Tartu (Estonia) (AFP)
Finland's Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota), who at only 20 is among the favorites, won the opening special of Rally Estonia, 7th round of the World Rally Championship (WRC), around Tartu (southeast ) Thursday evening.
After 1.64 km over nearly 320 from here to the finish at midday on Sunday, the gaps are very small.
Among the other favorites, the Irishman Craig Breen (Hyundai), 2nd last year, is 2nd at 1/10.
Estonian Ott Tänak (Hyundai) and Belgian Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) are 8th and 9th at 9/10.
The French Sébastien Ogier (Toyota), finally, is 10th at 1 sec 2/10.
The seven-time world champion, leader of the drivers' standings with 34 points (more than one victory) ahead of his British teammate Elfyn Evans, has won four times this season and remains on two consecutive victories in Sardinia and Kenya.
Evans, 19th Thursday night at 3 sec 2/10, shows success on his clock, like Tänak.
The Estonian, 2019 world champion, has won four times on his land in 2014, 2018, 2019 and 2020 (when the event entered the WRC calendar), but his chances do not seem as good this year. .
Indeed, if they have a better pace, the Hyundai's lack reliability: suspension problems have deprived them of victory in the last three rallies!
Two loops of four specials (out of 24 in all), extremely fast, with a lot of bumps and partly covered in 2020, are on the program on Friday, under temperatures around 30 degrees.
On the French side, Pierre-Louis Loubet (Hyundai 2C Competition), entered in the premier class, is 21st at 3 sec 3/10 Thursday.
Adrien Fourmaux, brilliant 5th in Kenya, returned to WRC2 with M-Sport Ford to continue to prepare for the future and point to 18th place after 3 seconds.
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