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In the first stage of Saturday, Ogier cut the gap to T\u00e4nak by 2.6 seconds, getting within striking distance. \u201cAlways looking forward to the fight with [T\u00e4nak]<\/em>\u201d, Ogier said. \u201cIt won’t be easy<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first setback of the day came when T\u00e4nak suffered a puncture in SS 3 (Cabaceiras de Basto). Even with the issue, he still finished third in the stage and held onto the overall lead, though now by just 2 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Later, in SS14, Rovanper\u00e4 passed Katsuta to move into third place after Katsuta also had a puncture. The difference between them was only 0.4 seconds, keeping the battle alive. By the end of the morning loop, T\u00e4nak had extended his lead over Ogier to 11.8 seconds, after Ogier struggled with a poor run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Everything seemed to be under control heading into the afternoon. But during the second-to-last stage of the day (SS17), disaster struck for T\u00e4nak. His power steering failed, and he had to wrestle the car through the stage with both hands on the wheel. His co-driver Martin J\u00e4rveoja even helped by changing gears, allowing T\u00e4nak to focus on steering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because of the issue, T\u00e4nak lost a big chunk of time and dropped from first to third place, now 28.1 seconds behind Ogier, who moved into the lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The final question of the day was whether T\u00e4nak would even hold onto third, as Thierry Neuville was closing in. Despite the challenge, T\u00e4nak managed to stay in third overall, but was clearly disappointed. He said, “Part of the game, I guess. Very unfortunate, but we gave everything from our side<\/em>“.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even Ogier showed sympathy, saying, \u201cIt\u2019s not the way you want to win any fight. We were both pushing really hard, trying to keep the pressure. It\u2019s still not over. Tomorrow is a long day.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n At the end of Saturday, S\u00e9bastien Ogier leads the rally with a time of 3:01:04.7, followed by Kalle Rovanper\u00e4, who is 27.6 seconds behind. After suffering a power steering issue, Ott T\u00e4nak now sits in third place, 36.1 seconds off the lead. Thierry Neuville is not far behind in fourth, while Takamoto Katsuta, who struggled with grip in the afternoon, has dropped down the order. Sami Pajari holds sixth, with Elfyn Evans in seventh after a tough weekend so far. Josh McErlean and Gr\u00e9goire Munster round out the top positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With just one day left in Rally Portugal, only one question remains: Has T\u00e4nak lost his chance to win? Or will Sunday bring another twist?<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Ogier said, \u201cIt\u2019s not over. Tomorrow is a long day.\u201d<\/em> Anything can still happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Turning Point<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Where Things Stand<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n