonian Ott Tänak of 0''8 and compatriot Jari-Matti Latvala of 1''2. Belgium's Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) and Sébastien Ogier (Ford) finished fifth and eighth respectively at 2''2 and 2''6. A few drops fell while most of the pilots had crossed the line. Ogier, who opens the road, hopes that the rain will fall on the rest of the seven specials of the day, to bring more grip, which would handicap less the five-time world champion against the competition. The Irishman Craig Breen, 11th time, said to have hit and probably killed a small kangaroo during this first stage.