At the start of this, the final day of Rally Catalunya, Kris Meeke and Mads Østberg’s aim was to hold onto their positions in the top six of the overall standings.
Both Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team drivers initially held firm, despite coming under pressure from Thierry Neuville and Hayden Paddon early on in the morning. Kris Meeke then lost a few seconds with a spin on SS19, allowing Mads Østberg to retake fifth place from the Northern Irishman.
During this final leg, with no service breaks or tyres changes allowed, good race management was vital. By consistently finishing in the top six in the last four stages, Kris Meeke and Mads Østberg ensured the final standings remained unchanged.
The Power Stage saw Kris Meeke score an extra point for the Drivers’ championship by grabbing the third fastest time. The rally leader Sébastien Ogier’s off meant all of the finishers moved up a place. Mads Østberg therefore finished fourth overall, one place ahead of Kris Meeke.
In the third car entered by the Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team, Khalid Al Qassimi made it to Salou without any mistakes. He finished in 16th position on his final outing of the year in the DS 3 WRC.
Having rejoined this morning under Rally 2 rules in order to get his first experience on tarmac at this year’s Rally Catalunya, Stéphane Lefebvre was able to continue learning at World level with the DS 3 WRC.
In their DS 3 R3-MAXs, Quentin Gilbert secured a fifth win in the FIA Junior WRC ahead of Terry Folb and Simone Tempestini. Already certain to end the season as FIA Junior WRC champion*, Quentin Gilbert will now go up against Simone Tempestini for the FIA’s WRC3 title at the forthcoming Wales Rally GB.
QUOTE, UNQUOTE
Yves Matton (Citroën Racing Team Principal): “This event was very important at this stage of the season. Both our drivers managed their race perfectly by keeping in mind how vital it was to score points for the manufacturers’ championship. The rally wasn‘t easy, because the pace was very high, but we have strengthened our hold on second place in the championship with both DS 3 WRCs finishing in the top five. We’ll now turn our attention to Wales Rally GB, with its very special surface, where we will aim to finish the job!”
Mads Østberg: “We made a very good start on Friday. We were one of the quickest crews on gravel, despite our road position. Unfortunately a puncture on the longest stage meant we lost a lot of time. I think we were also very competitive on tarmac. Our performances during today’s final leg showed that. I am now really looking forward to the start of Wales Rally GB!”
Kris Meeke: It was a fairly strange weekend. With no experience on the gravel stages, I wasn’t really on the pace on Friday and we lost time on some of our rivals. On tarmac, with different tyres to last year, I didn’t have a very good feeling in the car. The result is still positive for the team. It‘s now up to us to finish the season on a high at the final rally in Wales.”
Khalid Al Qassimi: “We found the right balance to be able to drive at a steady pace. Although I would have liked to push more, we had to remain reasonably cautious to keep out of trouble. We lost a lot of time due to the handbrake problem on day one, but we managed to repair it and keep going. The team worked really hard.”
HOW THE ACTION UNFOLDED
SS1 – Barcelona (3.20km) – The crews set off on Thursday afternoon for 222 kilometre road section in order to contest the opening stage on tarmac, in gravel configuration, in the streets of Barcelona. Sébastien Ogier set the fastest time, ahead of Thierry Neuville, Andreas Mikkelsen and Kris Meeke. Mads Østberg was sixth fastest, whilst Stéphane Lefebvre and Khalid Al Qassimi finished outside the top 10.
SS2 – Móra d’Ebre – Ascó 1 (9.62km) – The first gravel stage of the rally and first stage win for Mads Østberg, shared with Hayden Paddon. Sébastien Ogier held onto first position, just ahead of Robert Kubica. Kris Meeke set the eighth fastest time. Stéphane Lefebvre and Khalid Al Qassimi lost 15 and 29 seconds respectively. Lorenzo Bertelli retired on this, the day’s first stage.
SS3 – Caseres 1 (12.50km) – Stage win for Robert Kubica, who grabbed the overall lead. He finished ahead of Mads Østberg and Hayden Paddon on this stage. Kris Meeke was eleventh fastest, Stéphane Lefebvre was thirteenth and Khalid Al Qassimi ended in twenty-fifth place.
SS4 – Bot 1 (6.50km) – Ott Tanak set the fastest time on the day’s shortest stage, just ahead of Mads Østberg who closed to within 3.2 seconds of overall leader Robert Kubica. Kris Meeke set the ninth fastest time. Stéphane Lefebvre and Khalid Al Qassimi lost 10 and 14.8 seconds respectively.
