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Monte Carlo Rally
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On the brink of the start of SS13, which is scheduled to kick off at 8.35am UK time.
Lorenzo Bertelli is in to the stage to set the final day of the Monte Carlo Rally on its way!
A tweaked running order for the final day, which we'll bring to you soon.
A tweaked running order for the final day, which we'll bring to you soon.
So to explain, the running order now is based on Saturday's rally classification reversed, with Rally 2 restarters in front.
That means: Bertelli - Chardonnet - Tanak - Protasov - Kubica - Solberg - Meeke - Loeb - Prokop - Evans - Neuville - Sordo - Ostberg - Mikkelsen - Latvala - Ogier.
Chardonnet's just started his run.
That means: Bertelli - Chardonnet - Tanak - Protasov - Kubica - Solberg - Meeke - Loeb - Prokop - Evans - Neuville - Sordo - Ostberg - Mikkelsen - Latvala - Ogier.
Chardonnet's just started his run.
First split, Bertelli stops the clock at 3m12.1s. That's our very early benchmark, about four km in.
Tanak launches his M-Sport Ford Fiesta WRC off the startline and is on the stage.
Tanak launches his M-Sport Ford Fiesta WRC off the startline and is on the stage.
Big wobble from Tanak about 30 seconds into this stage!
He just, just keeps it together.
He just, just keeps it together.
Tanak caught some snow on the side of the road and that caused him to understeer wide and almost into a wall, but he rotated the rear and kept it out of trouble.
Protasov is on the stage.
Protasov is on the stage.
At the first split Chardonnet's about 6.6s quicker than Bertelli.
Bertelli finishes the run in 6m52.3s.
Tanak is slower than Chardonnet at the first split by 1.3, no doubt a result of that moment.
Tanak is slower than Chardonnet at the first split by 1.3, no doubt a result of that moment.
Hello Robert Kubica, good to see you on the stage.
The Pole's Fiesta starts SS13.
The Pole's Fiesta starts SS13.
Ooh! Chardonnet...that's a weird one.
He finishes the stage a good 11.4 seconds quicker than Bertelli but then locks up at the hairpin after the stage end and very nearly goes straight on into the small wall on the outside.
He finishes the stage a good 11.4 seconds quicker than Bertelli but then locks up at the hairpin after the stage end and very nearly goes straight on into the small wall on the outside.
Solberg away. Tanak finishes the stage in 6m42.8s - only second fastest.
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Tanak laughs off that moment: "It's fine. Just a very late call. We managed to get it back."
Protasov is in, 16.3s slower than Chardonnet's benchmark.
Kubica's about two minutes from the stage end as Kris Meeke starts the stage.
Kubica's about two minutes from the stage end as Kris Meeke starts the stage.
Kubica's slower than Chardonnet at the first split as well, 1.1s in fact.
The 2013 WRC-3 champion has done a fine job on SS13.
The 2013 WRC-3 champion has done a fine job on SS13.
In comes Kubica...
...he's slower than Chardonnet by about 1.6s.
...he's slower than Chardonnet by about 1.6s.
Henning Solberg completes the stage in 6m47.5s, which puts him fourth so far.
Meeke and Loeb, who is now on the stage, are both quicker than Chardonnet at the first split three minutes in.
Meeke and Loeb, who is now on the stage, are both quicker than Chardonnet at the first split three minutes in.
Meeke nearing the end of his run now as fellow Brit Evans starts his effort.
Great run by Meeke who stops the clock at the stage end at 6m33.7s
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"It was very tricky, a mixture of dry and damp," says Meeke, 7.2s quicker.
"Quite happy with the time and it's a good recce for this afternoon."
"Quite happy with the time and it's a good recce for this afternoon."
Neuville begins the stage, Loeb about to finish it.
In comes Loeb, and stops the clock 1.1s slower than Meeke.
"It was hard," says Loeb, who says there are bits of snow around.
Meeke also complained of spectators kicking bits of snow onto the road, but that might just be errant Estonians doing it when they run wide...
Meeke also complained of spectators kicking bits of snow onto the road, but that might just be errant Estonians doing it when they run wide...
Sordo is on the stage in his second Hyundai, as Prokop completes the stage.
The eighth-placed man is only eighth quickest so far and that means he loses another 20-odd seconds to the chasing Loeb behind overall.
