WRC 2017: Third closest win ever puts Neuville and Hyundai in title contention at Rally Argentina

Finishing on Sunday, Rally Argentina, the fifth round of this year's FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) saw 2017's first repeat winner in Hyundai's Belgian driver Thierry Neuville and co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul but by a super tight margin of just 0.7 seconds. It was the third closest winning margin ever in the history of the WRC and came about due to a bit of misfortune for M-Sport Ford's Elfyn Evans and co-driver Daniel Barritt, who had built up a big lead until a tyre puncture on Saturday allowed Neuville to close up on him.

A pulsating final speed test on Sunday saw Evans clip a bridge, ending his dreams of a maiden victory. Only two rounds have been decided by a smaller margin in the WRC’s 45-year history; the 2011 Jordan Rally that Sebastien Loeb won over Jari-Matti Latvala by just 0.2 seconds and the 2007 Rally New Zealand that Marcus Gronholm won over Loeb by 0.3 seconds.

FIGHT TO THE FINISH
The Hyundai i20 Coupe driver trailed Evans by 11.5sec heading into the last leg of the four-day dirt road encounter. Brake problems for Evans and a fierce Neuville attack sent the pair into the final 16.32km test at the famous El Condor separated by just 0.6sec.

Both drivers threw caution to the wind on the rough mountain tracks, and early split times showed Evans more than three seconds ahead. But as his grip lessened near the finish, the Welshman's Ford Fiesta swiped a bridge, handing Neuville a second consecutive win.

“Watching that was the worst time in my life,” said Neuville, after viewing Evans’ run from the finish. "I gave it everything I had, but I didn’t have the best tyres because I had been pushing hard for two stages already.”

An emotional Evans, who led by more than a minute on Saturday, said: “I’m gutted to lose by such a fine margin after so many issues. I hit a bridge and that was probably the difference.

"It’s difficult to take now after holding such a big lead, but part of it is my own doing and I need to come back stronger to win in the future.”

ROUGH ROADS TAKE THEIR TOLL
Rock-strewn roads took a heavy toll and merely surviving Friday’s opening leg became the aim of many.

Ott Tänak’s patient strategy paid off as he steered clear of trouble and thrived on the smoother weekend roads to finish third in another Fiesta, a further 29.2sec back.

Reigning champion Sébastien Ogier made it three M-Sport World Rally Team cars in the top four, and the Frenchman increased his championship lead to 16 points after five of 13 rounds. He was almost a minute adrift of Tänak.

Jari-Matti Latvala was Evans’ closest challenger early on, but the Finn slipped back to finish fifth in his Toyota Yaris. Broken power steering completed a torrid weekend for Hayden Paddon, who claimed his maiden win in Argentina 12 months ago. He was sixth.

The Rally de Portugal hosts round six of the championship in Matosinhos, near Porto, on May 18-21.

RALLY ARGENTINA (Villa Carlos Paz), April 27-30, 18 stages covering 357.59km:
1. Thierry Neuville / Nicolas Gilsou BEL Hyundai i20 3hr 38min 10.6sec
2. Elfyn Evans / D Barritt GBR Ford Fiesta +0.7sec
3. Ott Tänak / Martin Jarveöja EST Ford Fiesta +29.9sec
4. Sebastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia FRA Ford Fiesta +1min 24.7sec
5. Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila FIN Toyota Yaris +1min 48.1sec
6. Hayden Paddon / John Kennard NZL Hyundai i20 +7min 42.7sec

DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP TOP 3 (after round 5 of 13):
1. Ogier 102pts
2. Latvala 86pts
3. Neuville 84pts