It’s not often Elfyn Evans, Sébastien Ogier and Kalle Rovanperä are reduced to fighting over the fringes of the top 10, but that’s exactly what unfolded on Thursday in a tense World Rally Championship showdown in Saudi Arabia.
The three drivers in title contention were ranked in seventh through to ninth positions after eight stages. Why? It’s largely down to a road cleaning effect more severe than expected, as Saudi Arabia’s brand-new, brutal gravel stages met the grippy tires and flat-out personalities of top level WRC drivers.
