Monte Carlo Rally 2014
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Hyundai
Another impressive part of Hyundai's gargantuan service area is the terraced spectator area at one end – which includes free tea and coffee for fans.
How cool is that?
Conditions might be more predictable now, but the non-WRC underdogs are still hanging in there. Burri remains ninth at present.
Chardonnet fell out of the top 10 on SS4, though. He can still be proud of the moment he stuck a two-wheel-drive car in fourth place overall on the Monte Carlo Rally.
Chardonnet fell out of the top 10 on SS4, though. He can still be proud of the moment he stuck a two-wheel-drive car in fourth place overall on the Monte Carlo Rally.
Hyundai area
Hyundai's arrival in the World Rally Championship has certainly been felt in the service park.
The German-based team's home on European rounds of the WRC has to be seen to be believed – it's massively, hugely enormous. The two-storey structure houses the service area for two i20 WRCs, an eating area, hospitality area, offices and drivers' rooms.
One seasoned WRC watcher actually thought the building was a conveniently placed Hyundai dealership...
Talking about his team's effort, Nandan said: "I think we won that championship already..."
Breaking news
We've got just over 45 minutes until the next stage starts, so AUTOSPORT's David Evans is heading down to Hyundai to get team boss Michel Nandan's thoughts on a promising but brief debut for the i20.
After that stage, you'd say the story of the rally right now is whether Bouffier can keep the pace up front, if Kubica can speed up enough to catch the Frenchman, and whether Ogier is poised to gobble them all up.
However, this is Monte Carlo, and if it snows at an inconvenient moment, everything could turn inside out again.
That is exactly how Bouffier found himself up front when he won this event as an IRC round in 2011.
Flashback - 2011: Bouffier takes Monte lead amid snow chaos
However, this is Monte Carlo, and if it snows at an inconvenient moment, everything could turn inside out again.
That is exactly how Bouffier found himself up front when he won this event as an IRC round in 2011.
Flashback - 2011: Bouffier takes Monte lead amid snow chaos
Got to feel pretty sorry for all the journalists Hyundai Australia have flown out here for the debut of the i20 WRC.
Similar to the position Suzuki was in when it chartered a Boeing 747 to fly 400 hacks and guests from Japan to Greece for the 2002 Acropolis, only for both Ignis S1600s to retire on the first morning.
Similar to the position Suzuki was in when it chartered a Boeing 747 to fly 400 hacks and guests from Japan to Greece for the 2002 Acropolis, only for both Ignis S1600s to retire on the first morning.
Stopwatch
All the top cars are now through SS5, so here is how they stand:
SS5 times: 1 Ogier 11m54.1s; 2 Latvala +6.5s; 3 Bouffier +15.5s; 4 Kubica +17.3s; 5 Hirvonen +21.8s; 6 Ostberg +28.0s.
Overall: 1 Bouffier; 2 Kubica +38.1s; 3 Meeke +40.9s; 4 Ogier +1m07.1s; 5 Ostberg +1m23.5s; 6 Evans +1m24.7s.
SS5 times: 1 Ogier 11m54.1s; 2 Latvala +6.5s; 3 Bouffier +15.5s; 4 Kubica +17.3s; 5 Hirvonen +21.8s; 6 Ostberg +28.0s.
Overall: 1 Bouffier; 2 Kubica +38.1s; 3 Meeke +40.9s; 4 Ogier +1m07.1s; 5 Ostberg +1m23.5s; 6 Evans +1m24.7s.
Breaking news
Confirmation from Hyundai that Sordo cannot get the i20 going again and is out.
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Kris Meeke
Meeke was seventh quickest on the stage, which puts him 2.8s behind Kubica overall and 26s ahead of Ogier.
"We're struggling this afternoon," Meeke admits. "I've never driven on this winter tyre in these conditions and I'm struggling for confidence.
"If you don't have the confidence here, you lose a lot of time.
"The amount of mud on the road is incredible. Bryan is doing an incredible job."
Meeke is 11s slower than Kubica, so the ex-F1 man is up to second place overall, 38.1s behind leader Bouffier.
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Bouffier is holding his lead, here are his thoughts:
"It's working well. The car is fantastic and that's helped me a lot in these conditions. I have to be happy.
"The tyre choice was OK. OK, we can see Ogier has two slicks and he was very quick, but this stage was cleaner than the one before."
"It's working well. The car is fantastic and that's helped me a lot in these conditions. I have to be happy.
"The tyre choice was OK. OK, we can see Ogier has two slicks and he was very quick, but this stage was cleaner than the one before."
Breaking news
Still no movement from Sordo, seems he is a retirement.
So that's both Hyundais out after four stages. On the plus side, one of them was third for a while.
So that's both Hyundais out after four stages. On the plus side, one of them was third for a while.
Kubica is briefly third quickest on the stage, but is then pipped for that by Bouffier, who is 1.8s faster than the Pole.
Now we've had a few more cars through, it's clear that fastest man so far Ogier has gained two positions on this stage, getting ahead of Evans and Ostberg.
With Sordo likely to be out, Ogier will have progressed from ninth to fourth in two stages.
With Sordo likely to be out, Ogier will have progressed from ninth to fourth in two stages.
Elfyn Evans
Mikkelsen loses 33s to Ogier and is pretty gloomy.
He's a couple of seconds slower than next man through Elfyn Evans, who is holding his own among the frontrunners very well.
No sign of Sordo on the stage yet.
Sad news for Spanish and Hyundai fans, but we imagine a few Poles will be pleased with Kubica set to move back into third.
Sad news for Spanish and Hyundai fans, but we imagine a few Poles will be pleased with Kubica set to move back into third.
Ostberg is slowest so far and not happy with his choice of two winter and two slicks tyres.
