Car India – May 2019

Neuville Wins in Corsica

A lot of skill and a pinch of luck fuel

Neuville’s dramatic victory

Report: Joshua Varghese

Photography: Lulop

heCorsiCalinea–TourdeCorsebeganon

a goodnoteforelfynevans(M-sportFordWorldrally

Team)andthedayendedina bitofa controversy.The

Welshmanwasleadingott Tänak(Toyotagazooracing

WorldrallyTeam)inthefinalspeedtestbutlostthat

advantagewhenhewassloweddownbya damagedcar,

causinghimtodropdowntothirdplace.later,raceofficials

awardedhimthesametimeasTänak,thusrestoringhisadvantage.

Meanwhile,Thierryneuville(hyundaishellMobisWorldrally Team)

finished5.3secondsbehindTänak.Thefollowingdaytherallymovedtothe

northoftheislandforthelongestlegoftheweekend.

saturday’shighlightwasthemarathon47-kmCastagnicciaspeedtest;

also,thelaststagefortheday.evanshammeredina 11.5-secondleadover

Tänak after the latterlosta coupleofminuteswhilemendinga punctured

tyre in an earlier stage.however,evans’s lead was not enough to hold

neuvilleatbay.Commentingonhislead,neuville said,

‘Thismorningwecouldn’tfinda goodfeelingtopushas

hardaswewanted.Thisafternoonweraisedtheheight

ofthecarandiwasabletoattackineverystage.’after

hisbrilliantperformance,neuvilleenjoyeda 4.5-second

advantageforthefinalday.

sunday’sproceedingswereheldonthewestcoast

nearCalvi,alsotheshortestlegoftherallywithjusttwo

stagesandtheWolfPowerstage.

Thefinaldaywasfilledwithactionanddrama;the

latterinfavourofneuville.earlierintheday,his

advantagewentfora tossasevansblastedpasthimin

theopeningtest.however,thingsturnedrightaround

forneuvilleandheendedupwinningtherally.Turned

outthatraceleader,evans,hada puncturedtyreinthe

finalspeedtest.it promotedneuville-nicolasgilsoul

totopspotandsébastienogier-Julieningrassia

(CitroënTotalWorldrallyTeam)tosecondplace,

leavingevans-scottMartintosettleforthird.

at theendoftherally,neuvilleleadsthepackwith

82 points,followedbyogierandTänakwith 80 and 77

pointsrespectively.nowthepartywillheadtothe

othersideoftheatlanticfortheXionrally

argentina in Villa Carlos Paz.

Sport

102 car india May 2019 http://www.carindia.in

WRC Corsica