2018 Wales Rally GB: Difference between revisions
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|championship = [[2018 World Rally Championship]] |
|championship = [[2018 World Rally Championship]] |
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|previous_round = 2018 Rally Turkey |
|previous_round = 2018 Rally Turkey |
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|next_round = 2018 Rally |
|next_round = 2018 Rally Catalunya |
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|country = {{GBR}} |
|country = {{GBR}} |
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|image = |
|image = |
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|caption = The rally |
|caption = The rally took place on gravel forest roads in [[Conwy County Borough|Conwy]], [[Ceredigion]] and [[Snowdonia]] in Wales. |
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|rallybase = [[Deeside]], [[Flintshire]] |
|rallybase = [[Deeside]], [[Flintshire]] |
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|start = Tir Prince Raceway |
|start = Tir Prince Raceway |
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The '''2018 Wales Rally GB''' (formally known as the '''74. Dayinsure Wales Rally GB''') was a [[motorsport|motor racing]] event for [[rallying|rally cars]] that took place over four days |
The '''2018 Wales Rally GB''' (formally known as the '''74. Dayinsure Wales Rally GB''') was a [[motorsport|motor racing]] event for [[rallying|rally cars]] that took place over four days from 4 to 7 October 2018. The event was open to entries competing in [[World Rally Car]]s and cars complying with [[Group R]] regulations. It marked the seventy-fourth running of [[Wales Rally GB|Rally Great Britain]] and was the eleventh round of the [[2018 FIA World Rally Championship]],<ref name="sept 21 calendar">{{cite news|url=http://www.speedcafe.com/2017/09/22/rally-aus-retains-wrc-finale-2018/|title=Rally Aus retains WRC finale in 2018|work=[[Speedcafe|speedcafe.com]]|publisher=[[Speedcafe]]|date=22 September 2017|access-date=4 May 2018}}</ref> the highest class of competition in international [[rallying]]. Sixty crews, including manufacturer teams and [[Privateer (motorsport)|privateers]],<ref name="Rally GB Entry List"/> were entered to compete in the World Rally Championship, the [[2018 World Rally Championship-2|FIA World Rally Championship-2]] and [[2018 World Rally Championship-3|FIA World Rally Championship-3]] support series and the [[2018 British Rally Championship|MSA British Rally Championship]].<ref name="brit national">{{cite web|url=https://www.msabrc.com/news/2018-prestone-msa-british-rally-championship-calendar-announced/|title=2018 Prestone MSA British Rally Championship calendar announced|work=msabrc.com|publisher=[[Motor Sports Association]]|date=16 August 2018|access-date=4 May 2018}}</ref>{{efn|name=leg 1 and 2|The first leg of the rally formed the penultimate round of the British national championship and the second leg was the final round. The third leg did not count towards the championship.<ref name="brit national"/>}} The 2018 event was based in [[Deeside]] in [[Flintshire]] and consisted of twenty-three [[Special stage (rallying)|special stages]] throughout [[North Wales|North]] and [[Mid-Wales]].<ref name="route gb website">{{cite news|url=https://walesrallygb.com/news/4169.php#.Wuz_aExuLIU|title=Taking it to the streets ...|work=walesrallygb.com|publisher=[[Wales Rally GB]]|date=30 April 2018|access-date=5 May 2018}}</ref> The rally covered a total competitive distance of {{convert|318.34|km|mi|2|abbr=in}} and an additional {{convert|1083.01|km|mi|2|abbr=in}} in [[Rallying#Rally courses|transport stages]].<ref name="full itinerary">{{cite web|title=2018 Dayinsure Wales Rally GB|url=https://walesrallygb.com/documents/2018_Dayinsure_Wales_Rally_GB_Route_1.6_(14_August).pdf|work=walesrallygb.com|publisher=[[Wales Rally GB]]|date=14 August 2018|access-date=19 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181024200533/http://walesrallygb.com/documents/2018_Dayinsure_Wales_Rally_GB_Route_1.6_(14_August).pdf|archive-date=24 October 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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[[File:2014 Rallye Deutschland by 2eight DSC2587.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Elfyn Evans]] was the defending rally winner.]] |
[[File:2014 Rallye Deutschland by 2eight DSC2587.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Elfyn Evans]] was the defending rally winner.]] |
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The [[M-Sport World Rally Team|M-Sport Ford World Rally Team]] crew of [[Elfyn Evans]] and [[Daniel Barritt]] were the defending rally winners.<ref name="2017 results"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Evans: 'Nobody was getting in the way'|url=http://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/news/october-2017/elfyn-gb-reaction/page/4977--12-12-.html|work=wrc.com|publisher=[[WRC Promoter GmbH]]|date=29 October 2017| |
The [[M-Sport World Rally Team|M-Sport Ford World Rally Team]] crew of [[Elfyn Evans]] and [[Daniel Barritt]] were the defending rally winners.<ref name="2017 results"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Evans: 'Nobody was getting in the way'|url=http://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/news/october-2017/elfyn-gb-reaction/page/4977--12-12-.html|work=wrc.com|publisher=[[WRC Promoter GmbH]]|date=29 October 2017|access-date=4 May 2018}}</ref> [[Pontus Tidemand]] and [[Jonas Andersson (co-driver)|Jonas Andersson]] of [[Škoda Motorsport]] were the defending winners of the World Rally Championship-2, and French privateers [[Raphaël Astier (rally driver)|Raphaël Astier]] and [[Frédéric Vauclare]] were the reigning winners in the World Rally Championship-3 category;<ref name="2017 results">{{cite news|title=Final Results Rally Wales 2017|url=https://www.ewrc-results.com/final/36022-dayinsure-wales-rally-gb-2017/|work=ewrc-results.com|date=29 October 2017|access-date=19 May 2018}}</ref> however, Astier and Vauclare did not defend their title as they did not enter the rally.<ref name="Rally GB Entry List"/> |
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The rally was won by [[Sébastien Ogier]] and [[Julien Ingrassia]]. The result marked their fifth win in Wales and saw them become the most successful crew in the history of the event. Ogier and Ingrassia moved to within seven points of championship leaders [[Thierry Neuville]] and [[Nicolas Gilsoul]]. [[Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT|Toyota]]'s [[Jari-Matti Latvala]] and [[Miikka Anttila]] finished second, with their teammates [[Esapekka Lappi]] and [[Janne Ferm]] completing the podium. [[M-Sport World Rally Team|M-Sport Ford World Rally Team]] were the manufacturers' winners, whilst [[Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT]] extended their lead in the manufacturers' championship.<ref name="winner">{{cite news|url=https://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/news/october-2018/gb-breaking/page/5795--12-12-.html|title=Breaking News: Ogier wins GB Thriller|work=wrc.com|publisher=WRC|date=7 October 2018| |
The rally was won by [[Sébastien Ogier]] and [[Julien Ingrassia]]. The result marked their fifth win in Wales and saw them become the most successful crew in the history of the event. Ogier and Ingrassia moved to within seven points of championship leaders [[Thierry Neuville]] and [[Nicolas Gilsoul]]. [[Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT|Toyota]]'s [[Jari-Matti Latvala]] and [[Miikka Anttila]] finished second, with their teammates [[Esapekka Lappi]] and [[Janne Ferm]] completing the podium. [[M-Sport World Rally Team|M-Sport Ford World Rally Team]] were the manufacturers' winners, whilst [[Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT]] extended their lead in the manufacturers' championship.<ref name="winner">{{cite news|url=https://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/news/october-2018/gb-breaking/page/5795--12-12-.html|title=Breaking News: Ogier wins GB Thriller|work=wrc.com|publisher=WRC|date=7 October 2018|access-date=7 October 2018}}</ref> The [[Škoda Motorsport|Škoda Motorsport II]] crew of [[Kalle Rovanperä]] and [[Jonne Halttunen]] won in the World Rally Championship-2 in a [[Škoda Fabia R5]], while the local crew of [[Tom Williams (rally driver)|Tom Williams]] and [[Phil Hall (co-driver)|Phil Hall]] won in the World Rally Championship-3.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wrc.com/en/wrc-2/news/2018/october-2018/wrc-2-spain-sunday/page/5853--51-51-.html|title=WRC 2 in Britain: Rovanperä takes comfortablw win|work=wrc.com|publisher=[[WRC Promoter GmbH]]|date=7 October 2018|access-date=5 June 2018}}</ref> |
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==Background== |
==Background== |
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===Championship standings prior to the event=== |
===Championship standings prior to the event=== |
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[[File:2018 Rally de Portugal - Thierry Neuville 2.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Hyundai Motorsport|Hyundai's]] [[Thierry Neuville]] entered the round as the drivers' championship leader.]] |
[[File:2018 Rally de Portugal - Thierry Neuville 2.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Hyundai Motorsport|Hyundai's]] [[Thierry Neuville]] entered the round as the drivers' championship leader.]] |
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[[Thierry Neuville]] and [[Nicolas Gilsoul]] entered the round as the leaders of the World Rally Championship for Drivers and the World Rally Championship for Co-Drivers respectively.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/138754/tanak-boosts-wrc-title-hopes-with-turkey-win|title=Rally Turkey: Ott Tanak boosts WRC title hopes with victory|first=Jack|last=Benyon|work=[[Autosport|autosport.com]]|publisher=[[Motorsport Network]]|date=16 September 2018| |
