Gap (AFP)

The two Toyota drivers, Elfyn Evans and Sébastien Ogier, engaged in mano-a-mano at the head of the Monte-Carlo rally on Saturday, but Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) remains in ambush before the last day on Sunday.

The advantage returned at the end of the 12th and last special of the day to the Briton, who was ahead of the Frenchman by 4.9 seconds in the provisional general classification.

Proof of the intensity of their struggle, the two drivers - for whom it is for each other the first race under the colors of the Japanese team - were in strict equality of time overall the outcome of the 11th and penultimate special of the day.

"I was a little optimistic with the accelerator in the last frozen corner of the last special and I went out slightly," said Evans, who was able to finish it ahead of Ogier.

Winning on Sunday "is my goal but there is still a long way to go," said the Welshman, saying that he has not received a team order to let Ogier, six times WRC world champion, win to date.

"I kept my strategy but I am a little disappointed with the last special where I was too careful," said the Frenchman. He still hopes to be able to win for the 8th time the "Monte" Sunday given the small gap which separates him from his opponent and teammate.

"Any place on the podium would be a good result," said the man who plays a 7th world title in what is most likely his last season in the discipline.

- Neuville just behind -

But the Belgian Neuville is far from having given up, as his scratch times show in the last two stages of the day. He kept the gap with the leader at just 6.4 seconds, which is exactly the same as after Day 2 on Friday.

"Compared to yesterday, we feel much more confident with the car thanks to different settings," underlined the Belgian driver who finished the last 4 editions of the world championship on the 2nd step of the podium. "The goal is to go for the victory but we will have to win while remaining cautious. We will try," he said.

The three men will compete on Sunday for the last 4 specials in the Nice hinterland before the judged arrival at the start of the afternoon in Monaco. They will fight on the famous Turini pass and also to win the "Power Stage" which brings precious additional points to the WRC world championship, of which Monte Carlo is the first round of the year.

Frenchman Sébastien Loeb (Hyundai) is still 4th but relegated more than 2 min 24 seconds from the leader, under the threat of Finnish Esapekka Lappi (MSport-Ford) only 14 seconds behind him. Victim of a spin in the final special of the day, the nine-time French world champion - who like Ogier has won the "Monte" seven times - can however still bring precious points to Hyundai. This would somewhat console the South Korean constructors world champion team last year from the loss of Ott Tänak, the reigning pilots world champion, victim of a spectacular accident on Friday from which he however escaped unscathed.

© 2020 AFP