The 2018 Rally Argentina (formally known as the YPF Rally Argentina 2018) was a motor racing event for rally cars that was held over four days between 26 and 29 April 2018.[1] It marked the thirty-eighth running of Rally Argentina, and was the fifth round of the 2018 World Rally Championship and its support categories, the WRC-2 and WRC-3 championships.[2] The event was based in Villa Carlos Paz in Córdoba Province and consisted of eighteen special stages totalling 358.25 km (222.61 mi) competitive kilometres.[3]
| 2018 Rally Argentina 38. YPF Rally Argentina | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Round 5 of 13 in the 2018 World Rally Championship
| |||
| Host country |  Argentina | ||
| Rally base | Villa Carlos Paz, Córdoba | ||
| Dates run | 26 – 29 April 2018 | ||
| Start location | Villa Carlos Paz, Córdoba | ||
| Finish location | El Cóndor, Córdoba | ||
| Stages | 18 (358.25 km; 222.61 miles) | ||
| Stage surface | Gravel | ||
| Transport distance | 942.40 km (585.58 miles) | ||
| Overall distance | 1,300.65 km (808.19 miles) | ||
| Statistics | |||
| Crews registered | 27 | ||
| Crews | 27 at start, 19 at finish | ||
| Overall results | |||
| Overall winner |  Ott Tänak Martin Järveoja Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT3:43:28.9 | ||
| Power Stage winner |  Thierry Neuville Nicolas Gilsoul Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT | ||
| Support category results | |||
| WRC-2 winner |  Pontus Tidemand Jonas Andersson Škoda Motorsport3:55:44.7 | ||
| WRC-3 winner | no WRC-3 entries | ||
Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul were the defending rally winners.[4] Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja won the rally. Their team, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT, were the manufacturers' winners, while the Škoda Motorsport crew of Pontus Tidemand and Jonas Andersson won the World Rally Championship-2 category in a Škoda Fabia R5.[5]
Background edit
Championship standings prior to the event edit
Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia entered the round with a seventeen-point lead in the World Championships for Drivers and Co-drivers. In the World Championship for Manufacturers, Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT held a four-point lead over M-Sport Ford WRT.
Entry list edit
The following crews were entered into the rally. The event was open to crews competing in the World Rally Championship, World Rally Championship-2, and the World Rally Championship-3. The final entry list consisted of twelve World Rally Car entries and ten crews entered in the World Rally Championship-2. There were no entries for the World Rally Championship-3.
Report edit
Pre-event edit
Citroën expanded its operations to include a third entry.[6] Craig Breen and Scott Martin returned to drive one car,[6] having given up their seats in Mexico and Corsica to make way for Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena.[7] Khalid Al-Qassimi and Chris Patterson are making their first appearance of the season, driving Citroën's third car.[6]
Teemu Suninen and Mikko Markkula returned to drive M-Sport Ford's third entry.[6] Suninen and Markkula had been replaced by tarmac specialists Bryan Bouffier and Xavier Panseri in Tour de Corse.[7] Daniel Barritt also returned as Elfyn Evans' co-driver after being forced to miss the Tour de Corse to recover from a concussion sustained in an accident in Rally Mexico.[6][8][9]
Thursday edit
Defending rally winner Thierry Neuville edged Ott Tänak's Toyota Yaris by 0.3 second over the mixed surface roads in the town centre. Championship leader Sébastien Ogier was a further 0.1 second back in third in a Fiesta. Andreas Mikkelsen was half a second off the pace, despite twice understeering through roundabouts. From fifth to ninth were Kris Meeke, Esapekka Lappi, Teemu Suninen, Dani Sordo, the Shakedown winner Jari-Matti Latvala. Elfyn Evans, who originally finished eleventh, climbed up to tenth after Craig Breen received a 10-second penalty for checking out late at the time control.[10]