[[Thierry Neuville]] and [[Nicolas Gilsoul]] entered the round as the leaders of the World Rally Championship for Drivers and the World Rally Championship for Co-Drivers respectively.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/138754/tanak-boosts-wrc-title-hopes-with-turkey-win|title=Rally Turkey: Ott Tanak boosts WRC title hopes with victory|first=Jack|last=Benyon|work=[[Autosport|autosport.com]]|publisher=[[Motorsport Network]]|date=16 September 2018|access-date=16 September 2018}}</ref> They held a thirteen-point lead over [[Ott Tänak]] and [[Martin Järveoja]]. Defending World Champions [[Sébastien Ogier]] and [[Julien Ingrassia]] were third, a further ten points behind. In the World Rally Championship for Manufacturers, [[Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT]] held a five-point lead over [[Hyundai Motorsport|Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT]]. |
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In the World Rally Championship-2 standings, [[Jan Kopecký]] and [[Pavel Dresler]] led the drivers' and co-drivers' standings by thirty-two points, but did not contest the rally. [[Pontus Tidemand]] and [[Jonas Andersson (co-driver)|Jonas Andersson]] were in second place, thirty-eight points ahead of privateers [[Gus Greensmith]] and [[Craig Parry (co-driver)|Craig Parry]]. [[Škoda Motorsport|Škoda Motorsport II]] held a seventeen-point lead over sister team [[Škoda Motorsport]] in the teams' championship. |
In the World Rally Championship-2 standings, [[Jan Kopecký]] and [[Pavel Dresler]] led the drivers' and co-drivers' standings by thirty-two points, but did not contest the rally. [[Pontus Tidemand]] and [[Jonas Andersson (co-driver)|Jonas Andersson]] were in second place, thirty-eight points ahead of privateers [[Gus Greensmith]] and [[Craig Parry (co-driver)|Craig Parry]]. [[Škoda Motorsport|Škoda Motorsport II]] held a seventeen-point lead over sister team [[Škoda Motorsport]] in the teams' championship. |
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|colspan="8" style="background-color:#EAECF0; text-align:center" |'''Source:'''<ref name="Rally GB Entry List">{{cite news|url=https://www.walesrallygb.com/documents/WRGB_Entry_List_INT_approved_by_the_FIA_14-Sep-18.pdf|title=Wales Rally GB 2018 Entry List|work=walesrallygb.com|publisher=[[Wales Rally GB]]|date=14 September 2018| |
|colspan="8" style="background-color:#EAECF0; text-align:center" |'''Source:'''<ref name="Rally GB Entry List">{{cite news|url=https://www.walesrallygb.com/documents/WRGB_Entry_List_INT_approved_by_the_FIA_14-Sep-18.pdf|title=Wales Rally GB 2018 Entry List|work=walesrallygb.com|publisher=[[Wales Rally GB]]|date=14 September 2018|access-date=15 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180915192611/https://www.walesrallygb.com/documents/WRGB_Entry_List_INT_approved_by_the_FIA_14-Sep-18.pdf|archive-date=15 September 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Veiby Citroen">{{cite news|url=https://rallysportmag.com/veiby-leaves-skoda-after-alleged-misconduct/|title=Veiby leaves Skoda after alleged misconduct|work=rallysportmag.com|publisher=Rally Sport Magazine|date=22 September 2018|access-date=22 September 2018}}</ref> |
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===Route=== |
===Route=== |
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The 2018 event featured a heavily revised route from the [[2017 Wales Rally GB|2017 rally]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.speedcafe.com/2018/03/22/organisers-confirm-extended-route-rally-gb/|title=Organisers confirm extended route for Rally GB|first=Mat|last=Coch|work=[[Speedcafe|speedcafe.com]]|publisher=[[Speedcafe]]|date=22 March 2018| |
The 2018 event featured a heavily revised route from the [[2017 Wales Rally GB|2017 rally]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.speedcafe.com/2018/03/22/organisers-confirm-extended-route-rally-gb/|title=Organisers confirm extended route for Rally GB|first=Mat|last=Coch|work=[[Speedcafe|speedcafe.com]]|publisher=[[Speedcafe]]|date=22 March 2018|access-date=4 May 2018}}</ref> The route for the 2018 event was designed to be more challenging than the routes used in previous years.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/138972/rally-gb-revised-route-will-catch-a-few-out|title=Rally GB co-ordinator: Revised '18 WRC route will 'catch a few out'|first=David|last=Evans|work=[[Autosport|autosport.com]]|publisher=[[Motorsport Network]]|date=27 September 2018|access-date=27 September 2018}}</ref> The changes were introduced in response to criticism from crews and teams over the lengthy transport route, or the route taken on public roads to travel between special stages. The final route featured an additional {{convert|14.98|km|mi|2|abbr=in}} in competitive kilometres compared to the 2017 route and the transport distance was shortened.<ref name="full itinerary"/> The changes to the route allowed the crews to return to the service park in [[Deeside]] at the end of the first day of competition as the omission of the return to the service park had been one of the teams' criticisms of the 2017 event.<ref name="revamp"/> |
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====Details==== |
====Details==== |
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The rally was made up of gravel roads through forests and moors.<ref name="full itinerary"/> Many of these roads received little commercial traffic through the year aside from forestry maintenance and logging projects. Unlike events such as [[Rally Italia Sardegna]] and [[Rally Australia]] where loose gravel on the road surface creates dust,<ref>{{ |
The rally was made up of gravel roads through forests and moors.<ref name="full itinerary"/> Many of these roads received little commercial traffic through the year aside from forestry maintenance and logging projects. Unlike events such as [[Rally Italia Sardegna]] and [[Rally Australia]] where loose gravel on the road surface creates dust,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsport/live-day-3-2016-kennards-hire-rally-australia/news-story/6af63d19f75eb4239cac496116d131fd|title= WRC: Andreas Mikkelsen wins 2016 Kennards Hire Rally Australia|first=Will|last=Dale|location=[[Coffs Harbour]]|date=20 November 2016|access-date=22 May 2018|work=foxsports.com.au|publisher=[[Fox Sports]]}}</ref> the road surface in Wales is made up of heavier gravel on a hard-packed road base.<ref name="sept 21 calendar"/> This creates more grip for crews in the dry, but the roads can become muddy and rutted in wet weather, particularly when a stage is used multiple times. |
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The event featured two days in [[North Wales|northern Wales]] and one day in [[Mid Wales|the middle of the country]]. The first leg was {{convert|111.20|km|mi|2|abbr=in}} long and started with a spectator stage at Tir Prince Raceway on the evening of 4 October. It then moved into the forests of [[Conwy County Borough|Conwy]] and [[Gwynedd]] on 5 October and was made up of two passes over Clocaenog Forest, Penmachno Forest and a new stage formed by merging the Brenig reservoir stage—which was run as the [[World Rally Championship#Power Stage|Power Stage]] between [[2014 Wales Rally GB|2014]] and [[2017 Wales Rally GB|2017]]—with the Alwen stage using parts of the [[B roads in Zone 4 of the Great Britain numbering scheme#4 digits (45xx)|B4501]] to connect them. Now known as Brenig, it was the longest stage of the rally at {{convert|29.19|km|mi|2|abbr=in}}. Penmachno Forest was run in its full length by using public roads. The [[Cholmondeley Castle]] spectator stage in England was removed and replaced by a new spectator stage called Slate Mountain. The rally moved to [[Powys]] and [[Ceredigion]] on 6 October for the longest day of the rally, totalling {{convert|146.45|km|mi|2|abbr=in}} competitive kilometres. It consisted of two passes over the Myherin, Hafren, Dyfi and Gartheiniog stages and a single running of Dyfnant. The Hafren stage was extended to include the Sweet Lamb spectator arena. The 2018 event marked the first time since [[1997 World Rally Championship|1997]] that these five stages were run on the same day. The rally returned to northern Wales on 7 October and the forests of [[Conwy County Borough|Conwy]] and [[Snowdonia]]. The third leg was the shortest of the rally at {{convert|60.20|km|mi|2|abbr=in}} long and featured Elsi, a brand new stage, and two passes of Gwydir. The Gwydir stage was doubled in length from previous years before the rally concludes with two passes over a spectator stage around the [[Great Orme]] headland and the streets of [[Llandudno]].<ref name="full itinerary"/> A shortened version of the Great Orme stage had previously been used in [[2011 Wales Rally GB|2011]] when it was run in the opposite direction. |
The event featured two days in [[North Wales|northern Wales]] and one day in [[Mid Wales|the middle of the country]]. The first leg was {{convert|111.20|km|mi|2|abbr=in}} long and started with a spectator stage at Tir Prince Raceway on the evening of 4 October. It then moved into the forests of [[Conwy County Borough|Conwy]] and [[Gwynedd]] on 5 October and was made up of two passes over Clocaenog Forest, Penmachno Forest and a new stage formed by merging the Brenig reservoir stage—which was run as the [[World Rally Championship#Power Stage|Power Stage]] between [[2014 Wales Rally GB|2014]] and [[2017 Wales Rally GB|2017]]—with the Alwen stage using parts of the [[B roads in Zone 4 of the Great Britain numbering scheme#4 digits (45xx)|B4501]] to connect them. Now known as Brenig, it was the longest stage of the rally at {{convert|29.19|km|mi|2|abbr=in}}. Penmachno Forest was run in its full length by using public roads. The [[Cholmondeley Castle]] spectator stage in England was removed and replaced by a new spectator stage called Slate Mountain. The rally moved to [[Powys]] and [[Ceredigion]] on 6 October for the longest day of the rally, totalling {{convert|146.45|km|mi|2|abbr=in}} competitive kilometres. It consisted of two passes over the Myherin, Hafren, Dyfi and Gartheiniog stages and a single running of Dyfnant. The Hafren stage was extended to include the Sweet Lamb spectator arena. The 2018 event marked the first time since [[1997 World Rally Championship|1997]] that these five stages were run on the same day. The rally returned to northern Wales on 7 October and the forests of [[Conwy County Borough|Conwy]] and [[Snowdonia]]. The third leg was the shortest of the rally at {{convert|60.20|km|mi|2|abbr=in}} long and featured Elsi, a brand new stage, and two passes of Gwydir. The Gwydir stage was doubled in length from previous years before the rally concludes with two passes over a spectator stage around the [[Great Orme]] headland and the streets of [[Llandudno]].<ref name="full itinerary"/> A shortened version of the Great Orme stage had previously been used in [[2011 Wales Rally GB|2011]] when it was run in the opposite direction. |
