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WRC - Germany: An unhappy Neuville loses another 3.5s to Ogier on SS2, while Hirvonen admits he's still not being brave enough as he comes through slowest so far.
WRC - Germany: Latvala completes 1.1s down on Ogier, so he's 5s adrift overall now.
WRC - Germany: Ogier completes SS2 smoothly and says he had a bit more fun this time.
In retrospect he reckons everyone was understeering in the SS1 surface and temperature so his VW was alright after all.
In retrospect he reckons everyone was understeering in the SS1 surface and temperature so his VW was alright after all.
WRC - Germany: And here's exactly how the points stand right now:
Championship standings after eight of 13 rounds:
1 Sebastien Ogier 181
2 Jari-Matti Latvala 91
3 Thierry Neuville 91
4 Mikko Hirvonen 73
5 Dani Sordo 69
6 Sebastien Loeb 68
(25 points for a win, 3 points on powerstage)
Championship standings after eight of 13 rounds:
1 Sebastien Ogier 181
2 Jari-Matti Latvala 91
3 Thierry Neuville 91
4 Mikko Hirvonen 73
5 Dani Sordo 69
6 Sebastien Loeb 68
(25 points for a win, 3 points on powerstage)
Breaking news
WRC - Germany: Let's be frank, on current form (and we know it's only SS1), Ogier might well wipe the floor with everyone else again this weekend.
If he does, he could become champion for the first time.
This story gives some insight into his "happy-go-lucky" pre-rally thoughts, and the mathematics of the title-clinching-conundrum:
Ogier not fixated on clinching title at VW's home
If he does, he could become champion for the first time.
This story gives some insight into his "happy-go-lucky" pre-rally thoughts, and the mathematics of the title-clinching-conundrum:
Ogier not fixated on clinching title at VW's home
WRC - Germany: AUTOSPORT hears that apparently 25,000 people watched the ceremonial start in Cologne, held for the first time this year.
Breaking news
David Coulthard Pikes Peak Peugeot test
Want to read something awesome while the WRC cars are heading to the next stage?
The man who won this rally for most of the last decade, Sebastien Loeb, wowed the world this year when he smashed the Pikes Peak record in the glorious monster Peugeot created for the occasion.
And now Peugeot's let David Coulthard have a go in it for an exclusive AUTOSPORT feature.
Coulthard let loose in Loeb's Pikes Peak Peugeot
WRC - Germany: A bit of context on Kubica's performance.
His RRC spec Citroen arguably has a bit of a technical edge over the S2000 Skoda that Wiegand has, and obviously asphalt is more familiar for Kubica than gravel.
But Wiegand is the local boy and his whole motorsport background is on events like this, plus he's the German that VW/Skoda selected as a factory junior to develop for the future.
So leading him by 16s on one stage is pretty tidy from Kubica...
His RRC spec Citroen arguably has a bit of a technical edge over the S2000 Skoda that Wiegand has, and obviously asphalt is more familiar for Kubica than gravel.
But Wiegand is the local boy and his whole motorsport background is on events like this, plus he's the German that VW/Skoda selected as a factory junior to develop for the future.
So leading him by 16s on one stage is pretty tidy from Kubica...
WRC - Germany: And the big guns...
SS1 results: 1 Ogier; 2 Latvala +4.6s; 3 Neuville +9.2s; 4 Sordo +15.4s; 5 Hirvonen +19.7s; 6 Ostberg +21.7s.
SS1 results: 1 Ogier; 2 Latvala +4.6s; 3 Neuville +9.2s; 4 Sordo +15.4s; 5 Hirvonen +19.7s; 6 Ostberg +21.7s.
WRC - Germany: Let's do some results, starting with WRC2.
SS1 WRC2 results: 1 Kubica; 2 Evans +11.1s; 3 Wiegand + 16.0s.
Kruuda didn't start the stage and Paddon lost nearly two minutes with his power steering issue.
SS1 WRC2 results: 1 Kubica; 2 Evans +11.1s; 3 Wiegand + 16.0s.
Kruuda didn't start the stage and Paddon lost nearly two minutes with his power steering issue.
WRC - Germany: Timing updates! And Kubica leads WRC2 ahead of Evans and Wiegand.
Last contender to come through will be Karl Kruuda shortly.
Last contender to come through will be Karl Kruuda shortly.
WRC - Germany: Still can't give you too much info about where Kubica stands.
His time has been corrected but Wiegand's has not appeared. We only know that Kubica is a lot faster than the usual WRC2 midfielders.
And with Barrable stopped, Elfyn Evans sounding a bit underwhelmed by his stage and Hayden Paddon already badly delayed by a loss of power steering, we're going to guess that Kubica is either leading or second.
His time has been corrected but Wiegand's has not appeared. We only know that Kubica is a lot faster than the usual WRC2 midfielders.
And with Barrable stopped, Elfyn Evans sounding a bit underwhelmed by his stage and Hayden Paddon already badly delayed by a loss of power steering, we're going to guess that Kubica is either leading or second.
