2018 Tour de Corse 61e Corsica Linea – Tour de Corse | |||
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Round 4 of 13 in the2018 World Rally Championship
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Host country | ![]() | ||
Rally base | Bastia,Corsica | ||
Dates run | 5 – 8 April 2018 | ||
Start location | La Porta, Corsica | ||
Finish location | Coti-Chiavari, Corsica | ||
Stages | 12 (333.48 km; 207.21 miles) | ||
Stage surface | Tarmac | ||
Transport distance | 1,119.68 km (695.74 miles) | ||
Overall distance | 1,454.16 km (903.57 miles) | ||
Statistics | |||
Crews registered | 92 | ||
Crews | 87 at start, 71 at finish | ||
Overall results | |||
Overall winner | ![]() ![]() ![]() 3:26:52.7 | ||
Power Stage winner | ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||
Support category results | |||
WRC-2 winner | ![]() ![]() ![]() 3:37:27.5 | ||
WRC-3 winner | ![]() ![]() ![]() 3:56:28.7 |
The2018 Tour de Corse (formally known as theCorsica Linea – Tour de Corse 2018) was amotor racing event forrally cars that was held over four days between 5 and 8 April 2018.[1] It marked the sixty-first running of theTour de Corse and the fourth round of the2018 World Rally Championship and its support categories, theWRC-2 andWRC-3 championships. It was also the second round of theJunior World Rally Championship.[2] The event was based in the town ofBastia inCorsica, and was contested over twelvespecial stages totalling a competitive distance of 333.48 km (207.21 mi).[3]
Thierry Neuville andNicolas Gilsoul were the defending rally winners. Their team,Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT, were the defending manufacturers' winners.[4]Sébastien Ogier andJulien Ingrassia were the rally winners. Their team,M-Sport Ford WRT, were the manufacturers' winners.[5] TheŠkoda Motorsport II crew ofJan Kopecký andPavel Dresler won the World Rally Championship-2 category in aŠkoda Fabia R5, while local crewJean-Baptiste Franceschi andRomain Courbon won the World Rally Championship-3 and Junior World Rally Championship.[6][7]
Sébastien Ogier andJulien Ingrassia entered the round with a four-point lead in the World Championships for Drivers and Co-drivers. In the World Championship for Manufacturers,Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT held a twelve-point lead overM-Sport Ford WRT.
The route of the 2018 event was substantially revised, with only two of the stages—La Porta – Valle di Rostino and Novella—carried over from the 2017 rally. The event was based inBastia, which hosted the rally for the first time since1978.[1]
The following crews were entered into the rally. The event was open to crews competing in the World Rally Championship, World Rally Championship-2, and the World Rally Championship-3. The final entry list consisted of fourteen World Rally Cars, eleven World Rally Championship-2 entries, and fifteen World Rally Championship-3 entries, fourteen of which were eligible to score points in the Junior World Rally Championship.
Notes
In the week before the rally, theFédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) approved a rule change affecting thePower Stage. Any crew checking in late to the Power Stage will forfeit the opportunity to score bonus championship points in the Power Stage.[9] The changes were introduced in response to a controversy that arose in previous rallies where crews deliberately checked in late, incurring time penalties but securing a preferable road position, thereby improving their chances of scoring bonus points.
