Ogier won fourteen of twenty-stages, including the power stage as he breezed to victory by 1 minute and 12.6 seconds over Volkswagen teammate Jari-Matti Latvala. Latvala was leading the championship by five over Ogier entering the third round of the championship. He won two stages over the four days and finished second on the power stage.
Thierry Neuville finished third just under five and a half minutes back of Ogier. The Belgian driver gave Hyundai their first podium in their history competing the World Rally Championship and their first points since the 2003 Rally Australia. This is Neuville's eighth career podium. Elfyn Evans finished a career best fourth position driving for MSport Ford. His previous career-best was sixth on three occasions. Czech driver Martin Prokop cracked the top five just after retiring from the first two rallies of the season. Prokop finished just under ten minutes off Ogier.
Mexican driver Benito Guerra gave the home fan base something to cheer about by finishing in sixth position, just under thirteen minutes back. This is Guerra's best career finish in WRC and it's is the this consecutive round in which the #11 MSport Ford has scored points. Chris Atkinson put the second Hyundai in the points in seventh position. Mikko Hirvonen finished eighth, over seventeen minutes back and finished third on the power stage.
Mads Østberg recovered after a disastrous end of day three and finished ninth overall, winning two of the four stages that took place on the final day and a total of five stages over the course of the rally. WRC2 driver, Ukrainian Yuriy Protasov finished tenth overall, his second points paying finish of the season. Protasov finished tenth at Rallye Monte-Carlo earlier this year.
Kris Meeke was solidly in the points but an accident on the final stage ended the Citroën driver's hopes of making it three consecutive points paying finishes.
Ogier leads the championship standings by three over teammate Latvala after winning the rally and taking the power stage. Østberg remains third overall, thirty-one back of Ogier with thirty-two points. Andreas Mikkelsen failed to score in Mexico but will remain in fourth position with twenty-four points. Elfyn Evans moves up to fifth in the championship with twenty points.
Bryan Bouffier has not competed since finishing second at Monte-Carlo but is sixth in the championship with eighteen points. Mikko Hirvonen moves up tp seventh in the standings with eighteen points but loses the tiebreaker to Bouffier who has more second place finishes. Kris Meeke drops to eighth in the championship with seventeen points. Neuville moves up to ninth with fifteen points after his podium finish. Prokop and Estonian Ott Tänak are tied for tenth, each with ten points to their name. Tänak owns the tiebreaker.
The fourth round of the 2014 World Rally Championship season takes place April 3rd-6th at Rally de Portugal. Sébastien Ogier is the defending winner of that rally and has three total wins in Portugal. Mads Østberg won their in 2012.
Mexican driver Benito Guerra gave the home fan base something to cheer about by finishing in sixth position, just under thirteen minutes back. This is Guerra's best career finish in WRC and it's is the this consecutive round in which the #11 MSport Ford has scored points. Chris Atkinson put the second Hyundai in the points in seventh position. Mikko Hirvonen finished eighth, over seventeen minutes back and finished third on the power stage.
Mads Østberg recovered after a disastrous end of day three and finished ninth overall, winning two of the four stages that took place on the final day and a total of five stages over the course of the rally. WRC2 driver, Ukrainian Yuriy Protasov finished tenth overall, his second points paying finish of the season. Protasov finished tenth at Rallye Monte-Carlo earlier this year.
Kris Meeke was solidly in the points but an accident on the final stage ended the Citroën driver's hopes of making it three consecutive points paying finishes.
Ogier leads the championship standings by three over teammate Latvala after winning the rally and taking the power stage. Østberg remains third overall, thirty-one back of Ogier with thirty-two points. Andreas Mikkelsen failed to score in Mexico but will remain in fourth position with twenty-four points. Elfyn Evans moves up to fifth in the championship with twenty points.
Bryan Bouffier has not competed since finishing second at Monte-Carlo but is sixth in the championship with eighteen points. Mikko Hirvonen moves up tp seventh in the standings with eighteen points but loses the tiebreaker to Bouffier who has more second place finishes. Kris Meeke drops to eighth in the championship with seventeen points. Neuville moves up to ninth with fifteen points after his podium finish. Prokop and Estonian Ott Tänak are tied for tenth, each with ten points to their name. Tänak owns the tiebreaker.
The fourth round of the 2014 World Rally Championship season takes place April 3rd-6th at Rally de Portugal. Sébastien Ogier is the defending winner of that rally and has three total wins in Portugal. Mads Østberg won their in 2012.