Friday edit
Although Ott Tänak got a half-spin in the second stage, he managed to gain a significant lead in subsequent stages, winning five of six special stages which earned him a 22.7-second lead over Kris Meeke, much to the astonishment of his rivals. Thierry Neuville ended the day at the third place, margined his teammate Dani Sordo by less than one second, while defending world champion Sébastien Ogier was a further 6.9 seconds behind. Craig Breen was seventh on the board, 41.2 seconds off the lead. Early leader Andreas Mikkelsen got a puncture in SS6, relegating him to seventh place, along with Esapekka Lappi who also suffered from two punctures. The Finn was in the thick of the podium battle but plunged to eighth. Elfyn Evans was ninth, the Welshman frustrated by his lack of pace, with Fiesta teammate Teemu Suninen completed the leaderboard. Jari-Matti Latvala was forced to retire from the rally after his Yaris' front right suspension and engine's oiling system sustained significant damage.[11]
Saturday edit
Ott Tänak was almost unbeatable in the rally. He set another five fastest stage times out of seven. His lead is now up to 46.5 seconds overall. Thierry Neuville and Dani Sordo, who gained the podium place after Kris Meeke suffered a puncture and dropped to eighth, were the only two drivers to snatch stage victories from the Yaris diver. They were separated by 21.7 seconds. Defending world champion Sébastien Ogier and Andreas Mikkelsen climbed up to fourth and fifth overall respectively, followed by Esapekka Lappi, another 29.1 seconds behind. Elfyn Evans was seventh in another Fiesta, nearly three minutes off the lead. Teammate Teemu Suninen and WRC 2 leader Kalle Rovanperä finished in the top ten. Craig Breen rolled his C3 out of sixth, which damaged his roll cage. He was forced to retire.[12]
Sunday edit
Ott Tänak dominated the rally and took his first rally victory of the season and first for his team, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT.[13] Thierry Neuville finished second with five Power Stage points, while his teammate Dani Sordo completed the podium. Defending world champion Sébastien Ogier finished fourth overall, margined Andreas Mikkelsen by just four seconds. Teammate Elfyn Evans finished sixth in another Fiesta, over three minutes off the lead. Kris Meeke finished at the seventh place after Saturday's puncture. Esapekka Lappi, Teemu Suninen and WRC 2 winner Pontus Tidemand, who recapture the position of category leader after Kalle Rovanperä rolled out in second to last stage, completed the leaderboard.
Classification edit
Top ten finishers edit
The following crews finished the rally in each class's top ten.[b]
Other notable finishers edit
The following notable crews finished the rally outside top ten.[b]
| Position | No. | Driver | Co-driver | Entrant | Car | Class | Time | Points | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event | Class | Stage | ||||||||
| 14 | 14 | 12 |  Khalid Al-Qassimi
|
 Chris Patterson
|
 Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT
|
Citroën C3 WRC | WRC | 4:04:47.2 | 0 | |
| Source:[14][15] | ||||||||||
Special stages edit
| Overall classification | |||||||
| Day | Stage | Name | Length | Winner | Car | Time | Class leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 April | — | Villa Carlos Paz [Shakedown] | 4.25 km |  Jari-Matti Latvala
|
Toyota Yaris WRC | 2:31.5 | — |
| SS1 | SSS Villa Carlos Paz | 1.9 km | Thierry Neuville
|
Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC | 1:54.4 | Thierry Neuville
| |
| 27 April | SS2 | Las Bajadas / Villa del Dique 1 | 16.65 km | Sébastien Ogier
|
Ford Fiesta WRC | 8:55.7 | Sébastien Ogier
|
| SS3 | Amboy / Yacanto 1 | 33.58 km | Ott Tänak
|
Toyota Yaris WRC | 19:19.9 |  Andreas Mikkelsen
| |
| SS4 | Santa Rosa / San Agustín 1 | 23.85 km | Ott Tänak
|
Toyota Yaris WRC | 13:42.6 | ||
| SS5 | SSS Fernet Branca 1 | 6.04 km |  Dani Sordo
|
Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC | 4:42.0 | Ott Tänak
| |
| SS6 | Las Bajadas / Villa del Dique 2 | 16.65 km | Ott Tänak
|
