The result also moved Virves, 26, and co-driver Jakko Viilo one step closer in the Škoda to bagging the full WRC2 drivers' title for 2026.

The Challenger title is a subcategory of WRC2 for those rally drivers who have not previously won a world championship title in the second-tier category.

The Estonian is on course to win his first full WRC2 title in any case, with 117 points and two races to go: He would need to drop out of both races while Finland's Teemu Suninen would have to win both of them, for the title not to go to Virves.

Virves has won four Rally2 WRC races this year, in Kenya, and Greece, along with his home rally in Estonia, and the following round in neighboring Finland.

In Chile, the Estonia duo started Sunday firmly in second place and won the final two of the four stages, a bit under a minute behind Frenchman Yohan Rossel (Lancia), who took first place and ahead of the third-placer, Briton Gus Greensmith (Toyota).

Virves is eligible to score points in one more round of the two remaining, in Sardinia (October 1-4) and in the season closing Saudi Arabian race (November 11.14).

A positive result would be the first WRC title for an Estonian driver since Ott Tänak and co-driver Martin Järveoja in the Toyota Yaris won the senior WRC titles in 2019, the first Estonians to do so.

The WRC title for this year is still wide open with Welshman Elfyn Evans chasing his maiden title on 230 points, with Toyota teammates Sami Pajari (Finland, 213 points) and winner in Chile Oliver Solberg (Sweden/Norway, 209 points) snapping at his heels and both after their own senior titles too.

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