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Organisers of the event had a dispute with the [[Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile]] (FIA) over the planned route. The original proposal featured the [[Great Orme]] stage—which had previously featured in the route of the [[2013 Wales Rally GB|2013 event]]—as the event's [[World Rally Championship#Power Stage|Power Stage]]. However, the FIA rejected the route as the proposed stage was not representative of the rally; the route primarily consisted of gravel stages, but the proposed stage was tarmac.<ref name="blocked">{{cite news|url=https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/135442/fia-blocks-radical-rally-gb-stage-plan|title=FIA blocks 'radical final stage plan for 2018 WRC Rally GB|first=David|last=Evans|work=[[Autosport|autosport.com]]|publisher=[[Motorsport Network]]|date=16 April 2018| |
Organisers of the event had a dispute with the [[Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile]] (FIA) over the planned route. The original proposal featured the [[Great Orme]] stage—which had previously featured in the route of the [[2013 Wales Rally GB|2013 event]]—as the event's [[World Rally Championship#Power Stage|Power Stage]]. However, the FIA rejected the route as the proposed stage was not representative of the rally; the route primarily consisted of gravel stages, but the proposed stage was tarmac.<ref name="blocked">{{cite news|url=https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/135442/fia-blocks-radical-rally-gb-stage-plan|title=FIA blocks 'radical final stage plan for 2018 WRC Rally GB|first=David|last=Evans|work=[[Autosport|autosport.com]]|publisher=[[Motorsport Network]]|date=16 April 2018|access-date=4 May 2018}}</ref> The dispute was resolved when the organisers agreed to run the first pass over Gwydir as the Power Stage, allowing the event to finish in Llandudno as originally planned.<ref name="revamp">{{cite news|url=https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/135697/rally-gb-to-unveil-major-route-revamp|title=Rally GB to unveil major route revamp for 2018 World Rally round|first=David|last=Evans|work=[[Autosport|autosport.com]]|publisher=[[Motorsport Network]]|date=30 April 2018|access-date=4 May 2018}}</ref> |
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The inclusion of public roads in the route was made possible with the passage of the ''[[Deregulation Act 2015]]'' by the British government, which amended parts of the ''[[Road Traffic Act 1988]]'' to make it possible for events to close public roads to be used for motor racing events in the United Kingdom. In February 2018, the [[National Assembly for Wales]] passed the ''Road Traffic Act 1988 (Motor Racing) (Wales) Regulations 2018'', a piece of secondary legislation that enabled [[motor racing]] events to take place on public roads in Wales.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.msauk.org/assets/closedroadeventspermittingprocess.pdf|title=Closed Roads (England)|work=msauk.org|publisher=[[Motor Sports Association]]|access-date=4 May 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.msauk.org/Wales-gives-green-light-to-closed-road-motor-sport|title=Wales gives green light to closed-road motorsport|work=msauk.org|publisher=[[Motor Sports Association]]|date=2 February 2018| |
The inclusion of public roads in the route was made possible with the passage of the ''[[Deregulation Act 2015]]'' by the British government, which amended parts of the ''[[Road Traffic Act 1988]]'' to make it possible for events to close public roads to be used for motor racing events in the United Kingdom. In February 2018, the [[National Assembly for Wales]] passed the ''Road Traffic Act 1988 (Motor Racing) (Wales) Regulations 2018'', a piece of secondary legislation that enabled [[motor racing]] events to take place on public roads in Wales.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.msauk.org/assets/closedroadeventspermittingprocess.pdf|title=Closed Roads (England)|work=msauk.org|publisher=[[Motor Sports Association]]|access-date=4 May 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.msauk.org/Wales-gives-green-light-to-closed-road-motor-sport|title=Wales gives green light to closed-road motorsport|work=msauk.org|publisher=[[Motor Sports Association]]|date=2 February 2018|access-date=4 May 2018}}</ref> |
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====Itinerary==== |
====Itinerary==== |
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====Reception==== |
====Reception==== |
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The new route was received positively by drivers—particularly former [[Citroën World Rally Team|Citroën]] driver [[Kris Meeke]]—who appreciated the inclusion of challenging stages.{{efn|name=meeke|[[Kris Meeke]] had been scheduled to contest the rally with [[Citroën World Rally Team|Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT]] when the route was published, but was fired by the team before the rally.<ref name="meeke out 1">{{cite news|url=https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/136286/meeke-axed-by-citroen-for-number-of-crashes|title=Citroen axes Kris Meeke due to 'excessively high number of crashes'|first=Matt|last=Beer|work=[[Autosport|autosport.com]]|publisher=[[Motorsport Network]]|date=24 May 2018| |
The new route was received positively by drivers—particularly former [[Citroën World Rally Team|Citroën]] driver [[Kris Meeke]]—who appreciated the inclusion of challenging stages.{{efn|name=meeke|[[Kris Meeke]] had been scheduled to contest the rally with [[Citroën World Rally Team|Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT]] when the route was published, but was fired by the team before the rally.<ref name="meeke out 1">{{cite news|url=https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/136286/meeke-axed-by-citroen-for-number-of-crashes|title=Citroen axes Kris Meeke due to 'excessively high number of crashes'|first=Matt|last=Beer|work=[[Autosport|autosport.com]]|publisher=[[Motorsport Network]]|date=24 May 2018|access-date=25 May 2018}}</ref><ref name="meeke out 2">{{cite news|url=https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/136298/citroen-meeke-was-not-under-control|title=Citroen WRC team explains decision to axe 'not under control' Meeke|first=David|last=Evans|work=[[Autosport|autosport.com]]|publisher=[[Motorsport Network]]|date=25 May 2018|access-date=26 May 2018}}</ref>}} [[Thierry Neuville]] and [[Craig Breen]] also applauded the route as the best route used by the rally since it moved from [[Cardiff]] to [[Deeside]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/139153/wrc-stars-impressed-by-new-rally-gb-route|title=WRC stars Neuville and Breen impressed by new 2018 Rally GB route|first=David|last=Evans|work=[[Autosport|autosport.com]]|publisher=[[Motorsport Network]]|date=4 October 2018|access-date=5 October 2018}}</ref> Defending rally winner [[Elfyn Evans]] had a more muted response, expressing disappointment that organisers had not taken full advantage of road closures to create a more demanding route, such as merging the Dyfi and Gartheiniog stages. Rally organisers revealed that they had considered many of the suggestions Evans had raised, but chose a more conservative approach to road closures as the legislation that allowed them to close roads had only been passed in February 2018 and they wanted to ensure that the protocol had been followed properly.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/135887/new-wrc-gb-route-a-missed-opportunity--evans|title=New route for 2018 WRC Rally GB a missed opportunity - Elfyn Evans|first=David|last=Evans|work=[[Autosport|autosport.com]]|publisher=[[Motorsport Network]]|date=9 May 2018|access-date=10 May 2018}}</ref> |
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==Report== |
==Report== |
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===Leg 1=== |
===Leg 1=== |
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[[Esapekka Lappi]] and [[Janne Ferm]] completed the opening [[super special stage]] three tenths of a second ahead of fellow Toyota crew [[Jari-Matti Latvala]] and [[Miikka Anttila]] and championship leaders [[Thierry Neuville]] and [[Nicolas Gilsoul]], who tied for second.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/139156/lappi-leads-early-toyota-onetwo-on-rally-gb|title=WRC Rally GB: Toyota's Lappi takes early lead on Thursday night|first=Stephen|last=Brunsdon|work=[[Autosport|autosport.com]]|publisher=[[Motorsport Network]]|date=5 October 2018| |
[[Esapekka Lappi]] and [[Janne Ferm]] completed the opening [[super special stage]] three tenths of a second ahead of fellow Toyota crew [[Jari-Matti Latvala]] and [[Miikka Anttila]] and championship leaders [[Thierry Neuville]] and [[Nicolas Gilsoul]], who tied for second.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/139156/lappi-leads-early-toyota-onetwo-on-rally-gb|title=WRC Rally GB: Toyota's Lappi takes early lead on Thursday night|first=Stephen|last=Brunsdon|work=[[Autosport|autosport.com]]|publisher=[[Motorsport Network]]|date=5 October 2018|access-date=6 October 2018}}</ref> As the event moved into the forest stages, [[Ott Tänak]] and [[Martin Järveoja]]—who entered the rally having taken three consecutive victories—dominated the early running. He won five of the eight stages and established a comfortable lead to end the day twenty-eight seconds ahead of Neuville and Gilsoul.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.speedcafe.com/2018/10/06/tanak-well-in-control-at-rally-great-britain/|title=Tanak well in control at Rally Great Britain|work=[[Speedcafe|speedcafe.com]]|publisher=[[Speedcafe]]|date=6 October 2018|access-date=6 October 2018}}</ref> Tänak had been closely matched by defending rally winners [[Elfyn Evans]] and [[Daniel Barritt]] until their [[Ford Fiesta WRC|Fiesta WRC]] developed a misfire and was forced to retire from the leg. Latvala and Anttila dropped down to third overall after losing their rhythm in the afternoon loop. Lappi and Ferm recovered from an early spin to finish fourth, while [[Sébastien Ogier]] and [[Julien Ingrassia]] completed the leg in fifth. Ogier and Ingrassia had fallen to eighth during the first pass over the stages when they suffered a series of spins and the loss of first and second gear. Their [[M-Sport World Rally Team|M-Sport Ford]] teammates [[Teemu Suninen]] and [[Mikko Markkula]] completed the team's woes when they slid off the road and into a ditch; Suninen and Markkula were unable to re-enter the rally. [[Craig Breen]] and [[Scott Martin (co-driver)|Scott Martin]] were the lead [[Citroën World Rally Team|Citroën]] crew in sixth after enjoying a trouble-free day, ahead of Hyundai crews led [[Hayden Paddon]] and [[Sebastian Marshall]] in seventh and [[Andreas Mikkelsen]] and [[Anders Jæger|Anders Jæger-Synnevaag]] in eighth. Both Paddon and Mikkelsen complained of unpredictable handling in [[Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC|their cars]], particularly during the afternoon loop of stages when rain affected the profile of the roads.<ref name="episode 1">{{cite episode|title=Rally GB — Day 1|series=2018 World Rally Championship season|network=[[World Rally Championship|WRC Promoter GmbH]]|date=October 2018}}</ref> Neuville, by comparison, reported that his car's handling improved in the afternoon, benefiting from a new specification of tyre provided by [[Michelin]] that offered improved grip whilst being more durable than previous tyres.<ref name="episode 1"/> Citroën's [[Mads Østberg]] and [[Torstein Eriksen]] were the last of the drivers in a [[World Rally Car]]-specification entry, finishing the leg in ninth place. |