Toyota Yaris WRC | 8:43.4 | ||
| SS7 | Amboy / Yacanto 2 | 33.58 km | Ott Tänak
|
Toyota Yaris WRC | 19:18.7 | ||
| SS8 | Santa Rosa - San Agustín 2 | 23.85 km | Ott Tänak
|
Toyota Yaris WRC | 13:35.0 | ||
| 28 April | SS9 | Tanti - Mataderos 1 | 13.92 km | Ott Tänak
|
Toyota Yaris WRC | 9:00.1 | |
| SS10 | Los Gigantes - Cuchilla Nevada 1 | 16.02 km | Ott Tänak
|
Toyota Yaris WRC | 8:16.7 | ||
| SS11 | Cuchilla Nevada - Rio Pintos 1 | 40.48 km | Ott Tänak
|
Toyota Yaris WRC | 24:31.0 | ||
| SS12 | SSS Fernet Branca 2 | 6.04 km | Thierry Neuville
|
Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC | 4:40.8 | ||
| SS13 | Tanti - Mataderos 2 | 13.92 km | Ott Tänak
|
Toyota Yaris WRC | 8:59.9 | ||
| SS14 | Los Gigantes - Cuchilla Nevada 2 | 16.02 km | Ott Tänak
|
Toyota Yaris WRC | 8:15.5 | ||
| SS15 | Cuchilla Nevada - Rio Pintos 2 | 40.48 km | Dani Sordo
|
Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC | 24:03.0 | ||
| 29 April | SS16 | Copina - El Condor | 16.43 km | Andreas Mikkelsen
|
Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC | 13:09.5 | |
| SS17 | Giulio Cesare - Mina Clavero | 22.41 km | Thierry Neuville
|
Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC | 18:31.3 | ||
| SS18 | El Cóndor [Power stage] | 16.43 km | Thierry Neuville
|
Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC | 13:00.8 | ||
| World Rally Championship-2 | |||||||
| 26 April | — | Villa Carlos Paz [Shakedown] | 4.25 km | Kalle Rovanperä
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 2:41.3 | — |
| SS1 | SSS Villa Carlos Paz | 1.9 km | Kalle Rovanperä
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 1:57.5 | Kalle Rovanperä
| |
| 27 April | SS2 | Las Bajadas / Villa del Dique 1 | 16.65 km | Pontus Tidemand
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 9:54.8 | Pontus Tidemand
|
| SS3 | Amboy / Yacanto 1 | 33.58 km | Kalle Rovanperä
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 20:42.9 | ||
| SS4 | Santa Rosa / San Agustín 1 | 23.85 km | Kalle Rovanperä
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 14:29.1 | ||
| SS5 | SSS Fernet Branca 1 | 6.04 km | Kalle Rovanperä
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 4:46.8 | ||
| SS6 | Las Bajadas / Villa del Dique 2 | 16.65 km | Pontus Tidemand
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 9:24.8 | ||
| SS7 | Amboy / Yacanto 2 | 33.58 km | Kalle Rovanperä
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 20:29.1 | ||
| SS8 | Santa Rosa - San Agustín 2 | 23.85 km | Pontus Tidemand
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 14:19.3 | ||
| 28 April | SS9 | Tanti - Mataderos 1 | 13.92 km | Kalle Rovanperä
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 9:25.1 | |
| SS10 | Los Gigantes - Cuchilla Nevada 1 | 16.02 km | Kalle Rovanperä
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 8:49.5 | ||
| SS11 | Cuchilla Nevada - Rio Pintos 1 | 40.48 km | Kalle Rovanperä
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 26:09.5 | Kalle Rovanperä
| |
| SS12 | SSS Fernet Branca 2 | 6.04 km | Kalle Rovanperä
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 4:48.1 | ||
| SS13 | Tanti - Mataderos 2 | 13.92 km | Kalle Rovanperä
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 9:20.2 | ||
| SS14 | Los Gigantes - Cuchilla Nevada 2 | 16.02 km | Kalle Rovanperä
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 8:43.6 | ||
| SS15 | Cuchilla Nevada - Rio Pintos 2 | 40.48 km | Pontus Tidemand
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 25:20.0 | ||
| 29 April | SS16 | Copina - El Condor | 16.43 km | Pontus Tidemand
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 13:29.8 | |
| SS17 | Giulio Cesare - Mina Clavero | 22.41 km | Pontus Tidemand
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 18:45.6 | Pontus Tidemand
| |
| SS18 | El Cóndor | 16.43 km | Pontus Tidemand
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | 13:42.0 | ||
Power stage edit
The Power stage was a 16.43 km stage at the end of the rally. Additional World Championship points were awarded to the five fastest crews.
