Monte Carlo Rally 2018
Live Text
Sort by
The Toyotas must just be in cruise and collect mode now. Latvala's 8.3s off the pace, sixth-fastest on the stage so far, and Tanak's 12.9s slower than Neuville. Slowest so far.
Latvala at the stage end. Lappi's said there were "no problems", he seems to be working towards the finish. Based on the rest of the rally he should have performance in the pocket to keep Meeke at bay.
Lappi's in, and he's slower than Meeke, but not by much at all. He drops 0.6s to Meeke.
Meeke's in, second-fastest. He's 4.7s slower than Neuville. Meeke's still not out of the hunt for fourth. Depends how Lappi fares.
Evans in, 6.9s slower than Neuville. So, Evans holds on, but he's only 8.7s clear now.
Stopwatch
Neuville in, Neuville fastest by 5.3s. 10m34.1s from the Hyundai driver. That might be enough to get ahead of Evans for sixth.
Bouffier's through, 7s slower than Breen on this stage.
David Evans
We're now onto SS15. Here's our man's guide.
SS15: La Cabanette-Col de Braus 1 (8.43 miles)
New for this year, this stage was actually planned for the 1973 Monte, but got canned after too many fans were crowding in – let’s hope it’s a different story today…
The start plunges the crews into a rapid descent through a series of hairpins before a junction left takes them onto a more flowing stretch.
The stage climbs towards the Col de l’Able before four more hairpins ahead of the Col de Braus finish and champagne celebration for the powerstage winner, second time through.
SS15: La Cabanette-Col de Braus 1 (8.43 miles)
New for this year, this stage was actually planned for the 1973 Monte, but got canned after too many fans were crowding in – let’s hope it’s a different story today…
The start plunges the crews into a rapid descent through a series of hairpins before a junction left takes them onto a more flowing stretch.
The stage climbs towards the Col de l’Able before four more hairpins ahead of the Col de Braus finish and champagne celebration for the powerstage winner, second time through.
We're straight into the next stage. Actually, Breen's finished it! That's how troublesome the timing service is at the moment.
Information
We'll give you the top seven now, because Neuville's catching Evans:
1 Ogier 3h44m22.3s
2 Tanak +45.0s
3 Latvala +1m55.1s
4 Lappi 4m46.3s
5 Meeke 4m59.9s
6 Evans 5m20.5s
7 Neuville 5m36.1s
1 Ogier 3h44m22.3s
2 Tanak +45.0s
3 Latvala +1m55.1s
4 Lappi 4m46.3s
5 Meeke 4m59.9s
6 Evans 5m20.5s
7 Neuville 5m36.1s
WE HAVE A TIME FOR MEEKE.
Decent effort, 14m11.2s, 19.8s off the pace and fifth on the stage.
Decent effort, 14m11.2s, 19.8s off the pace and fifth on the stage.
We'd give you a proper update but we're waiting to see where Meeke slots in...
Right, sorry about this sporadic coverage. Difficult to tell you any more about Meeke – still no time on the door! But we know he made it to the stage end.
Stopwatch
Ogier's in – and he's fastest, 13m51.4s, 2.5s quicker than Neuville and 11.5s quicker than Tanak. And that might well have secured him the Monte Carlo Rally win.
Some more Toyota driver times! But still no Meeke.
Lappi is second-quickest, 5.3s. Tanak is third, 9.0s slower than Latvala.
Lappi is second-quickest, 5.3s. Tanak is third, 9.0s slower than Latvala.
We have a time for Latvala. It's 19.9s slower than Neuville.
Still no time for Meeke, who was fractionally faster than Latvala at the second split. That's all we can offer.
Still no time for Meeke, who was fractionally faster than Latvala at the second split. That's all we can offer.
Meeke reckons the conditions have changed since the ice crews came through this morning. The Citroen driver is...well, we don't know. We think slower. But we now have no pictures, no split times and no stage-end times.
You don't really need any of that to cover a rally anyway.
You don't really need any of that to cover a rally anyway.
Evans comes through 17.8s slower than Neuville. That's a chunk of time lost. Actually, that's so much time lost that Neuville could yet overhaul the M-Sport driver – that basically halves the gap from sixth to seventh.
Evans isn't sure the studs made much difference coming down the hill...
Evans isn't sure the studs made much difference coming down the hill...
Colin Clark reporting from the stage end that Neuville was suggesting he was not at all happy with the lack of information given to him about ice on the stage.
Stopwatch
Here's the time from Neuville: 13m53.9s. That's 20.3s faster than the half-spinning Bouffier and 30.4s quicker than Breen.
Everyone's on the stage now: Mikkelsen's just started.
Breen's time is 14m24.3s. Bouffier's finished too, just waiting for his time, while Neuville is fasting approaching the stage end.
Tanak on the stage, just as Breen approaches the finish.
Latvala's joined in, so that means two of the three Toyotas are on the stage. Tanak, Ogier and Mikkelsen left to start.
Goodbye dry, grippy road – hello slush and ice. Breen's almost made it to the top of the stage, where it's at its slipperiest.
Bouffier's had a half-spin exiting a hairpin, just a bit greedy on the handbrake. He has to engage reverse to get the car out of forward-facing a small bank.
He's in such a lonely eighth place in the overall classification that the only thing that will have hurt is his pride.
He's in such a lonely eighth place in the overall classification that the only thing that will have hurt is his pride.
Five cars on the stage now: Breen, Bouffier, Neuville, Evans and now Meeke.
David Evans
SS14: La Bollene-Vesubie-Peira Cava 1 (11.43 miles)
There’s a new start for one of the most famous stages in the championship, with the cars departing from outside the City Hall in La Bollene-Vesubie. The D70 road winds its way towards the Col de Turini, climbing just short of 1000 metres in a little over six miles.