||
===Leg 2=== |
===Leg 2=== |
||
Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja continued their form through the opening stages of the second leg until they were forced to retire. Tänak damaged his radiator after a heavy landing off a jump during the second pass through Sweet Lamb Hafren.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/139217/tanak-out-of-rally-gb-ogier-takes-the-lead|title=Rally GB: Tanak retires from lead, title rival Ogier capitalises|first=Jack|last=Benyon|work=[[Autosport|autosport.com]]|publisher=[[Motorsport Network]]|date=6 October 2018| |
Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja continued their form through the opening stages of the second leg until they were forced to retire. Tänak damaged his radiator after a heavy landing off a jump during the second pass through Sweet Lamb Hafren.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/139217/tanak-out-of-rally-gb-ogier-takes-the-lead|title=Rally GB: Tanak retires from lead, title rival Ogier capitalises|first=Jack|last=Benyon|work=[[Autosport|autosport.com]]|publisher=[[Motorsport Network]]|date=6 October 2018|access-date=7 October 2018}}</ref> Tänak and Järveoja had experienced similar retirements in the [[2018 Rally de Portugal|Rallies of Portugal]] and [[2018 Rally Italia Sardegna|Sardinia]].<ref name="episode 2">{{cite episode|title=Rally GB — Power Stage 20|series=2018 World Rally Championship season|network=[[World Rally Championship|WRC Promoter GmbH]]|date=October 2018}}</ref> Ogier and Ingrassia experienced a resurgence, climbing from fifth place to take the lead; however, Ogier chose the more-durable medium compound tyres as the dry gravel would damage the faster soft compound, and was unable to build a lead of his own. He finished the leg with a slender four-second advantage over the surviving Toyotas of Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila in second place and Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm in third.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/139218/ogier-holds-slim-lead-into-rally-gb-sunday|title=Ogier leads Rally GB after Tanak failure|first=Jack|last=Benyon|work=[[Autosport|autosport.com]]|publisher=[[Motorsport Network]]|date=6 October 2018|access-date=7 October 2018}}</ref> Craig Breen and Scott Martin ended the leg in fourth, some fifteen seconds off the lead. The reversal of the running order for the second leg meant that Mads Østberg and Torstein Eriksen ran with favourable road conditions, which allowed them to find some pace in the morning loop and climb the leaderboard. Andreas Mikkelsen and Anders Jæger-Synnevaag similarly benefited from their road position, winning three of the day's stages and finishing the leg two and a half seconds behind Østberg and Eriksen. Hayden Paddon and Sebastian Marshall completed the day in seventh overall ahead of Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul; Neuville and Gilsoul had been running second at the time, but lost fifty-one seconds when they ran off the road in the early morning stages and he conceded a further fifteen seconds to Ogier and Ingrassia when they was unable to match the leaders' pace.<ref name="end leg 2">{{cite news|url=https://www.speedcafe.com/2018/10/07/ogier-leads-rally-gb-after-tanak-failure/|title=Ogier leads Rally GB after Tanak failure|work=[[Speedcafe|speedcafe.com]]|publisher=[[Speedcafe]]|date=7 October 2018|access-date=7 October 2018}}</ref> |
||
===Leg 3=== |
===Leg 3=== |
||
The final leg of the rally saw Ogier and Ingrassia trade places with Latvala and Anttila several times. Ogier and Ingrassia initially held the advantage, but a fast time by Latvala and Anttila through the Gwydir [[World Rally Championship#Power |
The final leg of the rally saw Ogier and Ingrassia trade places with Latvala and Anttila several times. Ogier and Ingrassia initially held the advantage, but a fast time by Latvala and Anttila through the Gwydir [[World Rally Championship#Power Stage|Power Stage]]—that saw them take the five bonus points—was enough to seize the lead. Latvala and Anttila held the lead through the first pass over Great Orme Llandudno, only for Ogier and Ingrassia to reclaim it on the return to Gwydir. The final stage was delayed following an incident that required the attention of emergency services and not all of the competitors were able to start the stage.<ref name="great orme 2"/><ref name="episode 3">{{cite episode|title=Rally GB — Power Stage 23|series=2018 World Rally Championship season|network=[[World Rally Championship|WRC Promoter GmbH]]|date=October 2018}}</ref> Latvala and Anttila was unable to set a competitive time, meaning Ogier and Ingrassia only needed to finish to claim victory. They ultimately set a time fast enough to win the stage and the rally, taking twenty-five World Championship points for the win and an additional three points for third place on the Power Stage.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.speedcafe.com/2018/10/08/ogier-wins-final-day-duel-with-latvala-in-britain/|title=Ogier wins final day duel with Latvala in Britain|work=[[Speedcafe|speedcafe.com]]|date=8 October 2018|access-date=8 October 2018}}</ref> Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm completed the podium and scored an extra Power Stage point. Craig Breen and Scott Martin were fourth, ahead of Neuville and Gilsoul. Neuville and Gilsoul led the three Hyundais, with Mikkelsen and Jæger-Synnevaag in sixth and Paddon and Marshall seventh. Mads Østberg and Torstein Eriksen were eighth, with the final points-scoring places going to World Rally Championship-2 entrants [[Kalle Rovanperä]] and [[Jonne Halttunen]] and their [[Škoda Motorsport]] teammates [[Pontus Tidemand]] and [[Jonas Andersson (co-driver)|Jonas Andersson]]. Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja re-entered under Rally2 regulations and finished nineteenth overall, scoring four points on the Power Stage in the process. Elfyn Evans and Daniel Barritt also re-entered and finished twentieth in the final classification. |
||
===Support categories=== |
===Support categories=== |
||
In the [[World Rally Championship-2]] standings, eighteen year-old Kalle Rovanperä and co-driver Jonne Halttunen finished the first leg as the category leader and tenth in the overall standings. Rovanperä and Halttunen won every stage but one to establish a lead of fifty-five seconds over teammates Pontus Tidemand and Jonas Andersson, while British privateers [[Gus Greensmith]] and [[Alessandro Gelsomino]] finished the leg in third.<ref name="episode 1"/> Rovanperä and Halttunen maintained their lead over Tidemand and Andersson throughout the second leg and the two crews climbed to ninth and tenth in the overall classification following the retirement of Tänak and Järveoja.<ref name="end leg 2"/> Rovanperä and Halttunen went on to win the category by ninety-four seconds, aided by an off-road excursion by Tidemand and Andersson in the Power Stage. Tidemand and Andersson damaged their rear suspension, but were able to continue after repairing the damage during a transport stage. The result was Rovanperä and Haltunnen's second win in the category. Tidemand and Andersson recovered to finish second, with Greensmith and Gelsomino finishing third. |
In the [[World Rally Championship-2]] standings, eighteen year-old Kalle Rovanperä and co-driver Jonne Halttunen finished the first leg as the category leader and tenth in the overall standings. Rovanperä and Halttunen won every stage but one to establish a lead of fifty-five seconds over teammates Pontus Tidemand and Jonas Andersson, while British privateers [[Gus Greensmith]] and [[Alessandro Gelsomino]] finished the leg in third.<ref name="episode 1"/> Rovanperä and Halttunen maintained their lead over Tidemand and Andersson throughout the second leg and the two crews climbed to ninth and tenth in the overall classification following the retirement of Tänak and Järveoja.<ref name="end leg 2"/> Rovanperä and Halttunen went on to win the category by ninety-four seconds, aided by an off-road excursion by Tidemand and Andersson in the Power Stage. Tidemand and Andersson damaged their rear suspension, but were able to continue after repairing the damage during a transport stage. The result was Rovanperä and Haltunnen's second win in the category. Tidemand and Andersson recovered to finish second, with Greensmith and Gelsomino finishing third. |
||
[[Tom Williams (rally driver)|Tom Williams]] and [[Phil Hall (co-driver)|Phil Hall]] led the first leg in the [[World Rally Championship-3]] category after trading stage wins with [[Taisko Lario]] and [[Tatu Hämäläinen]] throughout the day.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ewrc-results.com/eventstats/43469-dayinsure-wales-rally-gb-2018/?sct=223|title=Dayinsure Wales Rally GB 2018|work=ewrc-results.com| |