| Pos. | Driver | Co-driver | Car | Time | Diff. | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thierry Neuville
|
Nicolas Gilsoul
|
Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC | 13:00.8 | 0.0 | 5 |
| 2 | Sébastien Ogier
|
Julien Ingrassia
|
Ford Fiesta WRC | 13:01.3 | +0.5 | 4 |
| 3 | Andreas Mikkelsen
|
Anders Jæger-Synnevaag
|
Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC | 13:01.5 | +0.7 | 3 |
| 4 | Ott Tänak
|
Martin Järveoja
|
Toyota Yaris WRC | 13:04.0 | +3.2 | 2 |
| 5 | Kris Meeke
|
 Paul Nagle
|
Citroën C3 WRC | 13:04.5 | +3.7 | 1 |
Penalties edit
The following notable crews were given time penalty during the rally.[b]
| Stage | No. | Driver | Co-driver | Entrant | Car | Class | Reason | Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SS1 | 11 | Craig Breen
|
Scott Martin
|
Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT
|
Citroën C3 WRC | WRC | 1 minute late | 0:10 |
| SS7 | 34 |  Marco Bulacia Wilkinson
|
Fernando Mussano
|
Marco Bulacia Wilkinson
|
Ford Fiesta R5 | WRC-2 | 20 minutes late | 3:20 |
| SS13 | 38 |  Diego Domínguez
|
Edgardo Galindo
|
Diego Domínguez
|
Hyundai i20 R5 | WRC-2 | 5 minutes late | 0:50 |
Retirements edit
The following notable crews retired from the event.[b] Under Rally2 regulations, they were eligible to re-enter the event starting from the next leg. Crews that re-entered were given an additional time penalty.
| Stage | No. | Driver | Co-driver | Entrant | Car | Class | Cause | Re-entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SS1 | 36 | Nil Solans
|
Miquel Ibañez
|
Nil Solans
|
Ford Fiesta R5 | WRC-2 | Mechanical | Yes |
| SS3 | 7 | Jari-Matti Latvala
|
Miikka Anttila
|
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
|
Toyota Yaris WRC | WRC | Suspension | No |
| SS3 | 39 | Tiago Weiler
|
Fabian Cretu
|
Tiago Weiler
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | WRC-2 | Accident | No |
| SS6 | 40 |  Alberto Heller
|
José Diaz
|
M-Sport Ford WRT
|
Ford Fiesta R5 | WRC-2 | Accident | No |
| SS8 | 37 | Gustavo Saba
|
Marcelo der Ohannesian
|
Gustavo Saba
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | WRC-2 | Mechanical | Yes |
| SS9 | 34 | Marco Bulacia Wilkinson
|
Fernando Mussano
|
Marco Bulacia Wilkinson
|
Ford Fiesta R5 | WRC-2 | Accident | No |
| SS12 | 11 | Craig Breen
|
Scott Martin
|
Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT
|
Citroën C3 WRC | WRC | Accident | No |
| SS17 | 35 | Kalle Rovanperä
|
Jonne Halttunen
|
Škoda Motorsport
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | WRC-2 | Accident | No |
| SS18 | 37 | Gustavo Saba
|
Marcelo der Ohannesian
|
Gustavo Saba
|
Škoda Fabia R5 | WRC-2 | Accident | No |
Championship standings after the rally edit
Drivers' championships edit
|
Co-Drivers' championships edit
|
Manufacturers' and teams' championships edit
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Notes edit
References edit
- ^ "YPF Rally Argentina". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. Archived from the original on 6 April 2018. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
- ^ "Rally Aus retains WRC finale in 2018". speedcafe.com. 22 September 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
- ^ "Rally Argentina - Route and facts". wrc.com. WRC. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
- ^ "Neuville wins a thriller". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 30 April 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ^ "Breaking News: Victory for Tänak". wrc.com. WRC. 29 April 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f "YPF Rally Argentina 2018 Entry List" (PDF). rallyargentina.com. rallyargentina.com. 4 April 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 October 2018. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
- ^ a b "Corsica linea Tour de Corse 2018 Entry List" (PDF). tourdecorse.com. tourdecorse.com. 15 March 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
- ^ "Ex-Solberg co-driver Mills called up by M-Sport". motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. 31 March 2018. Archived from the original on 7 July 2018. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
- ^ Evans, David (19 April 2018). "WRC Argentina: Elfyn Evans's co-driver Dan Barritt set for return". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
- ^ "Neuville Wins Opener". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 26 April 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
- ^ "Friday In Argentina: Tänak Reigns Supreme". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 27 April 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
- ^ "Saturday In Argentina: Tänak Rules Pampas". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 28 April 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
- ^ "Sunday In Argentina: Masterful Tänak Nets Win". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 29 April 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
- ^ a b "Rally Argentina Results". wrc.com. World Rally Championship. 29 April 2018. Archived from the original on 15 May 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
- ^ a b "38. YPF Rally Argentina 2018". ewrc-results.com. 29 April 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
External links edit
- Official website (in Spanish and English)
- 2018 Rally Argentina in e-wrc website
- The official website of the World Rally Championship