Fourmaux retired from Paraguay at rally end – DirtFish

Adrien Fourmaux has retired from Rally del Paraguay after the conclusion of the occasion, selling Hyundai team-mate Ott Tänak to fourth total.

Fourmaux had seemed set to safe a career-best World Rally Championship end of second in Paraguay, however late rain within the powerstage – which additionally hampered rally winner Sébastien Ogier – price him total place to each Elfyn Evans and Thierry Neuville.

The Frenchman ended up simply 2.1 seconds forward of his title-chasing team-mate Tänak within the total classification earlier than he was retired from the rally.

DirtFish understands Fourmaux’s automobile suffered a gearbox drawback, with a post-powerstage retirement permitting Hyundai to alter it forward of Rally Chile with out incurring a penalty.

It doesn’t have an effect on Hyundai’s producers’ factors haul from Paraguay because it nonetheless has two automobiles ending third and fourth, nevertheless it does increase Tänak’s drivers’ title bid as he positive factors an additional two factors.

That means Tänak is now 18 factors adrift of championship chief Elfyn Evans fairly than 20, whereas Kalle Rovanperä has additionally moved to inside seven factors (as a substitute of 9) as he climbs from sixth to fifth place total.

Ogier subsequently slips to 3rd within the championship, however that offers him a greater begin place for Rally Chile in two weeks’ time.