[[Tom Williams (rally driver)|Tom Williams]] and [[Phil Hall (co-driver)|Phil Hall]] led the first leg in the [[World Rally Championship-3]] category after trading stage wins with [[Taisko Lario]] and [[Tatu Hämäläinen]] throughout the day.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ewrc-results.com/eventstats/43469-dayinsure-wales-rally-gb-2018/?sct=223|title=Dayinsure Wales Rally GB 2018|work=ewrc-results.com|access-date=7 October 2018}}</ref> Williams and Hall's lead was consolidated during the second leg when Lario and Hämäläinen were late checking into a stage and had thirty seconds added to his time as a penalty. Williams and Hall went on to win the event, marking their first victory in the category. Italian privateers [[Enrico Brazzoli]] and [[Luca Beltrame]] caught and passed Lario and Hämäläinen during the second leg and held the position until the end of the rally. Lario and Hämäläinen ultimately finished third overall. |
||
The first two legs of the rally also served as the final two rounds of the [[2018 British Rally Championship|MSA British Rally Championship]]. M-Sport driver [[Matt Edwards (rally driver)|Matt Edwards]] and co-driver [[Darren Garrod]] secured the 2018 championship title with fourth place on the first leg of the rally.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.autosport.com/national/news/139189/msport-edwards-seals-2018-brc-title|title=Rally GB: M-Sport's Edwards seals BRC title with P4 on first leg|first=Jack|last=Benyon|work=[[Autosport|autosport.com]]|publisher=[[Motorsport Network]]|date=5 October 2018| |
The first two legs of the rally also served as the final two rounds of the [[2018 British Rally Championship|MSA British Rally Championship]]. M-Sport driver [[Matt Edwards (rally driver)|Matt Edwards]] and co-driver [[Darren Garrod]] secured the 2018 championship title with fourth place on the first leg of the rally.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.autosport.com/national/news/139189/msport-edwards-seals-2018-brc-title|title=Rally GB: M-Sport's Edwards seals BRC title with P4 on first leg|first=Jack|last=Benyon|work=[[Autosport|autosport.com]]|publisher=[[Motorsport Network]]|date=5 October 2018|access-date=9 October 2018}}</ref> Edwards and Garrod won the second leg and were the highest-place national entrant at the end of the rally. |
||
==Classification== |
==Classification== |
||
=== |
===Final results=== |
||
{|class="wikitable" width=90% style="font-size: 85%;" |
{|class="wikitable" width=90% style="font-size: 85%;" |
||
|- |
|- |
||
Line 1,568: | Line 1,568: | ||
| colspan="3" align="center" | Did not start |
| colspan="3" align="center" | Did not start |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| style="background-color:#EAECF0; text-align:center" colspan="11" | '''Source:'''<ref name="Wales Rally GB Results 1">{{cite news|url=https://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/results/wales/stage-times/page/416-238---.html|title=Wales Rally GB Results|work=wrc.com|publisher=[[World Rally Championship]]|date=7 October 2018| |
| style="background-color:#EAECF0; text-align:center" colspan="11" | '''Source:'''<ref name="Wales Rally GB Results 1">{{cite news|url=https://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/results/wales/stage-times/page/416-238---.html|title=Wales Rally GB Results|work=wrc.com|publisher=[[World Rally Championship]]|date=7 October 2018|access-date=7 October 2018|archive-date=17 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191017113911/https://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/results/wales/stage-times/page/416-238---.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Wales Rally GB Results 2">{{cite news|url=https://www.ewrc-results.com/final/43469-dayinsure-wales-rally-gb-2018/|title=74. Dayinsure Wales Rally GB 2018|work=ewrc-results.com|date=7 October 2018|access-date=7 October 2018}}</ref> |
||
|} |
|} |
||
Line 1,579: | Line 1,579: | ||
!Name |
!Name |
||
!Length |
!Length |
||
!Stage winners |
|||
!Winning crew |
|||
!Car |
!Car |
||
!Time |
!Time |
||
!Class leaders |
!Class leaders |
||
|- |
|- |
||
!rowspan="2"|4 October |
!rowspan="2"|{{nowrap|4 October}} |
||
!— |
!— |
||
|Clocaenog <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Shakedown (testing)|Shakedown]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> |
|Clocaenog <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Shakedown (testing)|Shakedown]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> |
||
Line 1,720: | Line 1,720: | ||
|Gartheiniog 2 |
|Gartheiniog 2 |
||
|align="center"|11.26 km |
|align="center"|11.26 km |
||
|{{flagicon|NOR}} [[Andreas Mikkelsen]] — {{flagicon|NOR}} [[Anders Jæger|Anders Jæger-Synnevaag]] |
|{{nowrap|{{flagicon|NOR}} [[Andreas Mikkelsen]] — {{flagicon|NOR}} [[Anders Jæger|Anders Jæger-Synnevaag]]}} |
||
|[[Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC]] |
|{{nowrap|[[Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC]]}} |
||
|align="center"|6:43.6 |
|align="center"|6:43.6 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
Line 1,733: | Line 1,733: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
!SS20 |
!SS20 |
||
|Gwydir 1 <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[ |
|Gwydir 1 <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Power stage]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> |
||
|align="center"|14.70 km |
|align="center"|14.70 km |
||
|{{flagicon|FIN}} [[Jari-Matti Latvala]] — {{flagicon|FIN}} [[Miikka Anttila]] |
|{{flagicon|FIN}} [[Jari-Matti Latvala]] — {{flagicon|FIN}} [[Miikka Anttila]] |
||
|[[Toyota Yaris WRC]] |
|[[Toyota Yaris WRC]] |
||
|align="center"|9:31.6 |
|align="center"|9:31.6 |
||
|rowspan="2"|{{nowrap|{{flagicon|FIN}} [[Jari-Matti Latvala]] |
|rowspan="2"|{{nowrap|{{flagicon|FIN}} [[Jari-Matti Latvala]] — {{flagicon|FIN}} [[Miikka Anttila]]}} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
!SS21 |
!SS21 |
||
|Great Orme Llandudno 1 |
|{{nowrap|Great Orme Llandudno 1}} |
||
|align="center"|8.03 km |
|align="center"|8.03 km |
||
|{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Sébastien Ogier]] — {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Julien Ingrassia]] |
|{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Sébastien Ogier]] — {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Julien Ingrassia]] |
||
Line 1,931: | Line 1,931: | ||
|align="center"|9:54.6 |
|align="center"|9:54.6 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
!SS23 |
!{{nowrap|SS23}} |
||
|Great Orme Llandudno 2 |
|Great Orme Llandudno 2 |
||
|align="center"|7.43 km{{efn|name=length}} |
|align="center"|7.43 km{{efn|name=length}} |
||
|colspan="5" align="center"|'''Stage interrupted'''{{efn|name=emergency|The second running of the Great Orme Llandudno stage was interrupted when emergency services attended an incident. The stage could not be completed by all competitors.<ref name="great orme 2">{{cite news|url=https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/139237/final-stage-of-rally-gb-delayed|title=Rally GB: Final stage delayed, Ogier holds narrow lead|first=David|last=Evans|work=[[Autosport|autosport.com]]|publisher=[[Motorsport Network]]|date=7 October 2018| |
|colspan="5" align="center"|'''Stage interrupted'''{{efn|name=emergency|The second running of the Great Orme Llandudno stage was interrupted when emergency services attended an incident. The stage could not be completed by all competitors.<ref name="great orme 2">{{cite news|url=https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/139237/final-stage-of-rally-gb-delayed|title=Rally GB: Final stage delayed, Ogier holds narrow lead|first=David|last=Evans|work=[[Autosport|autosport.com]]|publisher=[[Motorsport Network]]|date=7 October 2018|access-date=8 October 2018}}</ref>}} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|style="background-color:#EAECF0; text-align:center" colspan="8"|'''''World Rally Championship-3''''' |
|style="background-color:#EAECF0; text-align:center" colspan="8"|'''''World Rally Championship-3''''' |
||
Line 2,116: | Line 2,116: | ||
|} |
|} |
||
===Power |
===Power stage=== |
||
The [[ |
The [[Power stage]] was a 14.70 km stage run on the final day of the rally. Additional World Drivers' and Co-drivers' Championship points were awarded to the five fastest crews. As the Power Stage was not the final stage of the rally, crews had to complete the event to be eligible to receive the points.<ref name="episode 2"/> |
||
{| class="wikitable" width=60% style="font-size: 85%;" |
{| class="wikitable" width=60% style="font-size: 85%;" |
||
Line 2,595: | Line 2,595: | ||
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%;" |
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%;" |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
|style="background-color:#EAECF0;text-align:center" colspan="4"|'''World Rally Championship''' |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! |
! |
||
Line 2,627: | Line 2,627: | ||
|align="center"|98 |
|align="center"|98 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
|style="background-color:#EAECF0;text-align:center" colspan="4"|'''World Rally Championship-2''' |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! |
! |
||
Line 2,659: | Line 2,659: | ||
|align="center"|56 |
|align="center"|56 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
|style="background-color:#EAECF0;text-align:center" colspan="4"|'''World Rally Championship-3''' |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! |
! |
||
Line 2,683: | Line 2,683: | ||
|align="left"|[[File:1downarrow red.svg|10px]] 1 |
|align="left"|[[File:1downarrow red.svg|10px]] 1 |
||
|align="center"| 4 |
|align="center"| 4 |
||
| |
|nowrap|{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Jean-Baptiste Franceschi (rally driver)|Jean-Baptiste Franceschi]] |
||
|align="center"|79 |
|align="center"|79 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
Line 2,696: | Line 2,696: | ||
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%;" |
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%;" |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
|style="background-color:#EAECF0;text-align:center" colspan="4"|'''World Rally Championship''' |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! |
! |
||
Line 2,728: | Line 2,728: | ||
|align="center"|98 |
|align="center"|98 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
|style="background-color:#EAECF0;text-align:center" colspan="4"|'''World Rally Championship-2''' |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! |
! |
||
Line 2,752: | Line 2,752: | ||
|align="left"|[[File:1rightarrow blue.svg|10px]] |
|align="left"|[[File:1rightarrow blue.svg|10px]] |
||
|align="center"| 4 |
|align="center"| 4 |