The eighth-placed man is only eighth quickest so far and that means he loses another 20-odd seconds to the chasing Loeb behind overall.
Now Ostberg's on the stage, and at the other end Evans is about to stop the clock.
After a difficult Saturday afternoon, Evans is sixth quickest through SS13 so far with a time of 6m45.6s.
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"The car's working great to be honest," says Evans of his rebuilt M-Sport Fiesta. "Difficult to know about the tyre choice.
"I'm not sure what the best compromise was."
"I'm not sure what the best compromise was."
The first of the Volkswagen Polo WRCs launches off the startline in the hands of Andreas Mikkelsen.
What's Neuville's time at the other end?
It's 6m337.5s, that's the third best time so far.
What's Neuville's time at the other end?
It's 6m337.5s, that's the third best time so far.
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"A bit slidey towards the end but I'm quite pleased with my stage," remarks Neuville, chasing an outside fourth.
"I hope so," he quips when asked if that was good practice for the power stage.
"I hope so," he quips when asked if that was good practice for the power stage.
Waiting for Sordo, Ostberg, Mikkelsen and Latvala - then the rally leader Ogier, yet to start the stage.
Sordo nips in ahead of Neuville, 6m35.5s for the Spaniard. The Spaniard's had a good rally.
It's not a great first split for Mikkelsen, who is three seconds off Meeke's pace at that point.
There's Ogier, starting the stage. Let's see if this has any impact on the overall order.
Right, Ostberg's in. He was 34 seconds clear of Sordo at the start of the stage.
He's loss about 1.4 seconds having gone fifth quickest, 2.8s behind Meeke.
He's loss about 1.4 seconds having gone fifth quickest, 2.8s behind Meeke.
"I have the old car, the old engine, everything," says Ostberg, who doesn't sound particularly chuffed with his equipment. Odd.
He still runs a fine fourth on this rally. Meeke and Loeb might have had greater peaks but Ostberg's the one delivering the big points.
He still runs a fine fourth on this rally. Meeke and Loeb might have had greater peaks but Ostberg's the one delivering the big points.
That's sixth place for Mikkelsen, hardly astonishing, but he's in a safe third.
At the first split, Ogier's 2.2s of Meeke and quicker than Latvala.
At the first split, Ogier's 2.2s of Meeke and quicker than Latvala.
It's a very unspectacular run from Latvala. In a way that's a shame that he's playing it safe but it's all about the long game in terms of the title.
He stops the clock at 6m42.3s, and that's only eighth fastest...
He stops the clock at 6m42.3s, and that's only eighth fastest...
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"There's no point to take any risks in my position," says Latvala.
"I think there are many, many hungry drivers looking to get points," he says of the power stage.
"I think there are many, many hungry drivers looking to get points," he says of the power stage.
Here's Ogier. He lights up the rears at the penultimate hairpin and stops the clock at 6m37.7s, which is fifth fastest.
Extends his rally lead though, and confirms a stage win for Meeke too.
Extends his rally lead though, and confirms a stage win for Meeke too.
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"It was the only point, to finish," reports Ogier. "[The tyres were] not optimum for this stage but OK for the target we have.
He says that means he doubts they will have the tyres to compete for the power stage, but his target "is to win the rally".
Hey, it's not up to us to question a double world champion's logic...
He says that means he doubts they will have the tyres to compete for the power stage, but his target "is to win the rally".
Hey, it's not up to us to question a double world champion's logic...
Right, attention turns to WRC2 on this stage now.
That class is being dominated by Citroen's protege Stephane Lefebvre, who is almost three minutes clear, but there's a pretty good battle going on behind.
Armin Kremer runs second, 20.7s clear of Martin Koci, who in turn is a second ahead of Eric Camilli, with Craig Breen a further 0.4s in arrears.
That's how it stood at the start of the stage, anyway.
That class is being dominated by Citroen's protege Stephane Lefebvre, who is almost three minutes clear, but there's a pretty good battle going on behind.
Armin Kremer runs second, 20.7s clear of Martin Koci, who in turn is a second ahead of Eric Camilli, with Craig Breen a further 0.4s in arrears.
That's how it stood at the start of the stage, anyway.
By: AUTOSPORT staff, Scott Mitchell
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