How Ogier survived road crash drama to triumph in Croatia
Sebastien Ogier was already in an incredibly tight fight at Rally Croatia before a surprise collision with public road traffic at the start of the final day. But the defending champion held his nerve to take a narrow victory and create further World Rally Championship history
The debut appearance of Rally Croatia on the World Rally Championship calendar delivered a thrilling three-way battle for victory between the Toyotas of Elfyn Evans and Sebastien Ogier and Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville. It ended with reigning champion Ogier taking honours by the third smallest WRC margin on record: just 0.6 seconds.
The Balkan state has become a tourism hotspot in recent years, although this has primarily been focused on the picturesque Mediterranean coast around Dubrovnik, which gained worldwide renown as the city of King’s Landing in TV’s Game of Thrones. In order to restore a little of the capital’s lustre, therefore, Zagreb had been pushing for its premier rally, a fixture since 1974, to join the WRC as a showcase for the city’s baroque splendour and the rustic loveliness of the landlocked north of the country.
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