After the end of «Rally Spain» on social networks flashed joke: the main result of the last race: Ogier — not a robot! Laugh laugh, but led the race seemed to be the perfect human-computer made one single mistake when doing so was impossible — on the last special stage.
How it all began? The victory in the opening stage and lead the race from the start. The loss due to the «bulldozer trespass» first position and its return on the final special stage of the day. Handsomely? Of course! It seemed that the maximum objective is executed, because at the end of the most difficult for the start of the first crew Ogier managed to lead the race. The remaining two days the participants went on the asphalt, and is already starting position had been more important — victory of the Frenchman in his pocket?
Initially events confirm this statement. Having won three of the four special stages of Saturday's first section to start the day with an advantage of four seconds Sebastien brought its lead over the nearest competitor to 52 seconds! After a day of service Ogier won only one SC, but it was enough for him to increase the gap to 54 seconds.
In turn, the world champion rivals not only do not interfere, and vice versa — to help him. Just someone approaching Ogier, or even ahead of him as he immediately something happened — well, apparently except Seba other «robots» in the racing channel no.
On the second special stage of the leaders came Robert Kubica. Moreover, followed by the position of the second through fifth occupied Mads Ostberg, Hayden Peddon, Ott Tyanak and Dani Sordo — no crew Volkswagen Motorsport in the top 5! Great start, but...
Two special stage — the longest on the GC race — all of the first five collapsing like a house of cards. Kubica manages to break through the two-wheel drive and lost more than five minutes at the end of the third flies dozen. Ostberg catches a slow puncture and reaches the finish line to descend on SU wheel — the loss of the three positions. Peddon destroyed the tires at the start of dopa, which was an asphalt section of distance to the finish line and get off at dopa «floated» tires — only the sixth place at the end of the third special stage instead.
Tyanak lost faith in his own transcript and in the course of passage dopa its rules repeatedly. How can we fight for the position? Dani Sordo overheated brakes on all of the same segment of asphalt and drove the rest of dopa not at their own pace.
All of these events have led to what is involved before the start of the sixth Sebastien Ogier once (!) Came out on top. However, less than a second behind him in second place is his teammate Jari-Matti Latvala, who is already on the sixth special stage wins at the French leadership.
However, the second ascent of the long 36-kilometer special stage again favored Cebu and played «against» his rivals — Finn loses his counterpart a little more than seven seconds and gives the first place.
Second day — five victories in eight special stages and raised at the fifty-second lead over Latvala. Finally, came the final day of the race — the race that had to win Ogier. This no doubt even the most skeptical journalists and fans.
After completing all the tasks perfectly the first two days of the rally — taking the lead at the end of the gravel special stages and increasing it at times on asphalt — the Frenchman continued the race, throwing the slightest risk.
In the course of the final days, he has not won a special stage, showing one second, two third and two seventh result. And one dope Sebastien Ogier did not finish.
It happened on the viewers PowerStage. The length of the special stage was only 12 kilometers. But four kilometers from the finish the special stage — and the race — in a protracted left turn Seb tried to go faster than he did on the first pass. His Volkswagen left the right path and crashed into the rail safety at the same time deprived of the right rear wheel.
The gathering gave Ogier win... no, Jari-Matti Latvala. By the time the Finn has already gathering Frenchman conceded second place to the third pilot Volkswagen Motorsport Andreas Mikkelsen.
Norwegian unwittingly spent the race in the same style of Ogier. The first day he finished in sixth position, but with a relatively small gap from the leader of the race — 37 seconds. On the second day Andreas win back one position after another and at the end of the Sabbath was already in third place — a minute from Seb, but only three seconds behind Latvala takes the second place.
Next — business equipment. Three wins on the special stages against two from Latvala and Mikkelsen is the second. And at the last SU Ogier crashes. It is done!
So his first career victory Andreas Mikkelsen won on asphalt and gravel «Rally Spain.» Most of all he was surprised that the Norwegian — he could not assume that the «soak through» here.
Victory young pilot seems happy without exception — even the loser he Jari-Matti Latvala. Another nice consequence of the vanishing Ogier was third on which rose local favorite Dani Sordo.
In the top ten at the finish of the race we were also Mads Ostberg, Kris Meeke, Hayden Peddon, Martin Prokop, Thierry Neuville, Pontus Tidemand and Jan Kopecky.
The final stage of the World Rally Championship will be held c 12 to 15 November in the UK.