Elfyn Evans' co-driverDaniel Barritt was replaced byPhil Mills as Barritt did not recover from an accident inRally Mexico in time for the Tour de Corse.[10]
Citroën's new R5 variant of theC3 WRC made its competitive début in the WRC-2 class during the rally.[8]
Thursday inCorsica only requires crews to complete aShakedown.Kris Meeke andPaul Nagle won the stage, over two seconds faster than the NorwegianAndreas Mikkelsen. Last year winnerThierry Neuville finished third, half a second faster than teammateDani Sordo. Current championship leaderSébastien Ogier was fifth. From sixth to tenth wereElfyn Evans,Sébastien Loeb,Ott Tänak,Jari-Matti Latvala andEsapekka Lappi respectively.[11]
Defending world championSébastien Ogier was absolutely flying in Friday. He set three fastest stage times out of four and built a lead of over half a minute over the last year winnerThierry Neuville, who was struggling with thebrakes. Nine-time world championSébastien Loeb, competing in the second of three guest appearances, carried too much pace into a left corner 400 metres after the start and dropped into a deep ditch.[12] The rest stage won byEsapekka Lappi, who finished the day in fifth place, just less than one second ahead ofElfyn Evans andDani Sordo.Kris Meeke, who suffered intermittentintercom problems in hisC3, was third, 5.5 seconds ahead ofOtt Tänak, who also had handling problems at the rear of hisToyota Yaris. Finland'sJari-Matti Latvala lacked confidence in hisToyota Yaris in eighth. Another 4.2 seconds behind wasAndreas Mikkelsen. The Norwegian lost much time with aspin at the first corner in the opening stage and a brief trip into a ditch this morning, issues compounded byundersteer when he tried to have a push this afternoon. Local manBryan Bouffier completed the leaderboard in aFiesta.
Championship leaderSébastien Ogier ended the day with a 44.5 seconds advantage overThierry Neuville.Ott Tänak snatching position by a tenth of a second from the Belgium in the finalNovella test, asKris Meeke crashed hisCitroën C3 into retirement after mishearing a pace note.Esapekka Lappi was another 10.3 seconds behind in fourth place.Dani Sordo andElfyn Evans were evenly matched all day. The Spaniard ended fifth in hisi20, with a 3.1-second advantage over the Welshman who lost time after stalling hisFiesta's engine and being too hesitant on the tricky mountain roads.Andreas Mikkelsen was bothered byundersteering this weekend. He finished seventh, ahead ofWRC 2 category leaderJan Kopecký.Jari-Matti Latvala retired hisYaris from eighth after slamming the rear into a tree andBryan Bouffier went out with engine problems in his Fiesta, while nine-time world championSébastien Loeb, returning after yesterday's crash, won three stages in hisC3.WRC 2 driverFabio Andolfi andOle Christian Veiby completed the provisional leaderboard inŠkoda Fabia R5s.
Sébastien Ogier led theCorsica linea - Tour de Corse from start to finish to win the three-day asphalt fixture by 36.1 seconds in hisFord Fiesta.Ott Tänak finished second in aToyota Yaris, withThierry Neuville, who suffered an engine issue at thepower Stage, running out of the podium. TeammateDani Sordo finished fourth after another consistent weekend, just 3.5 seconds ahead ofElfyn Evans. There was final day heartbreak forEsapekka Lappi. The Finn thrust himself into the fight for second yesterday, but his hopes were shattered when he hit a kerb and stopped to change apunctured tyre. He eventually plunged to seventh, but salvaged maximum bonus points by winning the finalpower Stage in hisYaris as well as overhaulingAndreas Mikkelsen to climb to sixth.WRC 2 winnerJan Kopecký finished eighth ahead ofKris Meeke, who restarted today after Saturday's accident, withYoann Bonato completed the top ten.
