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Monte Carlo Rally 2018
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David Evans
This being Monaco, you wouldn't be surprised to know there was the odd superstar around – the pouring rain probably kept Bono and Ringo Starr away – but Valtteri Bottas couldn't help but come and support his fellow Finns. The Mercedes Formula 1 driver told Autosport: "I'm here to have a look, it's nice to see the rally here and I might go out and see some stages."
As you would imagine for a Finn growing up in Finland through the 1990s, Bottas is no stranger to rallying. "When I was growing up, my dad was really interested in motorsport. We had Mika Hakkinen in Formula 1, but at the time Finland more known for rally drivers, so we always had this culture of motorsport at home."
As you would imagine for a Finn growing up in Finland through the 1990s, Bottas is no stranger to rallying. "When I was growing up, my dad was really interested in motorsport. We had Mika Hakkinen in Formula 1, but at the time Finland more known for rally drivers, so we always had this culture of motorsport at home."
For a while it looked like M-Sport's 2016 WRC driver Eric Camilli might be in its third top-class car here before the seat went to Bouffier. Showing how chaotic things have been, Camilli's come in ninth fastest overall.
This time last year, Neuville was about to storm into a huge lead only to later crash out. In 2018 he's started off with a mistake and now has four minutes to recover already. Barely anyone got through that stage unscathed, but it's last year's runner-up who suffered the most.
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Order after SS1:
1 Ogier
2 Mikkelsen +7.7s
3 Lappi +19.4s
4 Sordo +19.7s
5 Breen +24.6s
6 Tanak +37.9s
7 Latvala +48.9s
8 Bouffier +1m15.6s
9 Meeke +1m44.7s
10 Evans +3m48.0s
11 Neuville +4m16.0s
1 Ogier
2 Mikkelsen +7.7s
3 Lappi +19.4s
4 Sordo +19.7s
5 Breen +24.6s
6 Tanak +37.9s
7 Latvala +48.9s
8 Bouffier +1m15.6s
9 Meeke +1m44.7s
10 Evans +3m48.0s
11 Neuville +4m16.0s
Phew. That was eventful.
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Bouffier is the final WRC runner in, the 2011 Monte winner (from the Intercontinental Rally Challenge days) in M-Sport's third Ford here.
Bouffier goes eighth, 1m15.6s from rally-leading team-mate Ogier.
"My pace was not fast enough for a spin!" Bouffier jokes. "But this car is amazing."
Bouffier goes eighth, 1m15.6s from rally-leading team-mate Ogier.
"My pace was not fast enough for a spin!" Bouffier jokes. "But this car is amazing."
And that DID go well for Mikkelsen and Lappi - they slot into second and third between Ogier and Sordo.
Lappi says he got through that stage with only one small error. No time in the system from him yet to allow us to put that into context.
And it sounds not too bad for MIkkelsen too, who says his stage was "OK' apart from some scares with uncooperative brakes on the downhill bends at the end.
"We're here after some very tricky conditions, and we enjoyed it," he says. "A long way to go."
And it sounds not too bad for MIkkelsen too, who says his stage was "OK' apart from some scares with uncooperative brakes on the downhill bends at the end.
"We're here after some very tricky conditions, and we enjoyed it," he says. "A long way to go."
As well as his dramas on the ice, Evans also had to stop and change a puncture. "Disastrous," is his summary.
Even though his time's pretty good, Breen says he got stuck in the snow too.
Just Lappi, Mikkelsen and Bouffier to come of the World Rally Car runners now.
But no dramas for Meeke's team-mate Breen and he comes in third fastest behind Ogier and Sordo.
Crash
And yet another man off - Kris Meeke reveals he got "stuck in a ditch" as he completes the stage 1m44.7s off Ogier's lead.
"It's a long rally, I'll keep going, but not a good start," rues Meeke.
"It's a long rally, I'll keep going, but not a good start," rues Meeke.
Crash
Sordo arriving just now is bad news for Evans, who had started the stage ahead of the Hyundai.
The Welshman's M-Sport Ford has been off the road too and he comes in 3m48s off the pace, ahead of only Neuville.
The Welshman's M-Sport Ford has been off the road too and he comes in 3m48s off the pace, ahead of only Neuville.
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And not a bad stage - by the standards of nearly everyone else so far - for Dani Sordo - he takes second to Ogier for now, 19s off the lead.
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We have some times!!
Ogier is fastest so far, a massive 37.9s clear of Tanak and 48.9s up on Latvala.
Neuville's incident dropped him 4m16.8s away from Ogier's lead.