"There was too much mud on the road," says Citroen's new recruit.
"There was too much mud on the road," says Citroen's new recruit.
Hirvonen lost 21s to Ogier on that stage and lost a place to Latvala in the overall standings.
On the splits, no one is a match for Ogier.
On the splits, no one is a match for Ogier.
Back on stage four, Burri did complete it intact and fairly rapidly, and remains in eighth overall, now between Ogier and Hirvonen.
Breaking news
Sordo and co-driver Marc Marti are taking advice from the Hyundai crew back at service and trying to revive their i20 on the road section.
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Latvala is 6.5s slower than Ogier on that stage. Hirvonen is losing time to both VWs.
"A very, very dirty stage, many slippy places, but I think overall quite a good run," says Latvala.
"We only managed to do one good stage time in the morning but now everything is OK, the tyres are right and I have a better feeling."
"A very, very dirty stage, many slippy places, but I think overall quite a good run," says Latvala.
"We only managed to do one good stage time in the morning but now everything is OK, the tyres are right and I have a better feeling."
Sebastien Ogier
Ogier completes the stage and thinks his tyre choice was better for this one, but is still frustrated by how much he lost on SS4.
Breaking news
We're hearing that it's a flat battery that has halted Sordo. Not clear yet if he can continue.
Stopwatch
First splits are coming in from what currently looks like a wet SS5, and Ogier is 1.5s up on team-mate Latvala.
Far away from Monte Carlo, a few WRC eyes are watching what's happening in the 2014 Dakar.
Nasser Al-Attiyah was Wednesday's pacesetter and former Mitusbishi WRC team boss Sven Quandt's X-raid Mini team is dominating the top 10, but double WRC champion Carlos Sainz crashed out yesterday.
In the overall fight, Stephane Peterhansel is poised to snatch the lead back from Nani Roma with three days to go. Today's stage has just begun.
Nasser Al-Attiyah was Wednesday's pacesetter and former Mitusbishi WRC team boss Sven Quandt's X-raid Mini team is dominating the top 10, but double WRC champion Carlos Sainz crashed out yesterday.
In the overall fight, Stephane Peterhansel is poised to snatch the lead back from Nani Roma with three days to go. Today's stage has just begun.
Lunch update... Latvala's pace through SS4 was probably down to the Thai curry on offer from Volkswagen - it was fabulous.
Looking back at the stage four timings, nothing coming through for Burri. Not yet clear if it's the car that has stopped or the timing system.
Chardonnet's pace looks good for him to hang on to his top 10 spot a little longer.
Chardonnet's pace looks good for him to hang on to his top 10 spot a little longer.
Breaking news
Reports coming in of potential trouble for Sordo. His Hyundai has been seen parked at the roadside between stages with the bonnet up.
Lights out
Ogier begins stage five. A lot of work to do for the champion at the moment.
Stopwatch
To give a sense of how good that stage was for Latvala, he began it in 18th place, and he's now classified ahead of Melicharek, who started it in 10th and didn't have a bad run for a rookie.
Subject to what Chardonnet and Burri do, we could see both Latvala and Hirvonen into the top 10 now.
Subject to what Chardonnet and Burri do, we could see both Latvala and Hirvonen into the top 10 now.
M-Sport tech director Christian Loriaux and Sebastien Ogier spent a long time chatting at the entrance to service today.
Loriaux's the man behind the beautiful Bentley GT3 and Ogier's the World Rally champion who likes racing GT cars every now and then.
Wonder what they were talking about...
The next stage is seven minutes away, and we'll keep an eye on SS4 too as giantkillers like Sebastien Chardonnet and Olivier Burri will be coming through in the next little while.
Checkered flag
Here's how the order stands right now, as we get into midfield underdog territory on the stage:
1 Bouffier; 2 Meeke +27.6s; 3 Sordo +33.7s; 4 Kubica +36.3s.
Elfyn Evans is still fifth, 32.5s down on Kubica and just ahead of Ostberg.
Ogier has fallen to 1m22.6s behind Bouffier, while pacesetter Latvala's gap to the front has come down to 2m45s.
1 Bouffier; 2 Meeke +27.6s; 3 Sordo +33.7s; 4 Kubica +36.3s.
Elfyn Evans is still fifth, 32.5s down on Kubica and just ahead of Ostberg.
Ogier has fallen to 1m22.6s behind Bouffier, while pacesetter Latvala's gap to the front has come down to 2m45s.
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Tough stage for Meeke, he's 14s slower than Bouffier and therefore also losing ground to Sordo and Kubica as the top four close up.
"It's treacherous, and I haven't got much experience with this tyre. We didn't do much testing with it and I haven't got much confidence."
"It's treacherous, and I haven't got much experience with this tyre. We didn't do much testing with it and I haven't got much confidence."
Bouffier loses 7.8s to Sordo and 6.2s to Kubica. The lack of mileage in his Ford Fiesta RS WRC is telling, Boullier confesses.
Kubica may have been taking it easy, but the splits suggest that he and Sordo are gaining on leaders Bouffier and Meeke, who are next through.
Robert Kubica
Here's a hint of how mobbed Kubica is at every possible stage-end and service media opportunity.
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Robert Kubica is third fastest, losing a little time to Sordo, his rival for third place.
"I think it's a good run. I need to finish this rally and in these conditions you need to take care. I'm just trying to survive," he says.
"I think it's a good run. I need to finish this rally and in these conditions you need to take care. I'm just trying to survive," he says.
Elfyn Evans is the first driver to come through with some studded tyres. He admits that might have been over cautious but wants to be safe on his Monte debut.
Andreas Mikkelsen is a minute off the pace. He says it's hard to trust his pace notes as there's less snow on the stage than he was prepared for.
By: Matt Beer, David Evans, Scott Mitchell
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