Ogier takes command in Croatia Rally

ZAGREB: Frenchman Sebastien Ogier took command of the Croatia Rally on Saturday, winning two of the four morning sessions to build a seven-second lead over Toyota team-mate Welshman Elfyn Evans.

Belgian Thierry Neuville, who led by 7.7 seconds after Friday's stages, lost precious seconds and blamed a poor choice of tyres on his Hyundai. He slipped to third, 19.6 seconds behind Ogier.

Ogier won the morning's first and last stages while Evans took stage 11, "Seb has had a strong morning," said Evans. "This morning was already a bit dirtier than what I expected. It's drier but there's a lot of loose gravel and in some places that's even slippier than mud."

Where Neuville complained after the day's opening stage that he had made the "wrong tyre choice", Ogier was happy with his.

"I was quite confident our choice was the best one but we are still learning with this tyre," he said at the end of the morning racing.

Estonian Ott Tanak remained fourth in his Hyundai, 37.5 seconds behind Ogier and was unhappy with his morning.

"It was so-so," Tanak said. "Not really on the pace but that's how it is."

Toyota swept the four morning stages as Japanese driver Takamoto Katsuta won stage 10, the second of his career.

"I had a good feeling and I changed my driving style a little bit and it looks like it worked well," said the 28-year-old who sits eighth.

Ogier, Neuville and Evans are fighting to take the championship lead from Finland's Kalle Rovanpera who went out in his Toyota with a spectacular crash on Friday.

Eight stages remained to be completed, four on Saturday afternoon and four on Sunday in the first World Rally Champinship visit to Croatia.