Ogier is fastest so far, a massive 37.9s clear of Tanak and 48.9s up on Latvala.
Neuville's incident dropped him 4m16.8s away from Ogier's lead.
Crash
And Latvala didn't get through unscathed either:
"I spun twice and I stalled the engine twice, so I think I lost 20 seconds or something like this.
"On the icy section I went into the snow trying to get some grip but it was worse and we spun.
"That's the Monte Carlo."
When we do finally get some reliable stage times, they're going to be all over the place...
"I spun twice and I stalled the engine twice, so I think I lost 20 seconds or something like this.
"On the icy section I went into the snow trying to get some grip but it was worse and we spun.
"That's the Monte Carlo."
When we do finally get some reliable stage times, they're going to be all over the place...
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Neuville is through and quite sanguine about that incident, saying he just locked up all four wheels and slid straight off.
"We got help but there were only one or two people so it took time," he adds. "That's part of the game."
"We got help but there were only one or two people so it took time," he adds. "That's part of the game."
Tanak has completed the stage but no time on the system from him yet. He reports that he felt like he slid into the bank at about 10km/h at one point.
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Looking at the tracking system, Neuville managed to get going again between Tanak and Latvala, so his time loss would have been a couple of minutes with that incident.
Stopwatch
Ogier is in, his benchmark time a 23m16.6s. Probably.
Ogier is approaching the stage finish.
The first sight we got of Neuville's drama was while watching in-car footage from Tanak, who looked like he was tip-toeing incredibly slowly round the very icy section. Even at that speed, he was finding it very hard to stay on the road...
...but his careful approach suddenly looking very wise when his camera picked up Neuville's Hyundai looking like it had slid into a ditch.
There were spectators around helping last year's WRC runner-up and it looks like they've got him on the road again.
...but his careful approach suddenly looking very wise when his camera picked up Neuville's Hyundai looking like it had slid into a ditch.
There were spectators around helping last year's WRC runner-up and it looks like they've got him on the road again.
Neuville has got going again. No idea what his time loss is as the split times are currently mostly fictitious.
In-car footage from Tanak, who was having a mini-nightmare of his own but kept it pointing forwards - showed him driving around the stranded Hyundai of Neuville.
Crash
More trouble on the ice - Neuville is stopped!
Regular Autosport Live WRC readers will know that sometimes the WRC timing system makes us sad.
Its current suggestion that Ogier is nine minutes slower than Evans at split one is one such occasion.
Yes, Ogier had a spin, but it definitely wasn't nine minutes long.
More info to follow when we have trustworthy times.
Its current suggestion that Ogier is nine minutes slower than Evans at split one is one such occasion.
Yes, Ogier had a spin, but it definitely wasn't nine minutes long.
More info to follow when we have trustworthy times.
That icy patch wasn't very long, Ogier's now back on dry asphalt and able to push hard again.
Looks like Ogier has managed to get the Fiesta pointed the right way again without too much drama.
But that underlines how tricky the sudden appearance of ice/snow/slush is going to be in the dark on slick tyres.
But that underlines how tricky the sudden appearance of ice/snow/slush is going to be in the dark on slick tyres.
Crash
Drama for Ogier - he's first to be caught out by the icy section and spins!
Information
The whole WRC field has gone for slick tyres and will brave it out on the icy sections rather than using snow-spec Michelins, but there's a big spread of soft and super-soft rubber.
Ogier, Evans and Neuville all have three soft tyres and two super-softs.
Bouffier and Tanak have gone for four softs and two super-softs.
Mikkelsen, Sordo and Latvala are also carrying two spares, they have three super-softs and three softs each.
Lappi has just one spare and one tyre choice - five softs for him.
And Citroen duo Meeke and Breen have six super-softs with them.
There's no need for drivers to use four of the same compound either - if they feel it's an advantage to go for a different compound front and rear, or even a cross pattern (different compounds on different corners of the car), that's allowed.
Ogier, Evans and Neuville all have three soft tyres and two super-softs.
Bouffier and Tanak have gone for four softs and two super-softs.
Mikkelsen, Sordo and Latvala are also carrying two spares, they have three super-softs and three softs each.
Lappi has just one spare and one tyre choice - five softs for him.
And Citroen duo Meeke and Breen have six super-softs with them.
There's no need for drivers to use four of the same compound either - if they feel it's an advantage to go for a different compound front and rear, or even a cross pattern (different compounds on different corners of the car), that's allowed.
