A power steering failure caused Ott Tanak’s hopes of winning the World Rally Championship season’s first race to take a big hit, allowing Sébastien Ogier to take the lead at Rally Portugal. Tanak had led the rally since Friday but faced mechanical trouble that led to a drastic drop in performance. Despite facing pressure from Ogier, Tanak managed to extend his lead with an inspired set-up tweak before a power steering failure on stage 17 caused him to drop to third place overall. Ogier took over the lead with Toyota teammate Kalle Rovanperä in second place. Rovanperä had battled for a podium spot with Takamoto Katsuta before regaining third place after a tough battle with tyre choice challenges. Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville moved up to fourth place after a strong performance in the rough stages. Sami Pajari finished the day in sixth place, ahead of championship leader Elfyn Evans, who struggled with a setup change.
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