The following crews finished the rally in each class's top ten.[a]
The following notable crews finished the rally outside top ten.[a]
Position | No. | Driver | Co-driver | Entrant | Car | Class | Time | Points | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Event | Class | Stage | ||||||||
14 | 14 | 11 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Citroën C3 WRC | WRC | 3:47:50.7 | 4 | |
38 | 11 | 73 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Ford Fiesta R2T | J-WRC | 4:11:25.4 | 0 | |
11 | WRC-3 | — | ||||||||
39 | 12 | 73 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Ford Fiesta R2T | J-WRC | 4:12:14.3 | 0 | |
13 | WRC-3 | — | ||||||||
45 | 13 | 75 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Ford Fiesta R2T | J-WRC | 4:17:34.2 | 0 | |
13 | WRC-3 | — | ||||||||
14 | 48 | 62 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Peugeot 208 R2 | WRC-3 | 4:20:06.6 | — | |
58 | 14 | 70 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Ford Fiesta R2T | J-WRC | 4:27:57.8 | 0 | |
15 | WRC-3 | — | ||||||||
Source:[13][14] |
Overall classification | |||||||
Day | Stage | Name | Length | Winner | Car | Time | Class leader |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 April | |||||||
— | Sorbo Ocagnano [Shakedown] | 5.45 km | ![]() | Citroën C3 WRC | 4:00.8 | — | |
6 April | |||||||
SS1 | La Porta – Valle di Rostino 1 | 49.03 km | ![]() | Ford Fiesta WRC | 31:53.8 | ![]() | |
SS2 | Piedigriggio – Pont de Castirlia 1 | 13.55 km | ![]() | Ford Fiesta WRC | 7:59.9 | ||
SS3 | La Porta – Valle di Rostino 2 | 49.03 km | ![]() | Ford Fiesta WRC | 31:44.1 | ||
SS4 | Piedigriggio – Pont de Castirlia 2 | 13.55 km | ![]() | Toyota Yaris WRC | 7:59.4 | ||
7 April | |||||||
SS5 | Cagnano – Pino – Canari 1 | 35.61 km | ![]() | Citroën C3 WRC | 21:58.6 | ||
SS6 | Desert des Agriatres 1 | 15.45 km | ![]() | Citroën C3 WRC | 8:32.4 | ||
SS7 | Novella 1 | 17.39 km | ![]() | Toyota Yaris WRC | 11:07.7 | ||
SS8 | Cagnano – Pino – Canari 2 | 35.61 km | ![]() | Toyota Yaris WRC | 21:44.7 | ||
SS9 | Desert des Agriatres 2 | 15.45 km | ![]() | Citroën C3 WRC | 8:31.1 | ||
SS10 | Novella 2 | 17.39 km | ![]() ![]() | Toyota Yaris WRC Toyota Yaris WRC | 11:07.1 | ||
8 April | |||||||
SS11 | Vero – Sarrola – Carcopino | 55.17 km | ![]() | Toyota Yaris WRC | 33:46.9 | ||
SS12 | Penitencier de Coti-Chiavari [Power stage] | 16.25 km | ![]() | Toyota Yaris WRC | 9:41.2 | ||
World Rally Championship-2 | |||||||
5 April | |||||||
— | Sorbo Ocagnano [Shakedown] | 5.45 km | ![]() | Citroën C3 R5 | 4:08.1 | — | |
6 April | |||||||
SS1 | La Porta – Valle di Rostino 1 | 49.03 km | ![]() | Škoda Fabia R5 | 33:52.1 | ![]() | |
SS2 | Piedigriggio – Pont de Castirlia 1 | 13.55 km | ![]() | Citroën C3 R5 | 8:24.5 | ||
SS3 | La Porta – Valle di Rostino 2 | 49.03 km | ![]() | Škoda Fabia R5 | 33:21.5 | ||
SS4 | Piedigriggio – Pont de Castirlia 2 | 13.55 km | ![]() | Citroën C3 R5 | 8:24.2 | ||
7 April | |||||||
SS5 | Cagnano – Pino – Canari 1 | 35.61 km | ![]() | Škoda Fabia R5 | 22:59.3 | ||
SS6 | Desert des Agriatres 1 | 15.45 km | ![]() | Škoda Fabia R5 | 8:54.9 | ||
SS7 | Novella 1 | 17.39 km | ![]() | Škoda Fabia R5 | 11:45.5 | ||
SS8 | Cagnano – Pino – Canari 2 | 35.61 km | ![]() | Škoda Fabia R5 | 22:50.5 | ||
SS9 | Desert des Agriatres 2 | 15.45 km | ![]() | Škoda Fabia R5 | 8:55.2 | ||
SS10 | Novella 2 | 17.39 km | ![]() | Škoda Fabia R5 | 11:47.1 | ||
8 April | |||||||
SS11 | Vero – Sarrola – Carcopino | 55.17 km | ![]() | Škoda Fabia R5 | 35:06.5 | ||
SS12 | Penitencier de Coti-Chiavari | 16.25 km | ![]() | Škoda Fabia R5 | 10:10.8 | ||
World Rally Championship-3 / Junior World Rally Championship | |||||||
