Safari Rally Stage 14: Ogier on a charge as Neuville hits trouble
Japanese driver Takamoto Katsuta steers his Toyota Yaris WRC with British co-driver Daniel Barritt during the SS14 stage of the 2021 Safari Rally Kenya at Loldia, Naivasha on June 27, 2021.
What you need to know:
- Sordo had been 20 minutes late leaving service because of a reported fuel pressure issue and then clocked in 10 minutes early to the stage start and lined up in third place behind Lorenzo Bertelli with 13min 20sec of additional time penalties to his name.
- Fourmaux and Greensmith were separated by just 12 seconds at the start of the day and locked in a tussle for fifth place.
Evans was handed road-sweeping duties on the first pass through the 11.33km of the narrow and twisty Loldia stage and completed in 7min 49.4sec.
Sordo had been 20 minutes late leaving service because of a reported fuel pressure issue and then clocked in 10 minutes early to the stage start and lined up in third place behind Lorenzo Bertelli with 13min 20sec of additional time penalties to his name.
Fourmaux and Greensmith were separated by just 12 seconds at the start of the day and locked in a tussle for fifth place. The Frenchman threw caution to the wind to post a time of 7min 41.2sec and reduced his M-Sport team-mate’s advantage to just six seconds.
French driver Adrien Fourmax, steers his Ford Fiesta during the SS14 stage of the 2021 Safari Rally Kenya in Loldia, Naivasha on June 27, 2021.
Ogier opted for four soft tyres in his quest to hunt down Katsuta and snatch second place and the Japanese saw his 18.1-second cushion whittled down to 4.6 seconds when the seven-time World Champion carded the fastest time of 7min 37.1sec.
Neuville struggled through the stage with right-rear suspension damage and haemorrhaged 59.2 seconds to the Frenchman. But the Belgian somehow managed to hold on to a lead of 11.7 seconds after a stunning development at the start of the final morning.
Stage Flash
Date: Sunday, June 27th
Day: 3 Flash N°: 14
Special stage: Loldia 1 Distance: 11.33 km
Weather: Cool and cloudy
Road conditions: Damp in places
Four-minute intervals.
Car 1. OGIER/INGRASSIA
Soft tyres all round. “I have to push to fight for the second place. Not a perfect stage. A little stall on one corner but we have to try and see what will happen.”
Car 33. EVANS/MARTIN
"It was a bit slippery in places. The grass is quite wet. You cannot always be in the perfect line.”
Car 11. NEUVILLE/WYDAEGHE
Damaged rear right suspension and the Belgian dropped 59.2 seconds to Ogier and saw
his lead whittled down to 11.7 seconds.
Car 8. TÄNAK/JÄRVEOJA
“A clean stage. No problem.”
Car 69. ROVANPERÄ/HALTTUNEN
“It has been a long weekend after Friday. We are just now trying to save the tyres and
cruising safely through.”
Car 18. KATSUTA/BARRITT
“Just bring car to service. We need to see what is happening. Stage 16 is going to be very rough. Unfortunately I don’t have such good tyres. I don’t want to get stress about the position.”
Car 6. SORDO/ROZADA
Was 20 minutes late leaving service because of a reported fuel pressure issue and then
clocked into the stage start 10 minutes early and is running third on the road. The
Spaniards are obviously acting as a gravel info crew for their team-mates running further
down the order. They incurred a total of 13min 20sec of additional time penalties. “The car is good. We are taking care with the tyres to see if we can do something on the Power Stage.”
Car 44. GREENSMITH/PATTERSON
“I didn’t have any softs left. I only have two. It was a disadvantage when it’s humid. I had
no grip.”
Car 16. FOURMAUX/JAMOUL
“It was a stage that we could really push. It is not a rough stage. The goal is still the same to be at the end. But I was really enjoying. It was good.”
Car 37. BERTELLI/SCATTOLIN
“This stage was really rough. I did not expect that. The next should be better. It is a more
flowing stage.”
