Monte Carlo Rally 2014
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Stopwatch
No stage win for Citroen yet, Ogier beats Meeke's time by three seconds.
Crash
Bit of a scare for Bouffier on that stage:
"I went a bit wide, I was surprised by some water on the road.
"OK, we hit something, but the car is still straight."
He remains second.
"I went a bit wide, I was surprised by some water on the road.
"OK, we hit something, but the car is still straight."
He remains second.
That might stand as Citroen's first stage win of 2014.
Meeke is up on Bouffier on the early splits, but we're waiting to see what Ogier's doing.
Meeke is up on Bouffier on the early splits, but we're waiting to see what Ogier's doing.
Stopwatch
Back in Monte Carlo, Meeke is fastest on the stage so far, while team-mate Ostberg took it very easy.
Dakar: Peterhansel seems to making sure Roma gets the win. At the second split on the final stage, he is a minute and a half slower than his team-mate.
Crash
Latvala had a moment in standing water, got sideways and clipped a wall with the rear of his VW. Just cosmetic damage, though.
Stopwatch
Latvala takes fastest stage time away from Mikkelsen by 4s.
Stopwatch
Mikkelsen is fastest on this stage so far, 9s up on Hirvonen.
This stage becomes our powerstage at the end of the night later on, with bonus points available for the top three.
This stage becomes our powerstage at the end of the night later on, with bonus points available for the top three.
Evans stuck with his studded tyres as he thought the super-soft asphalt tyres would struggle in the standing water. He loses sixth place overall to M-Sport team-mate Hirvonen.
"I'm really struggling to find confidence with the tyres. There was very, very little grip in there."
"I'm really struggling to find confidence with the tyres. There was very, very little grip in there."
Quote
Hirvonen says his mission was just to stay on the road.
"There's so much water running over the road and when you're coming at it so fast, you can aquaplane even with studded tyres."
"There's so much water running over the road and when you're coming at it so fast, you can aquaplane even with studded tyres."
Stopwatch
Looking at the splits, Hirvonen is down on Mikkelsen's time but looking good to get right on Evans' tail for sixth.
Mikkelsen's just enjoying himself now - "sliding around and having fun".
Unless anything dramatic happens, Mikkelsen is firmly set in eighth place for the night now.
Unless anything dramatic happens, Mikkelsen is firmly set in eighth place for the night now.
Back in Monte Carlo, Melicharek and Mikkelsen have made it through the sodden SS13 intact.
Dakar 2014
If you haven't been following the late Dakar drama - Peterhansel fought back from 40 minutes behind to close on rally-leading X-raid Mini team-mate Roma by the end of Wednesday.
But the team felt Peterhansel (and third-placed team-mate Nasser Al-Attiyah, also on a recovery charge) was taking far too many risks and issued 'hold position' orders.
Peterhansel duly dropped back from Roma on Thursday... but ended up taking the lead from him on Friday.
Roma had been slowed by a puncture and rejoined behind Peterhansel on the road. Peterhansel slowed to let him past, Roma declined. They both insisted there was no controversy.
Let's see what happens over the final 100kms.
Dakar update: A third of the way into the deciding stage, Nani Roma has gone quick enough so far to reclaim the rally lead from Stephane Peterhansel by 6s.
Rain
Aquaplaning is going to be a real issue for drivers on this stage. The rain has been relentless for a long time.
Rain
Less snow on this stage, but plenty of rain. Because they prepared for the Turini snow, none of the cars have a full set of stud-less tyres, so they will have to do a crossover - two stud-less, two studded.
The man in the best situation is actually Evans. He has two super-soft asphalt tyres as his spares.
The man in the best situation is actually Evans. He has two super-soft asphalt tyres as his spares.
Hyuundai
While we wait for the cars to start SS12, another shot from AUTOSPORT's lap of the Monaco GP route in a Hyundai Santa-Fe...
On the line and ready to go. Stopping for this picture did cause something of a stir – you'd have thought Monaco would have been used to it.
Apparently not.
Breaking news
Quick summary of our last stage...
* Heavy snow returns for the higher sections, but no dramas for the lead cars.
* Ogier fastest by just 0.5s over Latvala and 0.8s over Bouffier.
* Hirvonen closes to within 11.9s of Evans in battle for sixth.
* Heavy snow returns for the higher sections, but no dramas for the lead cars.
* Ogier fastest by just 0.5s over Latvala and 0.8s over Bouffier.
* Hirvonen closes to within 11.9s of Evans in battle for sixth.
More good news for Barrable is that his second place in WRC2 is now very secure as the chasing Lorenzo Bertelli only has front-wheel-drive due to a transmission problem.
Stick with us on AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live, the next stage starts in just a few minutes.
At 16kms, Sospel - Breil sur Roya is the shortest of the weekend.
At 16kms, Sospel - Breil sur Roya is the shortest of the weekend.
Debris
Speaking of Barrable, if he was wondering where his car's rear bumper got to, our photographers have found it - and the kids who pinched it...
We've got the WRC2 cars coming through now, and after Friday's dramas it should be an easy run for leader Yuriy Protasov, who starts the day seven minutes clear of second-placed Robert Barrable.
Checkered flag
Here are the results from today's first stage:
SS12 times: 1 Ogier 19m28.9s; 2 Latvala +0.3; 3 Bouffier +0.8s; 4 Meeke +7.5s; 5 Hirvonen +29.3s; 6 Ostberg +31.9s.
