After losing two races in a row — in Mexico and Argentina — in Portugal by the Frenchman waited for revenge, but did not wait. Moreover, in addition to who won ahead of series leader Mika is a third pilot Volkswagen Motorsport Andreas Mikkelsen.
For Sebastien Ogier Portuguese stage not only familiar, but is a race in which he is hardly not the record — on account of the Frenchman's record of five against four in Markku Alen. But this year, the chances of three-time world champion in the fifth victory was ever low. And the reason for this — a disadvantageous starting position.
Try as Seb as he tried — to show my real pace, he was not able to in the first two days. The victory at the opening race of the viewers SSA Lousada was only the result of a drop-down. The following thirteen special stages Ogier finished in any desired positions, except for the first.
But this did not prevent him to stake out the second place, which he had lost... after winning one more special stage! The second special stage victory on Sebastien won on the second day of the finish. This result gave hope to fans irrepressible Frenchman that on Sunday he will fight the leader of the race, but it did not happen.
The reason for that — puncture on the first special stage on Sunday. At once, the fate decided to play against Ogier! No, in the pierced the right front wheel was not a special problem — let Sebastien and showed on this special stage a second time, as a result of dropping to third place in the race and conceding Andreas Mikkelsen forward.
The trouble is that on Sunday, the riders had to drive four-dopa, but not at the service arrival! A Frenchman in the car had only one spare tire and had to put it after the first special stage of the final day of the rally. By acting in the World Rally Championship regulations, crews can not continue the race on three wheels. With this in mind, Ogier had to go all out to protect the rubber, so that in any case not earn another puncture.
Nevertheless, he still multiple world champion and even cautious riding in his performance — it is still very fast! But not fast enough to get ahead of Mikkelsen and has especially Mick — Irish gap at this point was already extraordinary.
So Ogier and I finished third. And at the finish of the last special stage he mentioned that earned yet another puncture, but slow. Therefore, it is not prevented neither result in the special stage, no final third place.
And what is a leader? Kris Meeke spent the race almost perfectly. Of course it played into the hands of the starting position — if Ogier started the first, the Irishman went into the race as much as the thirteenth! By the time of its launch the entire top slimy layer of gravel was carefully cleaned off by previous participants and led a group of cleaners namely Ogier.
Therefore not surprising that since the first full gravel dopa pilot Abu Dhabi WRT began churning out victories one after another. On the first day he won five special stages, the second excelled for another three.
And it was made — on the basis of the twelve special stages held his lead over the second-ranked Ogier exceeded one minute. Play is for the remaining seven special stages — in the absence of problems and errors — almost unreal. And Chris did everything to exclude and then, and more.
On Saturday afternoon when the mechanics put in his Citroen DS3 WRC two spare wheels and a retuned suspension for a maximum ground clearance — all remember the two vanishing Mika at the initial stage of the championship due to the impact of stones.
«I have time to spare, and I use it,» — said the Irishman at the finish of one of the special stages, where he showed the third time. And it was not the worst result of the leader of the race — after he turned on the «safe mode» to his credit had two third, two fourth, two fifth and one eighth time in the special stage.
And how the race turned out to be the result for Chris Mick? At the end of three days he won with a margin from the nearest competitor in half a minute. Yes, he lost half of his lead time, but it turned out to be absolutely correct calculation — unexpected victory went to him.
Andreas Mikkelsen finished second. Norwegian until the last day holed up behind Ogier, but when the Frenchman had problems — puncture — Andreas immediately took advantage of this and went out on the second place it is not given.
For the third time in the last three races Dani Sordo brought his Hyundai i20 WRC to the finish line in fourth place. And this time the Spaniard was the best yet, and among the pilots of the Korean team. His teammates have faced all kinds of problems — Hayden Peddon off the road, after which his car was burned; Thierry Neuville ran out of fuel — it seems that it was a mistake someone from the mechanics; Kevin Abbring broke the tie rod.
Departures Peddon brought a lot of unpleasant emotions... Ott Tyanaku! Estonian fine and started the race went fourth, but made a mistake and went off the road there, where a little earlier made a fire show New Zealander.
Ret speaking on the Ford Fiesta RS WRC for the team DMACK WRT Tyanaka certainly upset the boss M-Sport Malcolm Wilson, but then the British did not know that the rider factory team Eric Camilli be able to support the reputation of the «blue oval» and will lead his Ford to the finish line in fifth place.
His comrade-in-arms Mads Ostberg was the seventh, and the two pilots of M-Sport finished Jari-Matti Latvala. Finn on the first day broke the power steering, which led to the loss of the enormous amount of time...
The eighth place finish went to «private trader» Martin Prokop, and after him, closing the top ten winners finished 2 WRC standings Pontus Tidemand and Nicolas Fuchs.
The next time the participants of the World Rally Championship will meet in Italy at the Rally Sardinia, and this will take place on June 9.
