Kris Meeke is back on the top at Rally Catalunya

Kris Meeke wins the 53rd RallyRACC Catalunya, the 11th round of the 2017 FIA World Rally Championship. For Northern Irish driver it’s his fifth WRC victory in a career and the second win this season in the #7 Citroen C3 WRC.

Meeke took the victory in only mixed gravel-tarmac rally of the season ahead of reigning champion Sebastien Ogier in the #1 Ford Fiesta. Ott Tanak finished third in the #2 Ford Fiesta.

Meeke was in the lead from Friday’s Special stage 7 to the end of the rally, recording eight stage victories in nineteen special stages.

Sebastien Ogier increased his lead in the championship standings

As Ogier’s main championship rival Thierry Neuville didn’t reached the finish, retiring his Hyundai i20 Coupe during the last day, the Frenchman increased his lead in the championship to 38 points, with two more events (GB and Australia) on the schedule.

Juho Hanninen was the best placed Toyota driver, finishing  in the fourth place in the #11 Yaris. Both his teammates Jari-Matti Latvala and Esapekka Lappi retired, Latvala on Friday and Lappi on Sunday.

Thierry Neuville retired from the fifth place with broken wheel

Mads Ostberg was fifth in the privately-entered Ford Fiesta, ahead of Stephane Lefebvre (Citroen) and Elfyn Evans (Ford). WRC2 drivers Teemu Suninen (Fiesta R5), Jan Kopecky (Škoda Fabia R5) and Ole ChristianVeiby (Fabia R5) rounded a list of point-scorers in the overall standings.

It was a catastrophic weekend for Hyundai Motorsport. Dani Sordo and Andreas Mikkelsen hit the same rock at Saturday’s Special stage 12, damaging a steering on the front-right wheel. They restarted on Sunday, when Thierry Neuville damaged his car on the SS15, retiring from the fifth place. Dani Sordo scored at least some points, being the fastest at the Power Stage.

Check the full results of the Rally Catalunya

Photos: M-Sport