The second day of the competition, Saturday, was the longest stage of the rally in terms of distance – the drivers tested their strength in six speed stages, totaling 154 kilometers (km).
Tanak entered Saturday’s first “dope” with a lead of 4.2 seconds over the closest follower, Finland’s Tema Suninen (Hyundai Shell Mobis).
Tanak was the fastest in four stages on Saturday. The result of the penultimate day of racing was largely determined by the choice of tires and speed.
Tanaka managed to “save” the tires at the right moments, i.e. choose to drive more cautiously in order to reduce tire wear. Current season leader Kalle Rovanpera (“Toyota Gazoo Racing”), who is in 5th position after Saturday’s stages, told the championship organizers that this is the WRC rally where the biggest tire wear has been observed this year.
In addition to skilful tire saving, Tanak also piloted his “Ford Puma” confidently on Saturday and made no mistakes, only increasing his lead. Before the final day of the rally, Tanak is the leader. Suninen is in the second position, losing 58.3 seconds to the leader. Belgian Thierry Neville (Hyundai Shell Mobis) is third, who is already more than a minute and 10 seconds behind Tanaka.
Chile WRC standings after day two
Photo: Screenshot from “ewrc.com”
Tanak has four more stages to go in the final stages of the rally on Sunday to claim his second career win at Rally Chile. Previously, and for the only time, the WRC stage was held in Chile in 2019.
Strategic changes in the top three from the Hyundai Shell Mobis team could also be expected on the last day of the race, as team leader Neville, unlike the fastest Rally1 class newcomer Suninen, occupies a higher position in the overall season standings and can still claim the championship title. Therefore, perhaps Hyundai Shell Mobis will instruct Suninen to “slow down” so that Neville can overtake him and earn more points for the season total.
On Sunday, the athletes will compete in four “dopas” over a distance of 54 km. It should be reminded that in the last stage of the rally, or the so-called “Power stage”, the owners of the five fastest times earn additional points for the overall championship standings, which at this moment can play an important role in the final results of the season.
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2023-09-30 21:10:29
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