David Evans
As we all know this year’s World Rally Championship was launched at Autosport International earlier this month – but Monaco's Casino Square still played host to a gathering of all dignitaries, drivers and co-drivers this afternoon.
The whole thing had the usual first day back at school feeling, just with less talk of daunting double maths and more chatter about how close 2018 will be.
"I think it's going to be the same as last year," reckoned a slightly under-the-weather world champion Ogier. "The ingredients are there: all the teams have fast cars and fast drivers. I would definitely be happy if this year ends in the same way last year ended!"
The whole thing had the usual first day back at school feeling, just with less talk of daunting double maths and more chatter about how close 2018 will be.
"I think it's going to be the same as last year," reckoned a slightly under-the-weather world champion Ogier. "The ingredients are there: all the teams have fast cars and fast drivers. I would definitely be happy if this year ends in the same way last year ended!"
As Latvala predicted in his stage notes, the early miles of this one look fairly dry and clear from the onboard footage so far. it's when they get higher up that the patches of ice could become problematic.
Green flag
WRC 2018 has begun, Ogier and Evans are onto SS1.
Mega detail there from the Toyota man. We haven't told him that for most of 2017, whoever provided Autosport Live's stage descriptions then seemed to be jinxed into having a terrible and/or short rally.
Good luck, Jari-Matti!
Good luck, Jari-Matti!
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JARI-MATTI LATVALA has kindly provided stage descriptions for us tonight, here's his insight into SS1:
SS1 Thoard-Sisteron (22.79 miles)
It was a really big surprise when we heard that Sisteron was going to run in this direction – all the time it has been about the long uphill stage, but this year it will be downhill!
We start with some nice smooth Tarmac which has good grip. The road goes through some fields and the corners are really nice, then we have some hairpins after six or seven kilometres and the road goes into the forest.
It's not far after this that we expect the first patches of ice to come on the road and then at 11 kilometres we're on the top of the col [de Font Belle] and the ice is really coming when we start to go downhill.
Soon after there are some hairpins, where you must be so careful because of the ice. Coming into these corners there was some small lines where the asphalt was showing through the ice.
This was nice, but you have to stay in these lines and then in the hairpin corners, if we are on the slick tyre, then we can be at the walking speed. I have a button on the steering wheel, when I push it it takes away all of the anti-lag system and makes the car much calmer.
After this section, the ice disappears quite quickly. But… there were some big piles of snow at the side of the road during the recce and this will be melting all of the time in today's warmer temperatures – the question is will it freeze? I don't think so, while I'm talking to you about this stage, it's still 12 degrees outside! It would be nice if it didn't freeze, a nice introduction to the rally and the season.
SS1 Thoard-Sisteron (22.79 miles)
It was a really big surprise when we heard that Sisteron was going to run in this direction – all the time it has been about the long uphill stage, but this year it will be downhill!
We start with some nice smooth Tarmac which has good grip. The road goes through some fields and the corners are really nice, then we have some hairpins after six or seven kilometres and the road goes into the forest.
It's not far after this that we expect the first patches of ice to come on the road and then at 11 kilometres we're on the top of the col [de Font Belle] and the ice is really coming when we start to go downhill.
Soon after there are some hairpins, where you must be so careful because of the ice. Coming into these corners there was some small lines where the asphalt was showing through the ice.
This was nice, but you have to stay in these lines and then in the hairpin corners, if we are on the slick tyre, then we can be at the walking speed. I have a button on the steering wheel, when I push it it takes away all of the anti-lag system and makes the car much calmer.
After this section, the ice disappears quite quickly. But… there were some big piles of snow at the side of the road during the recce and this will be melting all of the time in today's warmer temperatures – the question is will it freeze? I don't think so, while I'm talking to you about this stage, it's still 12 degrees outside! It would be nice if it didn't freeze, a nice introduction to the rally and the season.
Rain
David Evans was hoping to be at the end of Sisteron to give us further details of precisely what the weather's doing there, but due to some minor police-related difficulties he's at a service station on the A51 next to Sisteron.
"It's 10 degrees and sort of spitting with rain," he reports from there.
"It's 10 degrees and sort of spitting with rain," he reports from there.
David Evans
Weather update: it's been pouring with rain most of the afternoon and this weather is likely to continue into tomorrow before turning to snow on Friday night. Already the teams are expecting to be running studded tyres throughout day three. The final day is much further south in the Alpes Maritimes. The Col de Turini was snow-free and bone dry on the recce, but at 1600 metres, it's expected to be well above the snowline as Friday becomes Saturday.
By: Matt Beer
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