Rovanperä took control of Rally Chile from Saturday afternoon onwards. The Toyota driver secured the gravel rally victory with a 23.4-second margin over his teammate Elfyn Evans.
Toyota’s crucial 1-2 finish and maximum points in Chile keep the team firmly in the manufacturers’ championship fight. While Hyundai still leads, Toyota closed the gap to 17 points with two rounds remaining in the season.
Hyundai’s Ott Tänak finished third in the final gravel event of the season, ahead of his teammate Thierry Neuville. Tänak has gained ground on Neuville in the drivers’ championship, but the Belgian remains on course for his first world title.
M-Sport Ford’s Adrien Fourmaux finished fifth in Chile, ahead of Sami Pajari, who competed in a Toyota Rally1 car for the second time. Pajari completed the weekend without errors, finishing two and a half minutes behind Rovanperä.
Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier retired on Saturday but was able to rejoin the rally on Sunday. Ogier dominated Super Sunday, posting the fastest time on the Power Stage as well. Rovanperä finished second on the Power Stage, just one-tenth of a second behind Ogier.
However, Ogier’s retirement effectively ended his chances in the championship battle. Only Hyundai drivers Neuville and Tänak remain in the fight for the title.
Hyundai’s Esapekka Lappi’s final rally of the season ended in disappointment. He was forced to retire after the penultimate stage due to a broken radiator. It appears Lappi will miss the final two rounds, with Andreas Mikkelsen set to take over Hyundai’s third car.
The WRC2 title race remains undecided, as Oliver Solberg failed to secure a class win. Citroen driver Yohan Rossel won the WRC2 category in Chile and still has a chance to overtake Solberg in the standings. Pajari also remains in contention for the WRC2 title, should he succeed in his final event in Japan.
The WRC season continues in three weeks with the Central European tarmac rally across Germany, the Czech Republic, and Austria.
Rally Chile results after SS16/16:
| POS | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Kalle Rovanperä | Toyota | 2:58:59.8 |
| 2. | Elfyn Evans | Toyota | +23.4 |
| 3. | Ott Tänak | Hyundai | +43.9 |
| 4. | Thierry Neuville | Hyundai | +1:01.1 |
| 5. | Adrien Fourmaux | Ford | +2:02.7 |
| 6. | Sami Pajari | Toyota | +2:39.7 |
| 7. | Gregoire Munster | Ford | +2:47.7 |
| 8. | Yohan Rossel | Citroen | +8:31.4 |
| 9. | Nikolay Gryazin | Citroen | +8:48.7 |
| 10. | Gus Greensmith | Skoda | +8:52.1 |
| 11. | Oliver Solberg | Skoda | +8:57.5 |
Super Sunday results:
| POS | Driver | Team | Time |
| 1. | Sebastien Ogier | Toyota | 33:37.3 |
| 2. | Kalle Rovanperä | Toyota | +8.2 |
| 3. | Elfyn Evans | Toyota | +16.5 |
| 4. | Ott Tänak | Hyundai | +18.5 |
| 5. | Thierry Neuville | Hyundai | +25.7 |
| 6. | Adrien Fourmaux | Ford | +48.0 |
| 7. | Sami Pajari | Toyota | 58.5 |
Rally Chile itinerary (CET):
Thursday, 26 Sept: 13:31 Shakedown: Conuco (6.79 km) Friday, 27 Sept: 13:35 SS1: Pulperia 1 (19.72 km) 14:30 SS2: Rere 1 (13.34 km) 15:21 SS3: San Rosendo 1 (23.32 km) 18:11 Service (30 min) 19:46 SS4: Pulperia 2 (19.72 km) 20:41 SS5: Rere 2 (13.34 km) 21:32 SS6: San Rosendo 2 (23.32 km) Saturday, 28 Sept: 14:07 SS7: Pelun 1 (15.65 km) 15:01 SS8: Lota 1 (25.64 km) 16:05 SS9: Maria las Cruces 1 (28.31 km) 18:37 Service (30 min) 20:07 SS10: Pelun 2 (15.65 km) 21:01 SS11: Lota 2 (25.64 km) 22:05 SS12: Maria las Cruces 2 (28.31 km) Sunday, 29 Sept: 13:23 SS13: Laraquete 1 (18.62 km) 14:35 SS14: Bio Bio 1 (8.78 km) 15:35 SS15: Laraquete 2 (18.62 km) 18:15 SS16: Bio Bio 2 (8.78 km) Power Stage