||
| |
|nowrap|{{flagicon|POL}} [[Przemysław Mazur]] |
||
|align="center"|56 |
|align="center"|56 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
Line 2,760: | Line 2,760: | ||
|align="center"|55 |
|align="center"|55 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
|style="background-color:#EAECF0;text-align:center" colspan="4"|'''World Rally Championship-3''' |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! |
! |
||
Line 2,797: | Line 2,797: | ||
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%;" |
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%;" |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
|style="background-color:#EAECF0;text-align:center" colspan="4"|'''World Rally Championship''' |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! |
! |
||
Line 2,824: | Line 2,824: | ||
|align="center"|187 |
|align="center"|187 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
|style="background-color:#EAECF0;text-align:center" colspan="4"|'''World Rally Championship-2''' |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! |
! |
||
Line 2,856: | Line 2,856: | ||
|align="center"|72 |
|align="center"|72 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
|style="background-color:#EAECF0;text-align:center" colspan="4"|'''World Rally Championship-3''' |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! |
! |
||
Line 2,885: | Line 2,885: | ||
|align="left"|[[File:1rightarrow blue.svg|10px]] |
|align="left"|[[File:1rightarrow blue.svg|10px]] |
||
|align="center"| 5 |
|align="center"| 5 |
||
| |
|nowrap|{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Fédération Française du Sport Automobile|Équipe de France FFSA Rally]] |
||
|align="center"|55 |
|align="center"|55 |
||
|} |
|} |
||
Line 2,896: | Line 2,896: | ||
{{reflist}} |
{{reflist}} |
||
==External links== |
==External links== |
||
{{Commons category}} |
|||
{{commonscat|2018 Rally GB}} --> |
|||
* {{official website|http://www.walesrallygb.com/}} {{ |
* {{official website|http://www.walesrallygb.com/}} {{in lang|en}} |
||
* 2018 [[Wales Rally GB]] in [https://www.ewrc-results.com/final/43469-dayinsure-wales-rally-gb-2018/ e-wrc website] |
* 2018 [[Wales Rally GB]] in [https://www.ewrc-results.com/final/43469-dayinsure-wales-rally-gb-2018/ e-wrc website] |
||
* The [http://www.wrc.com official website] of the [[World Rally Championship]] |
* The [http://www.wrc.com official website] of the [[World Rally Championship]] |
||
* The [https://www.dayinsure.com official website] of Dayinsure sponsor |
|||
{{Rally succession box |
{{Rally succession box |
||
| Year_of_rally = 2018 |
| Year_of_rally = 2018 |
||
| Name_of_rally = 2018 Wales Rally GB |
| Name_of_rally = 2018 Wales Rally GB |
||
| Previous_rally_in_season = [[2018 Rally Turkey]] |
| Previous_rally_in_season = [[2018 Rally Turkey]] |
||
| Next_rally_in_season = [[ |
| Next_rally_in_season = [[2018 Rally Catalunya]] |
||
| Previous_year's_rally = [[2017 Wales Rally GB]] |
| Previous_year's_rally = [[2017 Wales Rally GB]] |
||
| Next_year's_rally = [[2019 Wales Rally GB]] |
| Next_year's_rally = [[2019 Wales Rally GB]] |
Latest revision as of 17:05, 11 January 2024
2018 Wales Rally GB 74. Dayinsure Wales Rally GB | |||
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Round 11 of 13 in the 2018 World Rally Championship
| |||
Host country | |||
Rally base | Deeside, Flintshire | ||
Dates run | 4 – 7 October 2018 | ||
Start location | Tir Prince Raceway | ||
Finish location | Llandudno Promenade | ||
Stages | 23 (318.34 km; 197.81 miles) | ||
Stage surface | Gravel[a] | ||
Transport distance | 1,083.01 km (672.95 miles) | ||
Overall distance | 1,401.35 km (870.76 miles) | ||
Statistics | |||
Crews registered | 60 | ||
Crews | 57 at start, 48 at finish | ||
Overall results | |||
Overall winner | 3:06:12.5 | ||
Power Stage winner | |||
Support category results | |||
WRC-2 winner | 3:15:27.2 | ||
WRC-3 winner | 3:49:44.9 |
The 2018 Wales Rally GB (formally known as the 74. Dayinsure Wales Rally GB) was a motor racing event for rally cars that took place over four days from 4 to 7 October 2018. The event was open to entries competing in World Rally Cars and cars complying with Group R regulations. It marked the seventy-fourth running of Rally Great Britain and was the eleventh round of the 2018 FIA World Rally Championship,[3] the highest class of competition in international rallying. Sixty crews, including manufacturer teams and privateers,[4] were entered to compete in the World Rally Championship, the FIA World Rally Championship-2 and FIA World Rally Championship-3 support series and the MSA British Rally Championship.[5][b] The 2018 event was based in Deeside in Flintshire and consisted of twenty-three special stages throughout North and Mid-Wales.[1] The rally covered a total competitive distance of 318.34 km (197.81 miles) and an additional 1,083.01 km (672.95 miles) in transport stages.[6]
The M-Sport Ford World Rally Team crew of Elfyn Evans and Daniel Barritt were the defending rally winners.[7][8] Pontus Tidemand and Jonas Andersson of Škoda Motorsport were the defending winners of the World Rally Championship-2, and French privateers Raphaël Astier and Frédéric Vauclare were the reigning winners in the World Rally Championship-3 category;[7] however, Astier and Vauclare did not defend their title as they did not enter the rally.[4]
The rally was won by Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia. The result marked their fifth win in Wales and saw them become the most successful crew in the history of the event. Ogier and Ingrassia moved to within seven points of championship leaders Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul. Toyota's Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila finished second, with their teammates Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm completing the podium. M-Sport Ford World Rally Team were the manufacturers' winners, whilst Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT extended their lead in the manufacturers' championship.[9] The Škoda Motorsport II crew of Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen won in the World Rally Championship-2 in a Škoda Fabia R5, while the local crew of Tom Williams and Phil Hall won in the World Rally Championship-3.[10]
Background
[edit]Championship standings prior to the event
[edit]Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul entered the round as the leaders of the World Rally Championship for Drivers and the World Rally Championship for Co-Drivers respectively.[11] They held a thirteen-point lead over Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja. Defending World Champions Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia were third, a further ten points behind. In the World Rally Championship for Manufacturers, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT held a five-point lead over Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT.
In the World Rally Championship-2 standings, Jan Kopecký and Pavel Dresler led the drivers' and co-drivers' standings by thirty-two points, but did not contest the rally. Pontus Tidemand and Jonas Andersson were in second place, thirty-eight points ahead of privateers Gus Greensmith and Craig Parry. Škoda Motorsport II held a seventeen-point lead over sister team Škoda Motorsport in the teams' championship.
Newly crowned Junior World Rally Champion Emil Bergkvist led the World Rally Championship-3 drivers' standings. Denis Rådström was second, six points behind Bergkvist and Jean-Baptiste Franceschi third; Franceschi entered the rally, but did not nominate it as a round to score points. Johan Johansson held a one-point lead over Romain Courbon in the co-drivers' standings, while Tatu Hämäläinen was another eleven points behind. In the teams' championship, ACI Team Italia led Castrol Ford Team Turkiye by sixteen points.
Entry list
[edit]The following crews were entered into the rally. The entry list consisted of sixty crews, including eleven World Rally Car entries, fourteen entries in the World Rally Championship-2, four in the World Rally Championship-3 and nineteen in the British national championship.
Calendar changes
[edit]The event swapped places on the calendar with the Rally Catalunya de España. Where the 2017 rally was run as the penultimate round of the championship, the 2018 event was brought forward from the last week of October to the first week in the expectation of better weather conditions for the event.[3] Toyota driver Jari-Matti Latvala anticipated that the change would see the rally run with stable, more-predictable temperatures than in previous years, making it easier to set the car up for the prevailing conditions.[13] Further changes to the calendar saw the revival of Rally Turkey as a replacement for Rally Poland.[3] The Turkish event was named as the tenth round of the championship and in light of the distance crews needed to travel from Turkey to Wales, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA)—the governing body of international motorsport—gave entrants an additional week to prepare for Rally GB compared to previous years.[3]
Route
[edit]The 2018 event featured a heavily revised route from the 2017 rally.[14] The route for the 2018 event was designed to be more challenging than the routes used in previous years.[15] The changes were introduced in response to criticism from crews and teams over the lengthy transport route, or the route taken on public roads to travel between special stages. The final route featured an additional 14.98 km (9.31 miles) in competitive kilometres compared to the 2017 route and the transport distance was shortened.[6] The changes to the route allowed the crews to return to the service park in Deeside at the end of the first day of competition as the omission of the return to the service park had been one of the teams' criticisms of the 2017 event.[16]
Details
[edit]The rally was made up of gravel roads through forests and moors.[6] Many of these roads received little commercial traffic through the year aside from forestry maintenance and logging projects. Unlike events such as Rally Italia Sardegna and Rally Australia where loose gravel on the road surface creates dust,[17] the road surface in Wales is made up of heavier gravel on a hard-packed road base.[3] This creates more grip for crews in the dry, but the roads can become muddy and rutted in wet weather, particularly when a stage is used multiple times.
The event featured two days in northern Wales and one day in the middle of the country. The first leg was 111.20 km (69.10 miles) long and started with a spectator stage at Tir Prince Raceway on the evening of 4 October. It then moved into the forests of Conwy and Gwynedd on 5 October and was made up of two passes over Clocaenog Forest, Penmachno Forest and a new stage formed by merging the Brenig reservoir stage—which was run as the Power Stage between 2014 and 2017—with the Alwen stage using parts of the B4501 to connect them. Now known as Brenig, it was the longest stage of the rally at 29.19 km (18.14 miles). Penmachno Forest was run in its full length by using public roads. The Cholmondeley Castle spectator stage in England was removed and replaced by a new spectator stage called Slate Mountain. The rally moved to Powys and Ceredigion on 6 October for the longest day of the rally, totalling 146.45 km (91.00 miles) competitive kilometres. It consisted of two passes over the Myherin, Hafren, Dyfi and Gartheiniog stages and a single running of Dyfnant. The Hafren stage was extended to include the Sweet Lamb spectator arena. The 2018 event marked the first time since 1997 that these five stages were run on the same day. The rally returned to northern Wales on 7 October and the forests of Conwy and Snowdonia. The third leg was the shortest of the rally at 60.20 km (37.41 miles) long and featured Elsi, a brand new stage, and two passes of Gwydir. The Gwydir stage was doubled in length from previous years before the rally concludes with two passes over a spectator stage around the Great Orme headland and the streets of Llandudno.[6] A shortened version of the Great Orme stage had previously been used in 2011 when it was run in the opposite direction.
Organisers of the event had a dispute with the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) over the planned route. The original proposal featured the Great Orme stage—which had previously featured in the route of the 2013 event—as the event's Power Stage. However, the FIA rejected the route as the proposed stage was not representative of the rally; the route primarily consisted of gravel stages, but the proposed stage was tarmac.[2] The dispute was resolved when the organisers agreed to run the first pass over Gwydir as the Power Stage, allowing the event to finish in Llandudno as originally planned.[16]
The inclusion of public roads in the route was made possible with the passage of the Deregulation Act 2015 by the British government, which amended parts of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to make it possible for events to close public roads to be used for motor racing events in the United Kingdom. In February 2018, the National Assembly for Wales passed the Road Traffic Act 1988 (Motor Racing) (Wales) Regulations 2018, a piece of secondary legislation that enabled motor racing events to take place on public roads in Wales.[18][19]
Itinerary
[edit]Date | No. | Stage name | Distance | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|
4 Oct. | Service park – Deeside Rally Village | — | Deeside, Flintshire | |
— | Clocaenog [Shakedown] | 3.37 km | Clocaenog Forest, Conwy | |
Service park – Deeside Rally Village | — | Deeside, Flintshire | ||
— | Ceremonial start – Tir Prince Raceway | — | Towyn, Conwy | |
Leg 1 — North Wales — 112.46 km | ||||
SS1 | Tir Prince | 1.70 km | Towyn, Conwy | |
5 Oct. | Service park – Deeside Rally Village | — | Deeside, Flintshire | |
SS2 | Clocaenog 1 | 7.67 km | Clocaenog Forest, Conwy | |
SS3 | Brenig 1 | 29.13 km | Llyn Brenig, Conwy | |
SS4 | Penmachno 1 | 16.95 km | Penmachno, Conwy | |
SS5 | Slate Mountain 1 | 1.63 km | Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd | |
SS6 | Slate Mountain 2 | 1.63 km | Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd | |
Regroup | — | |||
Service park – Deeside Rally Village | — | Deeside, Flintshire | ||
SS7 | Clocaenog 2 | 7.67 km | Clocaenog Forest, Conwy | |
SS8 | Brenig 2 | 29.13 km | Llyn Brenig, Conwy | |
SS9 | Penmachno 2 | 16.95 km | Penmachno, Conwy | |
Service park – Deeside Rally Village | — | Deeside, Flintshire | ||
Leg 2 — Mid-Wales — 150.24 km | ||||
6 Oct. | Service park – Deeside Rally Village | — | Deeside, Flintshire | |
SS10 | Myherin 1 | 20.28 km | River Wye, Powys | |
SS11 | Sweet Lamb Hafren 1 | 19.95 km | Hafren Forest, Powys | |
SS12 | Dyfi 1 | 19.48 km | River Dovey, Ceredigion | |
SS13 | Gartheiniog 1 | 11.26 km | Afon Dulas, Ceredigion | |
SS14 | Dyfnant | 8.30 km | Dyfnant Forest, Powys | |
Regroup – Newtown | — | Newtown, Powys | ||
Tyre and Light Fitting Zone – Newtown | — | Newtown, Powys | ||
SS15 | Myherin 2 | 20.28 km | River Wye, Powys | |
SS16 | Sweet Lamb Hafren 2 | 19.95 km | Hafren Forest, Powys | |
SS17 | Dyfi 2 | 19.48 km | River Dovey, Ceredigion | |
SS18 | Gartheiniog 2 | 11.26 km | Afon Dulas, Ceredigion | |
Service park – Deeside Rally Village | — | Deeside, Flintshire | ||
Leg 3 — North Wales — 55.64 km | ||||
7 Oct. | Service park – Deeside Rally Village | — | Deeside, Flintshire | |
SS19 | Elsi | 10.06 km | Llyn Elsi, Snowdonia | |
SS20 | Gwydir 1 [Power Stage] | 14.76 km | Gwydir Forest, Snowdonia | |
SS21 | Great Orme Llandudno 1 | 8.03 km | Llandudno, Conwy | |
Tyre Fitting Zone – Dolgarrog | — | Dolgarrog, Conwy | ||
SS22 | Gwydir 2 | 14.76 km | Gwydir Forest, Snowdonia | |
Regroup – Llandudno | — | Llandudno, Conwy | ||
SS23 | Great Orme Llandudno 2 | 8.03 km | Llandudno, Conwy | |
Ceremonial finish – Llandudno Promenade | — | Llandudno, Conwy | ||
Source:[1][6][13] |
Reception
[edit]The new route was received positively by drivers—particularly former Citroën driver Kris Meeke—who appreciated the inclusion of challenging stages.[d] Thierry Neuville and Craig Breen also applauded the route as the best route used by the rally since it moved from Cardiff to Deeside.[22] Defending rally winner Elfyn Evans had a more muted response, expressing disappointment that organisers had not taken full advantage of road closures to create a more demanding route, such as merging the Dyfi and Gartheiniog stages. Rally organisers revealed that they had considered many of the suggestions Evans had raised, but chose a more conservative approach to road closures as the legislation that allowed them to close roads had only been passed in February 2018 and they wanted to ensure that the protocol had been followed properly.[23]
Report
[edit]Leg 1
[edit]Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm completed the opening super special stage three tenths of a second ahead of fellow Toyota crew Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila and championship leaders Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul, who tied for second.[24] As the event moved into the forest stages, Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja—who entered the rally having taken three consecutive victories—dominated the early running. He won five of the eight stages and established a comfortable lead to end the day twenty-eight seconds ahead of Neuville and Gilsoul.[25] Tänak had been closely matched by defending rally winners Elfyn Evans and Daniel Barritt until their Fiesta WRC developed a misfire and was forced to retire from the leg. Latvala and Anttila dropped down to third overall after losing their rhythm in the afternoon loop. Lappi and Ferm recovered from an early spin to finish fourth, while Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia completed the leg in fifth. Ogier and Ingrassia had fallen to eighth during the first pass over the stages when they suffered a series of spins and the loss of first and second gear. Their M-Sport Ford teammates Teemu Suninen and Mikko Markkula completed the team's woes when they slid off the road and into a ditch; Suninen and Markkula were unable to re-enter the rally. Craig Breen and Scott Martin were the lead Citroën crew in sixth after enjoying a trouble-free day, ahead of Hyundai crews led Hayden Paddon and Sebastian Marshall in seventh and Andreas Mikkelsen and Anders Jæger-Synnevaag in eighth. Both Paddon and Mikkelsen complained of unpredictable handling in their cars, particularly during the afternoon loop of stages when rain affected the profile of the roads.[13] Neuville, by comparison, reported that his car's handling improved in the afternoon, benefiting from a new specification of tyre provided by Michelin that offered improved grip whilst being more durable than previous tyres.[13] Citroën's Mads Østberg and Torstein Eriksen were the last of the drivers in a World Rally Car-specification entry, finishing the leg in ninth place.
