Ogier squanders big chance in Mexico



Sebastien Ogier's agonising late mistake while leading Rally Mexico was not only a major blow to his World Rally Championship aspirations, but also hit his standing in the Castrol EDGE Rankings.

Citroen has given Ogier the green light to take the title fight to team-mate and seven-time champion Sebastien Loeb this year, and the younger Frenchman took a narrow lead into the closing stages in Mexico, only to smash his suspension in a ditch at the start of the final loop.

Had he hung on and taken his first win of 2011, Ogier stood to surge into the top 15 in the Castrol EDGE Rankings, but instead he slipped four places to 23rd.
Conversely, Loeb's victory meant he hung on to his third place in the Castrol EDGE Rankings - which he stood to lose to Fernando Alonso had he failed to continue his Mexico winning streak - and brought him up to a close second in the Castrol EDGE Race for 2011.

That contest is still led by rally runner-up Mikko Hirvonen, who progressed three places in the overall Castrol EDGE Rankings to take 37th as his form continued to pick up after a tough 2010.

One of the biggest Castrol EDGE Rankings gains in the rally world last weekend came from Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion Juho Hanninen - whose second place in the Mexico S2000 class and eighth overall, achieved despite a late roll, saw him jump nine places to 42nd. Also heading forwards was Mads Ostberg. Following up his Sweden podium with a consistent fifth in Mexico meant a 62-place surge up to 176th for the Norwegian.




NASCAR was in action at Las Vegas, and Carl Edwards' victory brought him to the verge of a place in the Castrol EDGE Rankings top 10, as he edged up from 14th to 11th. Edwards vaulted Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch to become NASCAR's second-highest Castrol EDGE Rankings contender after Jimmie Johnson (9).
Also making progress were Marcos Ambrose, up to 79th with his breakthrough fourth at Las Vegas, while a solid run to 20th by Daytona hero Trevor Bayne took him up 37 places to 293rd in the Castrol EDGE Rankings.

Elsewhere in America, Mark Blundell's decision to carry on in Grand-Am is paying dividends in the Castrol EDGE Rankings. The ex-Formula 1 racer's sixth place at Homestead brings him up 199 places to 952nd as he settles back into top-level motor racing after a long absence.