Live text
Monte Carlo Rally 2019
Live AppleTV Race Audio
Live Standings
presented by
Stopped
Summary
Live Text
Sort by
David Evans
There's speculation it was a mechanical problem rather than electrical for Ogier. Canal Plus, the French broadcaster for WRC, reports his problem is fixed.
Might we be in for a straight fight between our leaders when they do get going though?
We've got a host of WRC2 cars up first on the powerstage, so it'll be a little while before see one of the leaders take to the road.
Information
Rovanpera has got going now, so here's a look at what to expect from this final test from our man on the ground DAVID EVANS:
SS16 La Cabanette-Col de Braus (8.43 miles)
This very stage was included in the first WRC-qualifying Monte Carlo Rally in 1973… but was cancelled because of the high number of spectators. It then took until last year before the organisers decided to run it in its entirety again.
Starts on a downhill section, which is south-facing (and should, therefore, be clean and ice-free), but filled with 16 hairpins. After that there’s a race back uphill to the Col de l’Able and a downhill section which brings four more hairpins and is probably best known as the road section to the Col de Braus stage.
SS16 La Cabanette-Col de Braus (8.43 miles)
This very stage was included in the first WRC-qualifying Monte Carlo Rally in 1973… but was cancelled because of the high number of spectators. It then took until last year before the organisers decided to run it in its entirety again.
Starts on a downhill section, which is south-facing (and should, therefore, be clean and ice-free), but filled with 16 hairpins. After that there’s a race back uphill to the Col de l’Able and a downhill section which brings four more hairpins and is probably best known as the road section to the Col de Braus stage.
Green flag
The powerstage was due to start a few minutes ago, but we're still waiting for the first car - Skoda WRC2 driver Kalle Rovanpera - to start.
Neuville set himself up for a steal with a great run through the previous stage, taking 2.8s out of Ogier.
To add to the drama, Ogier has had a problem since this morning's second stage - which he later diagnosed as a throttle issue - that he is trying to manage on the stages.
To add to the drama, Ogier has had a problem since this morning's second stage - which he later diagnosed as a throttle issue - that he is trying to manage on the stages.
Four tenths is all that separates reigning champion Sebastien Ogier and Hyundai's Thierry Neuville approaching the final stage.
Can Neuville repeat his heorics from Sardinia last year, where he overhauled Ogier on the final stage to win, and claim his first Monte Carlo Rally win? Or will Ogier win on his first rally back at Citroen?
Can Neuville repeat his heorics from Sardinia last year, where he overhauled Ogier on the final stage to win, and claim his first Monte Carlo Rally win? Or will Ogier win on his first rally back at Citroen?
Welcome back to Autosport Live for the final stage of the Monte Carlo Rally. Who's your money on?
What a showdown we've got in store. We're going to take a quick pause now as there's a bit of a gap before the powerstage gets underway, but join us again in half an hour for what should be a tense finish to an enthralling Monte Carlo Rally.
Twitter
Information
SS15 summary:
*Neuville ends Tanak's streak of stage wins...
*...but late Ogier burst keeps Citroen driver in lead
*Just 0.4s splits top two ahead of final stage
*Tanak now in secure third, Loeb edges clear of Latvala
*Neuville ends Tanak's streak of stage wins...
*...but late Ogier burst keeps Citroen driver in lead
*Just 0.4s splits top two ahead of final stage
*Tanak now in secure third, Loeb edges clear of Latvala
Information
SS15 results:
Stage times:
1 Neuville 11m25.5s
2 Ogier +2.8s
3 Tanak +3.8s
4 Meeke +5.7s
5 Loeb 9s
6 Latvala +10.8s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Ogier 3h11m34.7s
2 Neuville +0.4s
3 Tanak +2m12.9s
4 Loeb +2m21.3s
5 Latvala +2m24.1s
6 Meeke +5m40.1s
Stage times:
1 Neuville 11m25.5s
2 Ogier +2.8s
3 Tanak +3.8s
4 Meeke +5.7s
5 Loeb 9s
6 Latvala +10.8s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Ogier 3h11m34.7s
2 Neuville +0.4s
3 Tanak +2m12.9s
4 Loeb +2m21.3s
5 Latvala +2m24.1s
6 Meeke +5m40.1s
Leading WRC2 Pro runner Gus Greensmith comes through the finish safely and moves a step closer to a brilliant category win.
Quote
Ogier doesn't sound too pleased at stage end as he reveals a bit more about his problem.
"[I] Still struggled with an issue with the throttle, but I tried as hard as I can," he says. "It's still not working very well."