SS5 – Terra Alta 1 (35.68 km) – Featuring a mix of gravel and tarmac, the day’s longest test proved to be a costly experience for Mads Østberg. The Norwegian picked up a slow puncture whilst on his way to grabbing the overall lead, losing almost thirty seconds. Jari-Matti Latvala claimed the stage win, ahead of Sébastien Ogier. The World Championship leader reclaimed the overall lead before the regroup that marked the mid-way point of the day. Kris Meeke set the ninth fastest time, whilst Khalid Al Qassimi and Stéphane Lefebvre dropped more than a minute. Robert Kubica lost over five minutes after picking up a puncture.
SS6 – Móra d’Ebre – Ascó 2 (9.62km) – After stopping in Ascó to change tyres, Ott Tanak and Robert Kubica shared the joint stage win, just ahead of Mads Østberg. Jari-Matti Latvala became the new overall leader ahead of Tanak, Ogier, Sordo and Østberg. Kris Meeke was eighth fastest, climbing up to eighth overall. Lefebvre was seventeenth on the stage whilst Al Qassimi was 21st.
SS7 – Caseres 2 (12.50km) – Second stage win of the day for Mads Østberg, followed by the leader Jari-Matti Latvala and Thierry Neuville. Kris Meeke finished tenth fastest, just ahead of Stéphane Lefebvre in twelfth. Khalid Al Qassimi stopped after the stage with locked-on handbrake.
SS8 – Bot 2 (6.50km) – On the second on the shortest stage of the day, Ott Tanak finished in front of Jari-Matti Latvala and Dani Sordo. The DS 3 WRCs were all bunched together, with Mads Østberg and Kris Meeke finishing in eighth and ninth positions, ahead of Stéphane Lefebvre, who was twelfth. After checking into time control eighteen minutes later in order to disconnect the handbrake, Khalid Al Qassimi managed to get away again.
SS9 – Terra Alta 2 (35.68km) – Sébastien Ogier won the final stage of the day and reclaimed the overall lead ahead of Jari-Matti Latvala, Ott Tanak, Dani Sordo and Mads Østberg. Kris Meeke ended the leg in eighth position and Stéphane Lefebvre made it back to service in thirteenth. After being handed a three-minute penalty, Khalid Al Qassimi fell out of the top 20.
SS10 – Porrera (7.43km) – The first stage contested in gravel configuration. Sébastien Ogier won the stage, ahead of Jari-Matti Latvala and Andreas Mikkelsen. First on the road, Lorenzo Bertelli went off in the opening few kilometres. Kris Meeke was seventh fastest, moving ahead of Hayden Paddon in the overall standings, whilst Mads Østberg was eleventh on the stage. Stéphane Lefebvre didn’t make it to the start of the stage after a brake problem forced him to retire as he left service.
SS11 – La Figuera 1 (26.26km) – Whilst Sébastien Ogier claimed another stage win, with Robert Kubica second, Ott Tanak went off the road. So, although Andreas Mikkelsen moved ahead of Mads Østberg, the Norwegian remained fifth overall. Kris Meeke gained another position to move just behind his team-mate.
SS12 – Poboleda 1 (10.63km) – Jari-Matti Latvala suffered a puncture, dropping from second to fourth, leaving Sébastien Ogier clear in front with a lead of more than fifty seconds over Dani Sordo. Mads Østberg and Kris Meeke remained in fifth and sixth positions. Khalid Al Qassimi moved up a place in the overall standings.
SS13 – Capafonts 1 (19.80km) – Before the midday service, Jari-Matti Latvala interrupted Sébastien Ogier’s series of stage wins. Kris Meeke closed again on Mads Østberg whilst Elfyn Evans went off when running in ninth position.
SS14 – La Figuera 2 (26.26km) – Jari-Matti Latvala started the afternoon by winning the longest stage of the day. Andreas Mikkelsen grabbed the third fastest time to move into second place and ahead of Dani Sordo. Kris Meeke closed to within 6.3 seconds of Mads Østberg, whilst holding off a fightback from Hayden Paddon. Khalid Al Qassimi gained another position.
SS15 – Poboleda 2 (10.63km) – Stage win for Sébastien Ogier, ahead of Jari-Matti Latvala and Andreas Mikkelsen. No change in the overall standings.
SS16 – Capafonts 2 (19.80km) – Jari-Matti Latvala won the stage to move ahead of Dani Sordo and Andreas Mikkelsen in the overall standings and reclaim second position, 53.2 seconds behind Sébastien Ogier. Kris Meeke set the fourth fastest time to cut Mads Østberg’s lead to 1.4 seconds ahead of the leg’s final stage.
SS17 – Salou (2.24km) – Joint stage win for Sébastien Ogier and Thierry Neuville, with Kris Meeke just 0.1 seconds adrift. Mads Østberg stalled at a junction, allowing his team-mate to grab fifth overall by just 1.5 seconds. Sébastien Ogier ended the day ahead of Jari-Matti Latvala, Andreas Mikkelsen and Dani Sordo. Khalid Al Qassimi completed the leg in 17th overall.
SS18 – Els Guiamets 1 (6.80km) – Andreas Mikkelsen set the fastest time, finishing ahead of Jari-Matti Latvala and Sébastien Ogier. Sixth and seventh fastest times for Kris Meeke and Mads Østberg, whilst Thierry Neuville moved into seventh overall on his own, behind the two Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team drivers.
SS19 – Pratdip 1 (19.30km) – Thierry Neuville span, dropping a place in the overall standings. In front, Andreas Mikkelsen secured another stage win. Kris Meeke also had a spin, allowing Mads Østberg the chance to grab fifth place. Khalid Al Qassimi moved up a place into sixteenth overall.
SS20 – Duesaigües 1 (10.63km) – Jari-Matti Latvala claimed the stage win as he came under pressure for second place from his team-mate Andreas Mikkelsen. Kris Meeke and Mads Østberg both finished in the top five on this stage to move over two seconds clear of Hayden Paddon.
SS21 – Els Guiamets 2 (6.80km) – Jari-Matti Latvala picked up a puncture, dropping 9 seconds and relinquishing second place to Andreas Mikkelsen. Sébastien Ogier finished second on the stage, ahead of Kris Meeke.
SS22 – Pratdip 2 (19.30km) – Jari-Matti Latvala claimed another stage win to move within 1.4 seconds of Andreas Mikkelsen in the overall standings, still over 50 seconds behind the rally leader Sébastien Ogier. Kris Meeke was second to close on fifth-placed Mads Østberg. Thierry Neuville went off the road, losing five minutes in the process.
SS23 – Duesaigües 2 (10.63km) – Sébastien Ogier retired within sight of the finish after crashing on the Power Stage. Andreas Mikkelsen won the final stage, ahead of Jari-Matti Latvala and Kris Meeke, to take overall victory, as Jari-Matti Latvala finished as runner-up and Dani Sordo was third. Mads Østberg finished fourth overall whilst Kris Meeke was fifth. The stage was cancelled following Ogier’s crash.
FINAL PROVISIONAL STANDINGS
1. Andreas Mikkelsen / Ola Floene (Volkswagen Polo R WRC) 3:21:04.8 2. Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila (Volkswagen Polo R WRC) +3.1 3. Dani Sordo / Marc Marti (Hyundai i20 WRC) +21.2 4. Mads Østberg / Jonas Andersson (DS 3 WRC) +1:06.3 5. Kris Meeke / Paul Nagle (DS 3 WRC) +1:08.2 6. Hayden Paddon / John Kennard (Hyundai i20 WRC) +1:23.3 7. Martin Prokop / Jan Tomanek (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) +4:14.2 8. Thierry Neuville / Nicolas Gilsoul (Hyundai i20 WRC) +8:01.9 9. Pontus Tidemand / Emil Axelsson (Skoda Fabia R5) +8:56.8 10. Jan Kopecky / Pavel Dresler (Skoda Fabia R5) +9:07.5 15. Khalid Al Qassimi / Chris Patterson (DS 3 WRC) +16:45.4
FASTEST TIMES
Sébastien Ogier, 7 (including 1 tied)– Jari-Matti Latvala, 6 – Andreas Mikkelsen, 4 – Ott Tanak, 3 (including 1 tied) , Mads Østberg and Robert Kubica, 2 (including 1 tied), Hayden Paddon and Thierry Neuville, 1 tied.
LEADERS
SS1 to SS2: Sébastien Ogier SS3 to SS4: Robert Kubica SS5: Sébastien Ogier SS6 to SS8: Jari-Matti Latvala SS9 to SS22: Sébastien Ogier SS23: Andreas Mikkelsen
DRIVERS’ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
1. Sébastien Ogier 238 points 2. Jari-Matti Latvala 180 pts 3. Andreas Mikkelsen 154 pts 4. Mads Østberg 110 pts 5. Kris Meeke 94 pts 6. Thierry Neuville 90 pts 7. Elfyn Evans 81 pts 8. Dani Sordo 77 pts Khalid Al-Qassimi 9 pts Stéphane Lefebvre 1 pt
MANUFACTURERS’ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
1. Volkswagen Motorsport 387 pts 2. Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT 206 pts 3. Hyundai Shell WRT 202 pts 4. M-Sport WRT 173 pts…
Press release Citroën Racing
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