MONACO— Defending world rally champion Sebastien Ogier moved into the lead at the season-opening Monte Carlo rally on Saturday after Belgian driver Thierry Neuville sustained a puncture on the day's last stage and went out of the race.
Neuville, who won three stages on Friday, was in the overall lead when his Hyundai halted midway through the 13th stage of 17 overall with a punctured rear-left tire. This allowed Ogier — who had been 51 seconds behind in second place after stage 12 — to take control.
With Neuville out of the race, Estonia's Ott Tanak moved into second place — 47 seconds behind Ogier — and Finnish driver Jari-Matti Latvala climbed into third, 2:20 behind Ogier.
Ogier won the race last year by more than two minutes and is well set to clinch his 39th career win if he holds his advantage in Sunday's remaining four stages.
The 33-year-old Frenchman is seeking a fifth consecutive world title. That would move him second all-time behind countryman Sebastien Loeb, who won his nine titles consecutively.
Ogier announced last month that he was leaving Volkswagen to drive the Ford Fiesta for M-Sport this season.
A fan was killed within an hour of the start of the Monte Carlo Rally while taking photos in a banned area when hit by a car driven by New Zealander Hayden Paddon, but the event continued despite the tragedy which came in the first leg
of the 2017 world rally championship under new regulations which allowed more powerful cars on the icy roads.
Paddon was third to start the opening against-the-clock section in his Hyundai i20 and is believed to have hit black ice that made him lose control as he entered a bend.
The Hyundai span round, hit a bank and nearly ended up on its roof but finished on its left side. The 29-year-old New Zealander and his co-driver, John Kennard, walked away unhurt. But it quickly became apparent that the 50-year-old Spanish spectator was critically hurt.
The man was taken to hospital in Nice by helicopter but did not survive. "Despite the best efforts of the medical staff, the spectator has sadly died," organizers said in a statement.
Witnesses and sources close to the official inquiry said the Spanish man was sat in a zone where a sign said "forbidden to the public", one official said.
The International Automobile Federation, the world body, had ordered tougher safety measures for the public after agreeing to allow more powerful cars to make the world rally championship more attractive.
Cars are lighter and more aerodynamic but have been allowed to add 80 horsepower. Some observers have said they are similar to Group B cars, which were banned in 1987 after a series of fatal accidents. — Agencies
