Sebastien Ogier's Rally Championship Hopes Fade Amid Chilean Fog

Sebastien Ogier's pursuit of a ninth world rally championship title suffered a severe setback as he retired from Rally Chile's penultimate leg due to car damage. Despite challenging fog conditions, Kalle Rovanpera leads the rally, with Elfyn Evans and Ott Tanak closely trailing. Hyundai tops the manufacturers' standings.

Sebastien Ogier's dreams of claiming a ninth world rally championship were dashed as he retired from Rally Chile's penultimate leg on Saturday. The French driver, competing for Toyota, encountered severe issues when his car's steering broke after hitting a rock, forcing an early exit just 400 meters from the end of stage eight.

Amidst dense fog and treacherous conditions, Ogier's teammate, Kalle Rovanpera, leads the rally with a 15.1-second advantage over Toyota's Elfyn Evans. Despite initially leading after three stage wins, Evans' grip on the lead was diminished due to worsening weather and heavy fog.

Hyundai's Ott Tanak remains in contention, trailing Evans by 18.5 seconds, while championship leader Thierry Neuville sits in fourth place. Hyundai currently leads the manufacturers' standings by 35 points ahead of Toyota.

(With inputs from agencies.)