Paul Evans
WRC - Germany: WRC2 contender Robert Barrable has stopped on the stage with a mechanical problem, to the visceral consternation of his PR guru Paul Evans.
The repercussions of Barrable's exit could be considerable for AUTOSPORT given its reliance on the supply of products from Barrable's backer Tunnocks.
WRC - Germany: Can't tell you how Kubica's time compares to home hero and major WRC2 rival Sepp Wiegand yet because, not for the first time this season, the timing system is misbehaving... It just randonly added an errant 1m15s to Kubica's stage time.
WRC - Germany: Robert Kubica is through, a bit quicker than WRC men Al-Qassimi and Andersson. How will he compare to his WRC2 rivals?
The Pole says he was struggling to get his tyres warm.
The Pole says he was struggling to get his tyres warm.
WRC - Germany: Meeke is still present with Citroen this weekend, not just to look ominously over Sordo's shoulder, but to do gravel notes for Khalid Al-Qassimi.
Crash
WRC - Germany: PG Andersson takes an excursion through the woods like Novikov did, but makes it out with only a 40s delay and rising water temperature in his privateer Ford.
WRC - Germany: Martin Prokop is asked if he saw where Novikov - running ahead of him - went off.
"I just saw a line into the forest..." said Prokop.
Novikov and team-mate Ilka Minor are OK.
The third M-Sport car of Mads Ostberg came through sixth fastest.
"I just saw a line into the forest..." said Prokop.
Novikov and team-mate Ilka Minor are OK.
The third M-Sport car of Mads Ostberg came through sixth fastest.
WRC - Germany: Hirvonen's team-mate Dani Sordo is under even more pressure.
Having already learned that he will be stood aside in favour of Kris Meeke in Australia next month, Germany is Sordo's chase to prove himself. He's faster than Hirvonen by 4s but still only fourth.
Having already learned that he will be stood aside in favour of Kris Meeke in Australia next month, Germany is Sordo's chase to prove himself. He's faster than Hirvonen by 4s but still only fourth.
Quote
WRC - Germany: No sign of an upturn from Citroen's Mikko Hirvonen yet, he is slowest through so far, 19s off Ogier and down in fourth.
"Not a good start, I wasn't brave enough over the cuts and the slippy corners"
"Not a good start, I wasn't brave enough over the cuts and the slippy corners"
WRC - Germany: Thierry Neuville is 9s behind Ogier and thinks running order is hurting him.
"I think the road is getting more dirty. I was understeering like hell and had no confidence," he says.
"I think the road is getting more dirty. I was understeering like hell and had no confidence," he says.
WRC - Germany: Latvala completes stage one 4.6s down on Ogier. He feels the car's handling is too tight and that the stage wasn't great.
Crash
WRC - Germany: Trouble already, reports at the stage end that M-Sport's Evgeny Novikov has gone off.
WRC - Germany: Ogier completes SS1 with some very promising split times, but isn't happy:
"Not so good. I'm not happy with the car, lots of understeering.
"We're going to try to change something in the set-up because it's not good to drive the car like that."
"Not so good. I'm not happy with the car, lots of understeering.
"We're going to try to change something in the set-up because it's not good to drive the car like that."
Lights out
Jari-Matti Latvala
WRC - Germany: The Volkswagen are onto the stage to kick the rally off.
Sebastien Ogier was in first, followed by team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala, who topped yesterday's shakedown.
Just two VWs here this weekend as an injury for Andreas Mikkelsen's co-driver Mikko Markkula means they've had to pull out.
WRC - Germany: We start in Germany this afternoon, with the WRC getting its weekend off to an early start with two late-afternoon/evening stages, commencing in just over 15 minutes.
This is one of the biggest weekends of the 2013 motorsport season.
Not only are Formula 1 and its little siblings GP2 and GP3 back from their summer slumbers at the epic Spa-Francorchamps, we also have MotoGP's second of three consecutive grands prix in as many weeks, plus Rally Germany, where Sebastien Ogier could seal his maiden World Rally Championship title.
There's also American action from IndyCar at Sonoma and NASCAR on the Bristol oval, plus V8 Supercars at Winton and the British Touring Car Championship's annual trip to Knockhill, which is always good for drama.
Not only are Formula 1 and its little siblings GP2 and GP3 back from their summer slumbers at the epic Spa-Francorchamps, we also have MotoGP's second of three consecutive grands prix in as many weeks, plus Rally Germany, where Sebastien Ogier could seal his maiden World Rally Championship title.
There's also American action from IndyCar at Sonoma and NASCAR on the Bristol oval, plus V8 Supercars at Winton and the British Touring Car Championship's annual trip to Knockhill, which is always good for drama.
Good afternoon and welcome to AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live for August 22-25 2013.
By: Connell Sanders Jr, Matt Beer, Charles Bradley, Dan Cross, Sam Tremayne, Mark Glendenning
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