Leg 2
[edit]Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja continued their form through the opening stages of the second leg until they were forced to retire. Tänak damaged his radiator after a heavy landing off a jump during the second pass through Sweet Lamb Hafren.[26] Tänak and Järveoja had experienced similar retirements in the Rallies of Portugal and Sardinia.[27] Ogier and Ingrassia experienced a resurgence, climbing from fifth place to take the lead; however, Ogier chose the more-durable medium compound tyres as the dry gravel would damage the faster soft compound, and was unable to build a lead of his own. He finished the leg with a slender four-second advantage over the surviving Toyotas of Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila in second place and Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm in third.[28] Craig Breen and Scott Martin ended the leg in fourth, some fifteen seconds off the lead. The reversal of the running order for the second leg meant that Mads Østberg and Torstein Eriksen ran with favourable road conditions, which allowed them to find some pace in the morning loop and climb the leaderboard. Andreas Mikkelsen and Anders Jæger-Synnevaag similarly benefited from their road position, winning three of the day's stages and finishing the leg two and a half seconds behind Østberg and Eriksen. Hayden Paddon and Sebastian Marshall completed the day in seventh overall ahead of Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul; Neuville and Gilsoul had been running second at the time, but lost fifty-one seconds when they ran off the road in the early morning stages and he conceded a further fifteen seconds to Ogier and Ingrassia when they was unable to match the leaders' pace.[29]
Leg 3
[edit]The final leg of the rally saw Ogier and Ingrassia trade places with Latvala and Anttila several times. Ogier and Ingrassia initially held the advantage, but a fast time by Latvala and Anttila through the Gwydir Power Stage—that saw them take the five bonus points—was enough to seize the lead. Latvala and Anttila held the lead through the first pass over Great Orme Llandudno, only for Ogier and Ingrassia to reclaim it on the return to Gwydir. The final stage was delayed following an incident that required the attention of emergency services and not all of the competitors were able to start the stage.[30][31] Latvala and Anttila was unable to set a competitive time, meaning Ogier and Ingrassia only needed to finish to claim victory. They ultimately set a time fast enough to win the stage and the rally, taking twenty-five World Championship points for the win and an additional three points for third place on the Power Stage.[32] Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm completed the podium and scored an extra Power Stage point. Craig Breen and Scott Martin were fourth, ahead of Neuville and Gilsoul. Neuville and Gilsoul led the three Hyundais, with Mikkelsen and Jæger-Synnevaag in sixth and Paddon and Marshall seventh. Mads Østberg and Torstein Eriksen were eighth, with the final points-scoring places going to World Rally Championship-2 entrants Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen and their Škoda Motorsport teammates Pontus Tidemand and Jonas Andersson. Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja re-entered under Rally2 regulations and finished nineteenth overall, scoring four points on the Power Stage in the process. Elfyn Evans and Daniel Barritt also re-entered and finished twentieth in the final classification.
Support categories
[edit]In the World Rally Championship-2 standings, eighteen year-old Kalle Rovanperä and co-driver Jonne Halttunen finished the first leg as the category leader and tenth in the overall standings. Rovanperä and Halttunen won every stage but one to establish a lead of fifty-five seconds over teammates Pontus Tidemand and Jonas Andersson, while British privateers Gus Greensmith and Alessandro Gelsomino finished the leg in third.[13] Rovanperä and Halttunen maintained their lead over Tidemand and Andersson throughout the second leg and the two crews climbed to ninth and tenth in the overall classification following the retirement of Tänak and Järveoja.[29] Rovanperä and Halttunen went on to win the category by ninety-four seconds, aided by an off-road excursion by Tidemand and Andersson in the Power Stage. Tidemand and Andersson damaged their rear suspension, but were able to continue after repairing the damage during a transport stage. The result was Rovanperä and Haltunnen's second win in the category. Tidemand and Andersson recovered to finish second, with Greensmith and Gelsomino finishing third.
Tom Williams and Phil Hall led the first leg in the World Rally Championship-3 category after trading stage wins with Taisko Lario and Tatu Hämäläinen throughout the day.[33] Williams and Hall's lead was consolidated during the second leg when Lario and Hämäläinen were late checking into a stage and had thirty seconds added to his time as a penalty. Williams and Hall went on to win the event, marking their first victory in the category. Italian privateers Enrico Brazzoli and Luca Beltrame caught and passed Lario and Hämäläinen during the second leg and held the position until the end of the rally. Lario and Hämäläinen ultimately finished third overall.
The first two legs of the rally also served as the final two rounds of the MSA British Rally Championship. M-Sport driver Matt Edwards and co-driver Darren Garrod secured the 2018 championship title with fourth place on the first leg of the rally.[34] Edwards and Garrod won the second leg and were the highest-place national entrant at the end of the rally.
Classification
[edit]Final results
[edit]Special stages
[edit]Power stage
[edit]The Power stage was a 14.70 km stage run on the final day of the rally. Additional World Drivers' and Co-drivers' Championship points were awarded to the five fastest crews. As the Power Stage was not the final stage of the rally, crews had to complete the event to be eligible to receive the points.[27]
Pos. | Driver | Co-driver | Car | Time | Diff. | Pts. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Toyota Yaris WRC | 9:31.6 | 0.0 | 5 | ||
2 | Toyota Yaris WRC | 9:32.4 | +0.7 | 4 | ||
3 | Ford Fiesta WRC | 9:36.9 | +5.2 | 3 | ||
4 | Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC | 9:37.3 | +5.6 | 2 | ||
5 | Toyota Yaris WRC | 9:39.9 | +8.2 | 1 |
Penalties
[edit]The following crews were given time penalties during the rally.
Retirements
[edit]The following crews retired from the event. 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.
Championship standings after the rally
[edit]
Drivers' championships[edit]
|
Co-Drivers' championships[edit]
|
Manufacturers' and teams' championships[edit]
|
Notes
[edit]- ^ Although some stages contain tarmac sections,[1][2] the rally is classified as a gravel event and tyre suppliers only provide crews with gravel-specification tyres.[3]
- ^ The first leg of the rally formed the penultimate round of the British national championship and the second leg was the final round. The third leg did not count towards the championship.[5]
- ^ Competitors competing in national events are variously eligible to score points in the British National, British Junior, British Cadet, British Ladies and British 2WD championships.
- ^ Kris Meeke had been scheduled to contest the rally with Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT when the route was published, but was fired by the team before the rally.[20][21]
- ^ a b c The original length of the stage was 8.03 km, but it was shortened following an emergency incident on the first pass through the stage.[30]
- ^ a b The second running of the Great Orme Llandudno stage was interrupted when emergency services attended an incident. The stage could not be completed by all competitors.[30]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Taking it to the streets ..." walesrallygb.com. Wales Rally GB. 30 April 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
- ^ a b Evans, David (16 April 2018). "FIA blocks 'radical final stage plan for 2018 WRC Rally GB". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f "Rally Aus retains WRC finale in 2018". speedcafe.com. Speedcafe. 22 September 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ a b c "Wales Rally GB 2018 Entry List" (PDF). walesrallygb.com. Wales Rally GB. 14 September 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 September 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
- ^ a b "2018 Prestone MSA British Rally Championship calendar announced". msabrc.com. Motor Sports Association. 16 August 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ a b c d e "2018 Dayinsure Wales Rally GB" (PDF). walesrallygb.com. Wales Rally GB. 14 August 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 October 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
- ^ a b "Final Results Rally Wales 2017". ewrc-results.com. 29 October 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
- ^ "Evans: 'Nobody was getting in the way'". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 29 October 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ "Breaking News: Ogier wins GB Thriller". wrc.com. WRC. 7 October 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ "WRC 2 in Britain: Rovanperä takes comfortablw win". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 7 October 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
- ^ Benyon, Jack (16 September 2018). "Rally Turkey: Ott Tanak boosts WRC title hopes with victory". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
- ^ "Veiby leaves Skoda after alleged misconduct". rallysportmag.com. Rally Sport Magazine. 22 September 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
- ^ a b c d e "Rally GB — Day 1". 2018 World Rally Championship season. October 2018. WRC Promoter GmbH.
- ^ Coch, Mat (22 March 2018). "Organisers confirm extended route for Rally GB". speedcafe.com. Speedcafe. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ Evans, David (27 September 2018). "Rally GB co-ordinator: Revised '18 WRC route will 'catch a few out'". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
- ^ a b Evans, David (30 April 2018). "Rally GB to unveil major route revamp for 2018 World Rally round". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ Dale, Will (20 November 2016). "WRC: Andreas Mikkelsen wins 2016 Kennards Hire Rally Australia". foxsports.com.au. Coffs Harbour: Fox Sports. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
- ^ "Closed Roads (England)" (PDF). msauk.org. Motor Sports Association. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ "Wales gives green light to closed-road motorsport". msauk.org. Motor Sports Association. 2 February 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ Beer, Matt (24 May 2018). "Citroen axes Kris Meeke due to 'excessively high number of crashes'". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
- ^ Evans, David (25 May 2018). "Citroen WRC team explains decision to axe 'not under control' Meeke". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
- ^ Evans, David (4 October 2018). "WRC stars Neuville and Breen impressed by new 2018 Rally GB route". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
- ^ Evans, David (9 May 2018). "New route for 2018 WRC Rally GB a missed opportunity - Elfyn Evans". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
- ^ Brunsdon, Stephen (5 October 2018). "WRC Rally GB: Toyota's Lappi takes early lead on Thursday night". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
- ^ "Tanak well in control at Rally Great Britain". speedcafe.com. Speedcafe. 6 October 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
- ^ Benyon, Jack (6 October 2018). "Rally GB: Tanak retires from lead, title rival Ogier capitalises". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ a b "Rally GB — Power Stage 20". 2018 World Rally Championship season. October 2018. WRC Promoter GmbH.
- ^ Benyon, Jack (6 October 2018). "Ogier leads Rally GB after Tanak failure". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ a b "Ogier leads Rally GB after Tanak failure". speedcafe.com. Speedcafe. 7 October 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ a b c Evans, David (7 October 2018). "Rally GB: Final stage delayed, Ogier holds narrow lead". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
- ^ "Rally GB — Power Stage 23". 2018 World Rally Championship season. October 2018. WRC Promoter GmbH.
- ^ "Ogier wins final day duel with Latvala in Britain". speedcafe.com. 8 October 2018. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
- ^ "Dayinsure Wales Rally GB 2018". ewrc-results.com. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ Benyon, Jack (5 October 2018). "Rally GB: M-Sport's Edwards seals BRC title with P4 on first leg". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
- ^ "Wales Rally GB Results". wrc.com. World Rally Championship. 7 October 2018. Archived from the original on 17 October 2019. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ "74. Dayinsure Wales Rally GB 2018". ewrc-results.com. 7 October 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
External links
[edit]- Official website (in English)
- 2018 Wales Rally GB in e-wrc website
- The official website of the World Rally Championship
- The official website of Dayinsure sponsor