Rovanperä is now just one stage away from securing his fourth victory of the season. On the second run of the Laraquete stage, Rovanperä posted the fourth-fastest time and managed to maintain a solid lead over his teammate Elfyn Evans.
Rovanperä now holds a 19.5-second advantage heading into the final Power Stage. In other words, Rovanperä just needs to drive safely on the short final stage to claim victory.
“It was quite changeable conditions to be honest, already some soft ruts here and there and then some really slimey, muddy corners, so everything that you’d expect,” Rovanperä explained.
Rovanperä is on track for a big points haul, as he sits second on Super Sunday behind his teammate Sebastien Ogier. The points are crucial for Toyota in the manufacturers’ championship battle, as the team has a chance to significantly reduce Hyundai’s lead.
Hyundai driver Ott Tänak is in third place, ahead of championship leader Thierry Neuville. The Belgian star is set to score good points from Chile to aid his title challenge.
“”It was okay, I had a good stage to be honest. I felt more comfortable in the ruts,” Neuville said.
M-Sport Ford’s Adrien Fourmaux holds fifth place, ahead of Toyota’s Sami Pajari and his teammate Gregoire Munster. Hyundai’s Esapekka Lappi is in eighth place.
The final Power Stage of Rally Chile begins at 18:15 CET.
Rally Chile standings after SS15/16:
| POS | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Kalle Rovanperä | Toyota | 2:54:30.5 |
| 2. | Elfyn Evans | Toyota | +19.5 |
| 3. | Ott Tänak | Hyundai | +41.4 |
| 4. | Thierry Neuville | Hyundai | +57.4 |
| 5. | Adrien Fourmaux | Ford | +1:57.4 |
| 6. | Sami Pajari | Toyota | +2:33.6 |
| 7. | Gregoire Munster | Ford | +2:36.8 |
| 8. | Esapekka Lappi | Hyundai | +5:30.4 |
| 9. | Yohan Rossel | Citroen | +8:06.7 |
| 10. | Nikolay Gryazin | Citroen | +8:23.0 |
| 11. | Gus Greensmith | Skoda | +8:24.6 |
| 12. | Oliver Solberg | Skoda | +8:38.5 |
Super Sunday standings after SS3/4:
| POS | Driver | Team | Time |
| 1. | Sebastien Ogier | Toyota | 29:08.1 |
| 2. | Kalle Rovanperä | Toyota | +8.1 |
| 3. | Elfyn Evans | Toyota | +12.5 |
| 4. | Ott Tänak | Hyundai | +15.9 |
| 5. | Thierry Neuville | Hyundai | +21.8 |
| 6. | Esapekka Lappi | Hyundai | +23.9 |
| 7. | Adrien Fourmaux | Ford | +42.5 |
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
