Oliver Solberg wins Chile's Rally and Toyota conquers 10th world title

Solberg, sailed by the British Elliott Edmondson, completed the 16 classifications at 2:57,08,2 hours, ending with 16.6 seconds of advantage over the French Sébastien Ogier (Toyota Yaris) and 33.3 on the compatriot of this Adrien Fourmaux (Hyundai i20).

The Swede began the last leg with 19.1 seconds of advantage over Welsh Elfyn Evans (Toyota Yaris), leader of the World Cup, but had the difference reduced to 14.5, after the first two Sunday specials.

Evans won the first passage by Snail and was second in the first by the BioBio classification, beaten for 1.3 seconds by Solberg, although the Swede suffered a hole in the right rear wheel near the end of the section.

The fight for second place suffered a twist in the penultimate special, when Evans was forced to stop to change a wheel, losing more than two minutes and falling from second to fifth position.

Ogier, nine times world champion, won this rating with 5.4 seconds of advantage over Fourmaux, rising to the second position, while Hyundai's pilot ascended to the last place on the podium.

Solberg entered the last special with 13.3 seconds of advantage over Ogier and confirmed the victory by being the fastest in the ‘power stage’, overcoming Evans for half a second.

“ It was an unbelievable weekend. We had a season with ups and downs, but the team supported us and always believed. This was a perfect weekend”, said the Swedish.

It was Solberg's second victory in the season, after the triumph in the inaugural race, the Monte Carlo Rally.

Ogier won the 120th podium of his career in the World Cup, matching the countryman Sébastien Loeb's record, while Fourmaux reached 13th.

The Finnish Sami Pajari (Toyota Yaris) finished fourth, 1.33.9 minutes from the winner, while Evans was fifth, to 2.22.3, after the setback suffered in the penultimate classification.

The Finnish Esapekka Lappi (Hyundai i20) finished sixth, followed by the Irish Josh McErlean (Ford Puma), while the French Yohan Rossel (Lancia Ypsilon), winner of the WRC2 category, was eighth of the overall.

The Estonian Robert Virves (Skoda Fabia), who won the title WRC2 Challenger, ended in ninth, ahead of the British Gus Greensmith (Toyota Yaris).

Ogier won the rating reserved on the last day, called ‘super sunday’, 3.8 seconds ahead of Solberg, but the Swedish raised the five points of the ‘power stage’ and ended the weekend with a total of 34.

Evans maintains the leadership of the World Cup, now with 17 points of advantage over Pajari, while Solberg ranks third, at 21, when two races are missing.

Toyota secured in Chile the 10th world title of builders, matching the Lancia record.

Turk Ali Türkkan (Ford Puma) became the world champion of juniors, while Rossel, accompanied by Arnaud Dunand, confirmed the WRC2 victory.

The next race of the championship is the Sardinian Rally, in Italy, between October 1 and 4.