5 April | |||||||
— | Sorbo Ocagnano [Shakedown] | 5.45 km | ![]() | Ford Fiesta R2T | 4:44.6 | — | |
6 April | |||||||
SS1 | La Porta – Valle di Rostino 1 | 49.03 km | Stage interrupted | ||||
SS2 | Piedigriggio – Pont de Castirlia 1 | 13.55 km | ![]() | Ford Fiesta R2T | 9:14.5 | ![]() | |
SS3 | La Porta – Valle di Rostino 2 | 49.03 km | ![]() | Ford Fiesta R2T | 36:29.4 | ||
SS4 | Piedigriggio – Pont de Castirlia 2 | 13.55 km | ![]() | Ford Fiesta R2T | 9:09.2 | ||
7 April | |||||||
SS5 | Cagnano – Pino – Canari 1 | 35.61 km | ![]() | Ford Fiesta R2T | 25:08.6 | ||
SS6 | Desert des Agriatres 1 | 15.45 km | ![]() | Ford Fiesta R2T | 9:44.7 | ||
SS7 | Novella 1 | 17.39 km | ![]() | Ford Fiesta R2T | 12:45.0 | ![]() | |
SS8 | Cagnano – Pino – Canari 2 | 35.61 km | ![]() | Ford Fiesta R2T | 24:51.4 | ||
SS9 | Desert des Agriatres 2 | 15.45 km | ![]() | Ford Fiesta R2T | 9:39.7 | ||
SS10 | Novella 2 | 17.39 km | ![]() | Ford Fiesta R2T | 12:47.6 | ||
8 April | |||||||
SS11 | Vero – Sarrola – Carcopino | 55.17 km | ![]() | Ford Fiesta R2T | 38:26.5 | ||
SS12 | Penitencier de Coti-Chiavari | 16.25 km | ![]() | Ford Fiesta R2T | 11:14.3 |
ThePower stage was a 16.25 km stage at the end of the rally. Additional World Championship points were awarded to the five fastest crews.
Pos. | Driver | Co-driver | Car | Time | Diff. | Pts. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | ![]() | Toyota Yaris WRC | 9:41.2 | 0.0 | 5 |
2 | ![]() | ![]() | Citroën C3 WRC | 9:43.4 | +2.2 | 4 |
3 | ![]() | ![]() | Ford Fiesta WRC | 9:44.6 | +3.4 | 3 |
4 | ![]() | ![]() | Citroën C3 WRC | 9:44.6 | +3.4 | 2 |
5 | ![]() | ![]() | Toyota Yaris WRC | 9:49.7 | +8.5 | 1 |
Junior World Rally Championship crews scored additional points. Each of the fastest stage time was awarded with one bonus point.
Pos. | Driver | Co-driver | Car | Pts. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | ![]() | Ford Fiesta R2T | 8 |
2 | ![]() | ![]() | Ford Fiesta R2T | 2 |
3 | ![]() | ![]() | Ford Fiesta R2T | 1 |
The following notable crews were given time penalty during the rally.[a]
Stage | No. | Driver | Co-driver | Entrant | Car | Class | Reason | Penalty |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SS18 | 70 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Ford Fiesta R2T | WRC-3, JWRC | 2 minutes late | 0:20 |
The following notable crews retired from the event.[a] Under Rally2 regulations, they were eligible to re-enter the event starting from the next leg. Crews that re-entered were given an additional time penalty.
Stage | No. | Driver | Co-driver | Entrant | Car | Class | Cause | Re-entry |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SS4 | 11 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Citroën C3 WRC | WRC | Off road | Yes |
SS4 | 32 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Ford Fiesta R5 | WRC-2 | Mechanical | Yes |
SS4 | 36 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Ford Fiesta R5 | WRC-2 | Mechanical | Yes |
SS5 | 38 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Citroën C3 R5 | WRC-2 | Accident | No |
SS8 | 3 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Ford Fiesta WRC | WRC | Engine | No |
SS8 | 7 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Toyota Yaris WRC | WRC | Accident | No |
SS10 | 10 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Citroën C3 WRC | WRC | Off road | Yes |
SS10 | 35 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Ford Fiesta R5 | WRC-2 | Mechanical | Yes |
SS11 | 42 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Hyundai i20 R5 | WRC-2 | Accident | No |
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