Top 15 clas🐈sification after SS9 at WRC Rally de Portugal

Thierry Neuville has stormed into a commanding position at Rally de Portugal after seeing his main⭕ World Rally Championship title rivals fall out of contention.

After Ott Tanak was force꧋d out on SS2 with a mechanical issue with his Toyota, WRC points leader Sebastien Ogier crashed out on SS5 in a heavy day of attrition which saw a total of five premier class challengers all forced out.

Wඣith Neuville taking four consecutive stage wins the Hyundai driver has✱ moved into a 17.7 second lead over Elfyn Evans for M-Sport Ford with Dani Sordo fading to third place after suffering with his soft Michelin tyres.

Teemu Suninen ended the day fourth overall for M-Sport Ford after losing third place to Sordo after SS9 but has🧸 a healthy 15-second advantage over lead Citroen driver Mads Ostberg in fifth place.

Sole Toyota challenger Esapekka Lappi is sixth, with Tanak and teammate Jari-Matti Latvala both out as the Finn suffer suspension failure o♊n SS3 to mark a nightmare start to the Portugal event for Toyota, with Kris Meeke provisionally in eighth place despite finishཧing the final three stages on three wheels.

The Citroen driver suffered a puncture of SS6 only to be hit with double frustration when his spare tyre delaminated meaning he took on 🐈the Porto city street stages on three wheels.

Citroen’s Craig Breen rounded out the premier level contendeꦉrs in eighth place with Hayden Paddon suffering a heavy crash on SS7 while leading and has been taken to hospital as a precaution, while Hyundai teammate Andreas Mikkelsen suffered a mechanical failure and stopped on t🌟he same stage.