Kalle Rovanpera of Toyota triumphed at Rally Chile on Sunday, navigating through foggy conditions to secure his fourth victory of the season, a remarkable achievement given that he is only competing part-time this year. Rovanpera finished 23.4 seconds ahead of his teammate Elfyn Evans, marking his 15th career win and solidifying his status as the reigning double world champion. The podium was completed by Hyundai's Ott Tanak, who finished 20.5 seconds behind Evans, while Thierry Neuville, despite finishing fourth, took a significant step toward clinching his first world title.
Neuville now leads the championship standings with 207 points, although his advantage has been reduced to 29 points over Tanak, who has 178 points. Toyota's Sebastien Ogier is in third with 166 points, closely followed by Evans at 161 points, with two rounds remaining in the season. Neuville could secure the championship at next month’s Central European rally, which will take place on asphalt roads across Germany, the Czech Republic, and Austria. He acknowledged the challenge posed by the Toyotas during the weekend, admitting, "We did not have the performance package this weekend," but expressed optimism for the upcoming events.
While Rovanpera and Evans celebrated their podium finishes, Ogier's aspirations for a record-equalling ninth title dimmed after he retired from Saturday's leg due to suspension damage, despite earning maximum points on Sunday. In the manufacturers' standings, Toyota closed the gap to Hyundai to just 17 points, keeping the competition fierce as the season approaches its final stages. With everything still to play for, the remaining rounds promise to deliver thrilling rally action.
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