Page 21 - Motorsport News (January 2020)
P. 21
motorsport-news.co.uk JANUARY 29 2020 21
‘Ostberg bounced back
from a puncture for glory’ ROUND
Citroen’s WRC 2 man prevails, p22
Photos: mcklein-imagedatabase.com
STAGE TIMES COLIN
NEUVILLE PUTS THE CLARK
VOURITES IN THE BOOK Lappi snatched fourth “This showed
e ■SS1Malijai-Puimichel Neuville has
now stepped up”
(10.86miles)
FastestOgier9m53.4s
LeaderOgierSecondTanak+1.8s
■SS2Bayons-Breziers
(15.84miles) hen you’ve finished
FastestNeuville16m23.7sLeader runner-up in the
NeuvilleSecondOgier+19.1s championship an
astonishing four
■SS3Curbans-Venterol1 timesinarow,theonly
(12.44miles)
FastestEvans13m22.0sLeader Wguaranteeisthatifyou
NeuvilleSecondEvans+5.4s keepdoingthesamething,you’regoingtoend
upwiththesameresults.AndIgetthefeeling
■SS4Saint-Clement-sur- thatThierryNeuvillehashadenoughof
Durance1(12.85miles) finishingsecond,thankyouverymuch.
FastestEvans11m43.3sLeader I’velearnedmanytimesinthepastnottogettoo
EvansSecondNeuville+3.4s
excitedaboutoneresult,butthisonefeltdifferent
■SS5Avancon-Notre-Dame- forNeuville–andIwasn’ttheonlyonetonotice.
du-Laus1(12.79miles) Neuvilleisasublimelytalenteddriver,andconfidence
FastestEvans13m00.7sLeader hasneverbeenanissueforthelikeableBelgian,but
EvansSecondNeuville+8.9s lastyearhelookedalittle,dareIsayit,intimidatedby
theopposition.OttTanakwasstruttingaroundrallies
■SS6Curbans-Venterol2
(12.44miles) takingstagewinsatwilland,whenSebastienOgier
FastestOgier13m20.8sLeader hadacarthatworked,therewasabsolutelyno
EvansSecondOgier+3.3s doubtingwhothebosswas.
Yes,Neuvilletookafewrallywinshimselfbut,quite
■SS7Saint-Clement-sur- frankly,notmanyaroundtheserviceparkwereputting
Durance2(12.85miles) theirhard-earnedmoneyonNeuvillebreakinghis
FastestOgier11m52.0sLeader
EvansSecondOgier+2.7s WorldRallyChampionshiptitleduck.
ButthatallchangedandAndreaAdamo,the
■SS8Avancon-Notre-Dame- Hyundaiteamprincipal,puthisfingeronitduring
du-Laus2(12.79miles) thepost-eventpressconference.HisHyundaii20
FastestNeuville13m13.1sLeader WRChasn’talwaysbeentheeasiestcartodrive.
OgierSecondEvans+1.2s
Thebalancehasbeenproblematicalinthepastand
■SS9Saint-Leger-les-Melezes- thatmassivelyfrustratingissueofexcessiveoversteer
LaBatie-Neuve1(10.48miles) wasacommonlyvoicedcomplaintfrommanyofhis
FastestNeuville10m28.8sLeader drivers.ButsinceAdamotookchargethosemore-
OgierSecondEvans+2.8s than-nigglingproblemshaveslowlybeenironedout.
Theengineperformancealsoseemedtostepupa
■SS10LaBreole-Selonnet1 notchortwo.
Neuville stormed the (12.88miles) WhatHyundaireallyneededwasfortheirnumber
FastestEvans12m34.4sLeader
latter stages to prevail EvansSecondOgier+4.8s onedrivertostepuphisperformanceanotchortwo.
Andthat’sexactlywhathedidinCatalunyalastyear.
on thelead.Andthe leaderwas ■SS11Saint-Leger-les- Neuvillehasdriventheshaftsoffthatcarinthepast
whomovedtothe topof the table, Melezes-LaBatie-Neuve2 andachievedresultsthat,quitefrankly,shouldn’thave
gEvans by 1.2s. (10.48miles) bepossible.CommittedasNeuvillewasthough,
dn’thavemuchconfidence FastestNeuville9m34.6sLeader
orningespeciallyinthebumpy OgierSecondEvans+0.0s somethingwasstillmissing.
ns,”saidOgier.“Butwhenyou DidCatalunyalastyearchangeallthat?Adamo
eyourteam-mateisbeatingyou ■SS12LaBreole-Selonnet2 certainlyseemstothinkso.Astunningdrivefrom
ouknowthereisroomfor (12.88miles) Neuville,fullofpoise,confidenceandself-belief,
vement.There’sroomtogo FastestNeuville12m12.0sLeader wouldappeartohavebeenthecatalystforchange
Wedidsomesmallchanges EvansSecondOgier+4.9s thathasbeensoelusiveoverthepastfewseasons.
dayserviceandthecarwas
intheafternoon.” ■SS13LaBollene-Vesubie- Andwesawthefruitsofthatchangethisyearin
sturnedthescrewalittlebit Peira-Cava1(11.44miles) MonteCarlo.Seeminglyslippingawayfromthe
”admittedEvans.“Ijustwanted FastestNeuville11m24.1sLeader ToyotasofOgierandElfynEvansbytheSaturday
ptomyrhythm,Ididn’twanttogo EvansSecondNeuville+1.4s lunchbreak,Neuvillestormedthroughtheremaining
Let’sseewhattomorrowbrings.” stagestocatchandpassbothYarisesandclaiman
rdaybroughtice.Andsnow.Not ■SS14LaCabanette-Colde emotionalfirstRallyMonteCarlowin.
now.Butenoughof thewhite Braus1(8.30miles)
osendeverybodytostuddedtyres. FastestNeuville9m47.9sLeader RevengewasthewordthatNeuvilleusedtodescribe
villetooktheopener,butonce NeuvilleSecondEvans+4.0s thejobhe’ddoneonOgierthisyearafterhewas
twasEvanswhowasthetalk cruellydeniedaMonte victoryin2019bythenarrowest
serviceparkforthesecond ■SS15LaBollene-Vesubie- ofmargins.It’sstrongsentiment,indeed,butperhaps
imeinsuccession.Histime Peira-Cava2(11.44miles) indicativeofthenewmoodthatnowpervadesthe
ghLaBreole-Selonnetwas FastestNeuville11m25.1sLeader Neuvillecamp.Helooksstrongerthaneverandheis
erlandmarkMontemoment. NeuvilleSecondEvans+11.1s
gottowithin7.6sof theBrit, quiteclearlysickandtiredofbeingthebridesmaid.
uvillewas13.8sdown. ■SS16LaCabanette-Colde IsitNeuville’syear?Itisway,waytooearlytotell,but
ssurprisedatmytimeon Braus2[Powerstage] ontheshowingoftheopeningevent,mypre-season
daynight,”saidNeuville. (8.30miles) predictionthat2020wouldbeallaboutOgierand
hisone’sasurpriseaswell. FastestNeuville9m39.0sLeader Tanakwouldappeartobesomewhatoffthemark.
He’sbeenmorebraveinthere.” NeuvilleSecondOgier+12.6s
Continuedonpage22 NewrecruitEvansraninthetopthreethroughouttheentireevent
