Sebastien Loeb is out of the Rally https://t.co/TpoSXdrcUu

— Rally Pulse (@RallyPulse) April 6, 2018

Reigning FIA World Rally Champions Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia claimed a fourth Rally Mexico win today to retake the lead in the Championship. After a determined fight from the start, the Ford Fiesta WRC crew ultimately crossed the finish line with over a minute in hand to Dani Sordo and Carlos del Barrio. This was also the first time a Ford has won in Mexico since Markko Martin raised the trophy in 2004. Sordo moved into second in the day’s opening stage when Kris Meeke ran wide and toppled his C3 WRC on its side; he and co-driver Paul Nagle managed to continue but dropped to third in the process.

Dreams of a magical victory for the WRC’s returning legend Sébastien Loeb were dashed when the Frenchman was forced to stop and change a puncture in the first of the afternoon’s repeated stages.

Dani Sordo has set the pace during the first loop of gravel stages on Rally Mexico and with two stage wins under his belt holds a 16.6 second advantage over last year’s event winner, Kris Meeke. WRC returning legend Sébastien Loeb has also set a characteristically impressive pace and the nine-time FIA World Rally Champion is third, putting two Citroën C3 WRCs in the top three.

The 2018 FIA World Rally Championship contenders head to the Americas for Rally Mexico, the third round of the series and the first on gravel.