Rally Mexico: one of the rare sporting events that goes ahead despite coronavirus fears

Guanajuato (Mexico) (AFP) – France’s six-time world champion Sebastien Ogier leads the Mexico Rally in his Toyota after the sixth stage of racing on Friday, in one of the rare sporting events to go ahead despite coronavirus fears.

Ogier is 9.7 seconds ahead of Finland’s Ford driver Teemu Sunien in the hills outside the northern city of Guanajuato.

Title holder Ott Tanak is in seventh after having originally taken the lead from Belgium’s Olivier Neville who was in first spot after Thursday’s two’s night street stages.

Championship leader Welshman Elfyn Evans is fifth.

The race continues later on Friday with a further six stages which will include laps of the Leon circuit.

Earlier in the day, the World Rally Championship announced the postponment of April’s Rally Argentina due to COVID-19.

The three opening races of the Formula One season were postponed due to the virus outbreak.

Competitions across the world such as football leagues in Europe, the United States’ NBA as well as cycling’s Giro d’Italia have been put on hold for the same reason.

A North American football qualifying tournament for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, scheduled to begin next Friday in Mexico, has also been postponed.

Source: afp.com/