Croatia Rally brought the World Rally Championship back onto Tarmac for its fourth round of the season and delivered an event that had it all: drama, acrimony, scintillating action and a wager involving a Porsche 911.
Through it all, however, a display of unwavering commitment in the face of unfavourable road position meant that Toyota’s eight-time WRC champion Sebastien Ogier wrote yet another chapter into the history books.
When the eight WRC contenders assembled in Zagreb, a titanic battle between the top two men in the points standings – Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville and Toyota’s Elfyn Evans – seemed inevitable.
A contest between the swashbuckling Belgian and the Welshman’s meticulous, unflappable speed was a tantalising prospect. As points leader, Neuville had the pleasure of setting off on Friday morning with an unsullied surface beneath his wheels.
This was his
