Sébastien Ogier ended Rally Chile Bio Bío's penultimate leg with a 6.3sec lead over Toyota team-mate Elfyn Evans after a remarkable Saturday that saw dramatic swings in fortune for the frontrunners.
The eight-time champion completed a stunning comeback from his Friday struggles to take control on his 200th FIA World Rally Championship start, winning all three of the afternoon’s stages to overhaul championship leader Evans and position himself for a crucial victory.
Ogier, who is currently nine points adrift of Evans in his bid for a ninth world title, admitted to being "way too cautious" on the day’s opening stage but capitalised perfectly on changing conditions and tyre management to emerge as the day's dominant force.
“It sounds good, but it is going to be intense until the end,” reflected Ogier after extending his lead on the day's final stage. "Tomorrow morning I need to be awake, not like every first stage for the last two days."
Evans was leading at the midday service break after a strong morning loop in wet conditions, but found himself under increasing pressure as Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 partner Ogier found his rhythm on the drying afternoon stages. The Welshman dropped 5.3sec on the day's final test alone but remains firmly in contention heading into Sunday's four-stage finale.
Adrien Fourmaux started the day at the top of the leaderboard but ended it in third overall and 26.8sec adrift of Ogier. The Frenchman reported that he was struggling for traction and acknowledged his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 was “lacking something” in the conditions. Thierry Neuville sat fourth in his similar car, a further 14.9sec back
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