In the Rally Italia, Sebastien Ogier appeared poised for victory until a late puncture dashed his hopes, allowing Ott Tanak to snatch a narrow win on Sunday. Despite leading by 6.2 seconds entering the final stage, Ogier's misfortune opened the door for Tanak's Hyundai to claim victory by a mere 0.2 seconds, with teammate Dani Sordo securing the final podium spot, 2 minutes and 25.8 seconds behind.
Welshman Elfyn Evans finished fourth in his Toyota, while Thierry Neuville, despite a challenging rally, clinched victory in the final stage and maintained his lead in the championship standings. With 122 points, Neuville sits atop the standings, 18 points ahead of Tanak and Evans, after six rounds of competition.
Ogier, who had won two consecutive rallies in Croatia and Portugal, looked set to extend his winning streak before the unfortunate puncture in the final stage dashed his hopes. Despite his disappointment, Ogier acknowledged Tanak's strong performance and accepted the outcome with resignation. The Rally Italia marked another dramatic chapter in the season, with Rally Poland looming as the next challenge on the calendar.
The final standings saw Ott Tanak and his co-driver Martin Jarveoja clinch victory in their Hyundai, with Sebastien Ogier and Vincent Landais narrowly missing out in second place, followed by Daniel Sordo and Candido Carrera in third. Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin secured fourth place for Toyota, while Gregoire Munster and Louis Louka rounded out the top five in their M-Sport Ford.
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