Rovanpera extends Rally Chile lead in dense fog

Kalle Rovanpera, the reigning world champion, has extended his lead in Rally Chile during a fog-riddled session. The Finnish driver now holds a 20.3-second advantage over his Toyota teammate Elfyn Evans with just two stages remaining in the final gravel rally of the season.

The morning's stages were characterized by treacherous conditions, including wet and muddy roads, and significantly reduced visibility due to dense fog. These challenging circumstances were reminiscent of the Wales Rally GB, which hasn't been part of the World Rally Championship (WRC) calendar since 2019.

Hyundai's Ott Tanak maintains third place, 40.1 seconds behind Rovanpera, while championship leader Thierry Neuville sits in fourth, 57.5 seconds off the lead. Adrien Fourmaux of M-Sport and Toyota's Sami Pajari round out the top six.

Sebastien Ogier, who retired and conceded his world championship chances, led the Super standings. Starting first on the road, Ogier benefited from his position and experience, winning stage 13 (Laraquete) with a stunning performance.

The fog worsened significantly for stage 14 (Bio Bio), reducing visibility to around 20 meters. Despite these extreme conditions, the top three drivers finished within three-tenths of a second of each other, with Ogier taking the stage win by 0.2 seconds over Rovanpera.

In the WRC2 category, Yohan Rossel leads after having 40 seconds removed from his overall time overnight due to being held up by Oliver Solberg. Rossel now holds an 18.1-second lead over Nikolay Gryazin, with Gus Greensmith in third.

The weather conditions have played a crucial role in shaping the rally, with drivers describing the stages as "on the limit" and "dangerous."

As the rally heads into its final stages, Rovanpera looks set to extend his championship lead, while Neuville aims to protect his points advantage.