Overall positions: 1 Ogier; 2 Bouffier +51.9s; 3 Meeke +1m46.1s; 4 Ostberg +3m20.8s; 5 Latvala +6m04.7s; 6 Evans +7m01.1s.
SS12 times: 1 Ogier 19m28.9s; 2 Latvala +0.3; 3 Bouffier +0.8s; 4 Meeke +7.5s; 5 Hirvonen +29.3s; 6 Ostberg +31.9s.
Overall positions: 1 Ogier; 2 Bouffier +51.9s; 3 Meeke +1m46.1s; 4 Ostberg +3m20.8s; 5 Latvala +6m04.7s; 6 Evans +7m01.1s.
Stopwatch
Very, very close for the stage win in the end - Ogier beats Latvala by 0.3s and Bouffier by 0.8s!
Quote
Meeke comes through second fastest, 7s slower than Latvala. Good run.
He says the slushy sections before and after the snow were the worst bit, whereas the snow itself was just fun.
"The snow was beautiful over the top with all the spectators - I really enjoyed that section!
"This is what it's all about. This is just awesome.
"As a young boy, you grow up dreaming about days like this.
"But we're still keeping our mind on the job."
He says the slushy sections before and after the snow were the worst bit, whereas the snow itself was just fun.
"The snow was beautiful over the top with all the spectators - I really enjoyed that section!
"This is what it's all about. This is just awesome.
"As a young boy, you grow up dreaming about days like this.
"But we're still keeping our mind on the job."
Breaking news
Ostberg picks up a puncture around four km from the end. The time loss isn't too bad and he makes it to the finish 31s behind Latvala.
Quote
Evans loses 17s of his 29s lead over Hirvonen, and he's not at all happy with himself.
"It's really bad. I was too cautious, to be honest. Not a good run for us.
"I haven't got the confidence to push in these conditions. We took it too easy in there, I think."
"It's really bad. I was too cautious, to be honest. Not a good run for us.
"I haven't got the confidence to push in these conditions. We took it too easy in there, I think."
Stopwatch
Latvala is quickest so far, he's half a minute faster than Hirvonen's previous benchmark.
Stopwatch
Could be any one of Latvala, Meeke, Ogier and Bouffier for the stage win on this one based on current pace.
Doesn't look like Hirvonen will take sixth from Evans on this stage, but he'll take a big chunk out of the gap.
Stopwatch
Hirvonen is fastest so far.
"There's so much snow in places that even the studded tyre doesn't work.
"We're clearing it though - it won't be so bad for the cars behind."
"There's so much snow in places that even the studded tyre doesn't work.
"We're clearing it though - it won't be so bad for the cars behind."
Quote
No dramas for Mikkelsen, who says he's just "cruising".
"Even when there's no snow, it's raining so much there are rivers coming down the road.
"With winter tyres on wet Tarmac, it's like driving on gravel.
"We're going very slowly to be safe. Luckily we don't have to push for anything."
"Even when there's no snow, it's raining so much there are rivers coming down the road.
"With winter tyres on wet Tarmac, it's like driving on gravel.
"We're going very slowly to be safe. Luckily we don't have to push for anything."
Quote
Melicharek is first man through, his verdict on the weather:
"Very funny conditions!"
He doesn't speak a lot of English, but he seemed to thoroughly enjoy that. Probably more than the WRC frontrunners will.
"Very funny conditions!"
He doesn't speak a lot of English, but he seemed to thoroughly enjoy that. Probably more than the WRC frontrunners will.
Stopwatch
Mikkelsen has lost time in the middle of the stage compared to Hirvonen, around 15s.
Further back, Latvala is comfortably fastest at the moment.
He's 3m15s behind fourth-placed Ostberg so there's nothing to fight for except pride for Latvala, who is not a huge fan of this event.
Further back, Latvala is comfortably fastest at the moment.
He's 3m15s behind fourth-placed Ostberg so there's nothing to fight for except pride for Latvala, who is not a huge fan of this event.
Rain
Snow
Incidentally, we could very easily have had more snow craziness yesterday too.
The afternoon stages brought only heavy rain, but this shot from AUTOSPORT's Gap-Sisteron-Monaco via McDonalds journey shows just how close the Gap rain came to turning to snow.
Stopwatch
Early splits have Hirvonen slightly faster than Mikkelsen, and both quite a long way up on Evans.
Evans started the day with a 29.2s cushion over M-Sport team-mate Hirvonen.
Evans started the day with a 29.2s cushion over M-Sport team-mate Hirvonen.
Stopwatch
Quirky fact: all the stage wins this weekend have been shared between M-Sport (Kubica and Bouffier) and VW (Ogier and Latvala).
None yet for Citroen, and that might not change as Meeke and Ostberg are treading carefully to preserve third and fourth places.
None yet for Citroen, and that might not change as Meeke and Ostberg are treading carefully to preserve third and fourth places.
Elfyn Evans' lunch
Here's what rookie star Elfyn Evans had for lunch.
It contained less calories than AUTOSPORT's meal.
Rain
Our opening La Bollene Vesubie - Moulinet stage is 23.4km and includes the famous Col de Turini.
The lower reaches of the stage are very wet indeed, but there's plenty of snow awaiting crews at the top of their climb.
The lower reaches of the stage are very wet indeed, but there's plenty of snow awaiting crews at the top of their climb.
By: Matt Beer, David Evans, Scott Mitchell
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