Quote Originally Posted by Danny0405 View Post
Great job by Kalle with a Seb-like performance and puts a big hit to the helmet to Evans and Neuville here.
For Evans, rather good after a bad stint but not enough against Kalle. But big result in the manufacturer championship for Toyota.

On Katsuta, I’ll be a little harsh but it’s only an average result. He was better during the first 2 days last year (team orders on last day) and when you’re competing for a manufacturer job, you have to deliver in that type of situation. A rusty Sordo teaches him a lesson about what it takes to be a real manufacturer driver here whereas he did his first top-3 of the Rallye in the power stage (+ a RC1 Top 3 in the Mickey Mouse stage yesterday). And it is quite coherent with the beginning of the season of the Japanese which is a little lower than last year. The only positive is that he is the best of youngster (except Kalle) and he is 3rd in the championship; but it’s because the others screwed up and I’m not sure it’s a gift with Sardinia and Kenya coming.

For M-Sport, disaster rallie even if 3 cars finished in top 10. Loubet shows some pace sometimes but not regular enough at the moment (but only 2nd race this year). And for Fourmaux, ok, he did it finally to the end but with awful times; reminds me a lot of Camilli.

In WRC-2, excellent and clever job by Rossel even if he was no match for Suninen and Mikkelsen. Big mistake for Suninen and with some consequences: even if he’s fast, why a manufacturer would give a job to someone who screwed a result like this (exactly the difference with Sordo).
Good job by Kajto also.
Ingram a little further but good job also; but not that much points taken to the competitor because of the number of withdrawals.
I think Fourmaux was a little unlucky, steady first loop on Friday was understandable, was on for quickest time on the 1st stage of the second loop and got a puncture. With only 1 spare he had to drive slow for rest of the loop and that gave him a crap road position from then on, no sense in pushing hard after that, better to get the KM’s.
It was a bad error from many to only take 5 tyres on that second loop on Friday.
I was more disappointed in Breen, have been all season. It can’t help in the team that Loeb comes back in and is leading straight away and he is nowhere.