After cresting the col before thousands of fans – the majority of whom will be hurling snowballs at the cars – the fun begins on the descent towards Peira Cava.
Being south-facing, the uphill section will most likely be dry all the way, but downhill’s where the treacherous patches of ice lie in wait.
There’s a new start for one of the most famous stages in the championship, with the cars departing from outside the City Hall in La Bollene-Vesubie. The D70 road winds its way towards the Col de Turini, climbing just short of 1000 metres in a little over six miles.
After cresting the col before thousands of fans – the majority of whom will be hurling snowballs at the cars – the fun begins on the descent towards Peira Cava.
Being south-facing, the uphill section will most likely be dry all the way, but downhill’s where the treacherous patches of ice lie in wait.
So, if you're just joining us, remember this is what is/isn't at stake:
* Ogier has a lead of more than half a minute over Tanak in the fight for the win
* Latvala's a lonely third after Lappi had a Saturday setback
* Lappi's wrested fourth back from Meeke, but Evans makes that just-about a three-way fight
* Mikkelsen's making up the numbers in Rally 2 but is promising a big powerstage push
* Ogier has a lead of more than half a minute over Tanak in the fight for the win
* Latvala's a lonely third after Lappi had a Saturday setback
* Lappi's wrested fourth back from Meeke, but Evans makes that just-about a three-way fight
* Mikkelsen's making up the numbers in Rally 2 but is promising a big powerstage push
Information
We have some tyre/weather info from our man in the service park, David Evans.
Ogier/Evans/Meeke and all Toyota drivers: 2 studs, 2 softs, 2 supersofts.
Neuville/Breen: 4 softs, 2 supersofts
Bouffier: 3 softs, 3 super softs
Conditions: -1C on the top of Turini, road clean all the way up, but ‘frosty’ with patches of snow and ice all the way down.
The crews with studs have all crossed their tyres (usually studs front-left and right-rear) and will have to look after them on the dry road to make use of them on the way down.
Ogier/Evans/Meeke and all Toyota drivers: 2 studs, 2 softs, 2 supersofts.
Neuville/Breen: 4 softs, 2 supersofts
Bouffier: 3 softs, 3 super softs
Conditions: -1C on the top of Turini, road clean all the way up, but ‘frosty’ with patches of snow and ice all the way down.
The crews with studs have all crossed their tyres (usually studs front-left and right-rear) and will have to look after them on the dry road to make use of them on the way down.
Remember that they'll line up in reverse rally classification today, although with the odd rule that the Rally 2 runners (that's just Mikkelsen that we care about) are after all the main contenders.
Anyway, that means Breen kicks off the stage (in fact, he's just done so). Then it's Bouffier, Neuville, Evans, Meeke, Lappi, Latvala, Tanak, Ogier, and Mikkelsen.
Anyway, that means Breen kicks off the stage (in fact, he's just done so). Then it's Bouffier, Neuville, Evans, Meeke, Lappi, Latvala, Tanak, Ogier, and Mikkelsen.
We'll be off to a quick start this morning: SS14 begins in around a minute!
Good morning and welcome to the last day of Autosport Live's Monte Carlo Rally coverage (no, don't go, we hear you cry).
Autosport
Well, there we have it. Just one more day of the 2018 Monte Carlo Rally to go!
It's been a fascinating day and things are close enough to still have a twist tomorrow. Join us from 7.30am UK time to witness the conclusion.
Until then, here's our final Saturday report. Bye for now:
It's been a fascinating day and things are close enough to still have a twist tomorrow. Join us from 7.30am UK time to witness the conclusion.
Until then, here's our final Saturday report. Bye for now:
Information
Leading positions:
1 Ogier 3h30m30.9s
2 Tanak +33.5s
3 Latvala +1m32.7s
4 Lappi +4m38.5s
5 Meeke +4m40.1s
6 Evans +5m00.2s
1 Ogier 3h30m30.9s
2 Tanak +33.5s
3 Latvala +1m32.7s
4 Lappi +4m38.5s
5 Meeke +4m40.1s
6 Evans +5m00.2s
What did we tell you to look out for pre-stage?
"Neuville trying to overhaul Bouffier for seventh; the three-car fight for fourth (Meeke vs Lappi vs Evans) and, of course, the fight for the win."
Well, Neuville grabbed seventh, while Lappi moved back into fourth (and Evans closed the gap in sixth). Plus, Tanak chipped away at Ogier at the front.
We feel quite smug. Just a little bit. You have to take these moments when they come...
"Neuville trying to overhaul Bouffier for seventh; the three-car fight for fourth (Meeke vs Lappi vs Evans) and, of course, the fight for the win."
Well, Neuville grabbed seventh, while Lappi moved back into fourth (and Evans closed the gap in sixth). Plus, Tanak chipped away at Ogier at the front.
We feel quite smug. Just a little bit. You have to take these moments when they come...
Quote
"Everything's about the powerstage tomorrow," the Hyundai man confirms. "Trying to keep it nice and clean."
Mikkelsen's slowest. If he's pushing, that'll be painful. If he's just coasting through to make it to the powerstage tomorrow, he won't care.
Just waiting for Mikkelsen's time now and that'll be your lot from the penultimate day of the Monte Carlo Rally!
Quote
Ogier is pretty chilled about those shipped seconds: "If I lose six, it means I'm in the plan. I wanted to have 30 tonight."
He says he trusted the information he had on tyre choices but said it was "a bit on the limit".
He says he trusted the information he had on tyre choices but said it was "a bit on the limit".
By: Matt Beer
Published:
Lap:
