As the crews began day three of the Rally Guanajuato Mexico, round three of the 2015 FIA World Rally Championship, it was rally leader Sebastien Ogier that headed the field. Crews had to contend with another eight stages through the Mexican mountains.
Ogier’s Volkswagen Motorsport team-mate Jari Matti Latvala undid all his hard work from yesterday when he hit a bank on stage 12 putting him out of contention. The Finnish driver had been 13.7 seconds behind the leader after SS11.
“We went a little bit wide in a fast right corner, the rear came out and hit a bank. We broke the rear suspension and lost the wheel,” said a disappointed Latvala.
The retirement meant that Ogier now led Citroen’s Mads Ostberg by 50.5 seconds relieving the pressure that had been on his lead. An interesting battle between Ostberg and Volkswagen’s Andreas Mikkelsen was developing and by the service halt the pair were separated by less than 10 seconds. Dani Sordo and Robert Kubica showed good pace and won stage 13 and 14 respectively.
As Ogier extended his lead into the afternoon the battle to watch was between Ostberg and Mikkelsen. The Volkswagon driver put on the pressure and managed to reduce the gap to 5.7 seconds with just the super special stage to go.
Further down the order Elfyn Evans held fourth with Sordo and Martin Prokop in fifth and sixth.
Three stages remain on tomorrow’s final leg including the 55.82 km Guanajuatito stage.
