P1racenews AI automatic summary:
WRC Croatia: Ogier victorious after final-day drama for Evans, Neuville
Ogier and co-driver Vincent Landais secured a victory in a challenging Sunday marked by crashes from Hyundai driver Neuville and Toyota’s Evans in stage 18 out of 20.
Ogier claimed his first win of the 2024 season, finishing ahead of Evans by 9.7s, while Neuville settled for third place [+45.9s].
The battle for victory evolved into a three-way contest from Friday onwards, with Neuville initially taking the lead and eventually sharing it with Evans by the end of the day.
Despite Evans briefly leading the pack, Neuville’s strong performance and strategic tire choices allowed him to regain a narrow lead Saturday.
Sunday brought a significant twist as both Evans and Neuville encountered errors, ultimately handing Ogier the advantage to clinch his 59th WRC victory and 100th podium finish.
In the end, Evans and Neuville both earned 19 points, with Neuville maintaining a six-point lead over Evans in the championship standings.
Hyundai’s Ott Tanak finished fourth, while Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta claimed fifth place in the competition.
