2018 Wales Rally GB
The 2018 Wales Rally GB (formally known as the 74. Dayinsure Wales Rally GB) was a motor racing event for rally cars that took place over four days from 4 to 7 October 2018. The event was open to entries competing in World Rally Cars and cars complying with Group R regulations. It marked the seventy-fourth running of Rally Great Britain and was the eleventh round of the 2018 FIA World Rally Championship, the highest class of competition in international rallying. Sixty crews, including manufacturer teams and privateers, were entered to compete in the World Rally Championship, the FIA World Rally Championship-2 and FIA World Rally Championship-3 support series and the MSA British Rally Championship. The 2018 event was based in Deeside in Flintshire and consisted of twenty-three special stages throughout North and Mid-Wales. The rally covered a total competitive distance of 318.34 km (197.81 miles) and an additional 1,083.01 km (672.95 miles) in transport stages.
| 2018 Wales Rally GB 74. Dayinsure Wales Rally GB | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Round 11 of 13 in the 2018 World Rally Championship
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| Host country | United Kingdom | ||
| Rally base | Deeside, Flintshire | ||
| Dates run | 4 – 7 October 2018 | ||
| Start location | Tir Prince Raceway | ||
| Finish location | Llandudno Promenade | ||
| Stages | 23 (318.34 km; 197.81 miles) | ||
| Stage surface | Gravel | ||
| Transport distance | 1,083.01 km (672.95 miles) | ||
| Overall distance | 1,401.35 km (870.76 miles) | ||
| Statistics | |||
| Crews registered | 60 | ||
| Crews | 57 at start, 48 at finish | ||
| Overall results | |||
| Overall winner | Sébastien Ogier Julien Ingrassia M-Sport Ford WRT 3:06:12.5 | ||
| Power Stage winner | Jari-Matti Latvala Miikka Anttila Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT | ||
| Support category results | |||
| WRC-2 winner | Kalle Rovanperä Jonne Halttunen Škoda Motorsport II 3:15:27.2 | ||
| WRC-3 winner | Tom Williams Phil Hall Tom Williams 3:49:44.9 | ||
The M-Sport Ford World Rally Team crew of Elfyn Evans and Daniel Barritt were the defending rally winners. Pontus Tidemand and Jonas Andersson of Škoda Motorsport were the defending winners of the World Rally Championship-2, and French privateers Raphaël Astier and Frédéric Vauclare were the reigning winners in the World Rally Championship-3 category; however, Astier and Vauclare did not defend their title as they did not enter the rally.
The rally was won by Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia. The result marked their fifth win in Wales and saw them become the most successful crew in the history of the event. Ogier and Ingrassia moved to within seven points of championship leaders Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul. Toyota's Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila finished second, with their teammates Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm completing the podium. M-Sport Ford World Rally Team were the manufacturers' winners, whilst Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT extended their lead in the manufacturers' championship. The Škoda Motorsport II crew of Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen won in the World Rally Championship-2 in a Škoda Fabia R5, while the local crew of Tom Williams and Phil Hall won in the World Rally Championship-3.