"[I] Still struggled with an issue with the throttle, but I tried as hard as I can," he says. "It's still not working very well."
Wow! Ogier nicks a couple more tenths back and is 2.8s slower than Neuville at stage end, so will carry a 0.4s lead into the final stage!
Quote
"I had a very good stage," beams Neuville at stage end. "Especially towards the end, I was really on it and the car was behaving really nice, I could push to the maximum."
Ogier has clawed back some time at the final split and is now 3.3s slower - but that would still hand Neuville the lead by a tenth!
Stopwatch
Neuville comes through now and goes fastest of all with a time of 11m25.5s - what a time to pull out a stage win like that (if, indeed, he's not beaten by Ogier).
What's Neuville done here? He's completely turned the tide in the middle part of the stage and, by split three, is 3.7s to the good compared to Ogier. That would be enough to hand him the lead!
Loeb comes through and goes faster than Latvala by 1.8s, so adds a bit of a buffer back to the Finn ahead of the final stage of the morning.
No such pace from the third Yaris of Latvala, who is 7s slower than Tanak.
Quote
"The car balance was better and I had a smooth, clean run," says Tanak.
Stopwatch
Tanak turns the tables on Meeke come the stage finish and goes fastest by 1.9s.
Back at the first split, Ogier's even faster than Neuville - by a cool 0.8s.
Quote
"We've not been on a cruise this morning, I wanted to check my marks on the first run at the powerstage," says Meeke. "I wanted a good rhythm here."
Stopwatch
Meeke well and truly puts paid to our suggestions he might be a bit more conservative on this run - an 11m31.2s stage time puts him comfortably fastest so far.
Stopwatch
Meeke is again fastest at third split by more than a second compared to Tanak. Leaders Neuville and Ogier are both on the stage - and Neuville goes fastest of all so far through the first split!
Tidemand completes the stage in 11m50.9s.
Meeke is the fastest driver through the second split, 0.5s clear of Tanak.
Latvala gets going in his Yaris. It's unlikely he or Loeb will catch Tanak now, so their squabble is likely to be over fourth place. There's currently just 1s between them.
Tanak is a couple of tenths faster than Meeke at the first split.
Stopwatch
Meeke is fastest at the first split, 1.7s up on Suninen.
Tanak, who's shown potential rally-winning pace this weekend but will probably be happy enough to salvage a podium after his Friday issues, is also on the stage.
Twitter
No update yet on the condition of Ogier's car from Citroen. This was the last we heard from them:
Meeke is also up and running. He's likely to take this one a little easier, ahead of a bigger attack on the powerstage.
It's been a weekend to forget for M-Sport's three runners, although the high rate of attrition means Suninen - who crashed on SS1 - is back up to 12th overall.
Elfyn Evans had been the team's lead representative until he crashed on Saturday and wrecked his Ford Fiesta WRC.
Elfyn Evans had been the team's lead representative until he crashed on Saturday and wrecked his Ford Fiesta WRC.
Green flag
Tidemand gets this final loop of the rally underway.
Information
Just a couple of minutes until our first car starts SS15, so before that happens here's a stage preview from our very own DAVID EVANS:
SS15 La Bollene Vesubie-Peira Cava (11.30 miles)
The one we’ve all been waiting for. New start from last year, but the first section is all about the long climb up to the Col. Not just any Col: the Col de Turini. The uphill section lasts for about 12km and includes a variety of corners, but runs through a fairly barren landscape affording stunning views back down the valley. Popping out onto the top of the Turini is always a huge treat.
The atmosphere will be one of the best of the season and, if there’s not snow on the road before the first car through, there soon will be afterwards once the spectators launch a volley of snowballs.
The downhill section to the finish is short, quite steep and full of peril.
SS15 La Bollene Vesubie-Peira Cava (11.30 miles)
The one we’ve all been waiting for. New start from last year, but the first section is all about the long climb up to the Col. Not just any Col: the Col de Turini. The uphill section lasts for about 12km and includes a variety of corners, but runs through a fairly barren landscape affording stunning views back down the valley. Popping out onto the top of the Turini is always a huge treat.
The atmosphere will be one of the best of the season and, if there’s not snow on the road before the first car through, there soon will be afterwards once the spectators launch a volley of snowballs.
The downhill section to the finish is short, quite steep and full of peril.
Information
Now is also a good time to remind you of the tyre situation. That should make it a straight fight, as all of the WRC crews have take five sets of Michelin's soft tyre.
By: Matt Beer
Published:
Page:
