Monte Carlo Rally
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Good job from Robert Kubica so far too, he's fourth fastest at the final split.
Stopwatch
Tanak takes over the rally lead from Ogier, he's 8.9s faster at the finish.
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Tanak is slightly amazed by his position: "Lots of people must have had some moments. I'm just trying to stay relaxed and do my best."
He leads from Ogier, Meeke, Ostberg and Neuville.
He leads from Ogier, Meeke, Ostberg and Neuville.
Kubica has lost time in the final few miles, he's fallen to 10th fastest as he crosses the finish.
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Kubica explains that time loss: "We had one moment - under braking there was a lot of ice and I couldn't downshift the gear so I went straight, completely missed the braking.
"I have a lot of understeer, I don't know if we have a problem after that."
"I have a lot of understeer, I don't know if we have a problem after that."
Stopwatch
And Loeb is through - he's 22s faster than anyone else!
Loeb looks like he cannot believe the time he has just set.
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He started his stage-end interviews looking stunned and ended them giggling. Loeb is firmly back in business.
"I'm happy with this time... I said to Daniel that in places it felt like we'd stopped, we were going so slowly!"
"I'm happy with this time... I said to Daniel that in places it felt like we'd stopped, we were going so slowly!"
Gosh. Fair to say we've missed that bloke.
Checkered flag
So, game on, here's the order after SS1:
1 Loeb 15m53.5s
2 Tanak +22.0s
3 Ogier +30.9s
4 Meeke +32.6s
5 Ostberg +36.1s
6 Neuville +37.6s
7 Bouffier +41.7s
8 Latvala +43.0s
9 Solberg +44.9s
10 Evans +44.7s
11 Kubica +47.9s
12 Prokop +53.4s
13 Mikkelsen +53.9s
14 Sordo +1m11.4s
15 Bertelli +1m14.1s
1 Loeb 15m53.5s
2 Tanak +22.0s
3 Ogier +30.9s
4 Meeke +32.6s
5 Ostberg +36.1s
6 Neuville +37.6s
7 Bouffier +41.7s
8 Latvala +43.0s
9 Solberg +44.9s
10 Evans +44.7s
11 Kubica +47.9s
12 Prokop +53.4s
13 Mikkelsen +53.9s
14 Sordo +1m11.4s
15 Bertelli +1m14.1s
Sorry WRC2 graduate Lorenzo Bertelli, you're not going to get a lot of attention coming in behind Loeb on these stages. Welcome to World Rally Car life, though.
Twitter
Citroen is struggling to believe it:
"We double checked the classification, no mistakes with the times!"
"We double checked the classification, no mistakes with the times!"
MSR Ligier
USC - Daytona 24 Hours: There's another famous event happening this weekend too, with the United SportsCar season beginning with the Daytona 24 Hours.
Qualifying is coming up shortly, and both practice sessions have been topped by Oswaldo Negri Jr in Michael Shank Racing's new LMP2 Ligier-HPD.
Daytona practice two report
That bodes quite well for our sportscar guru GARY WATKINS' hope that an LMP2 car will beat the Daytona Prototypes this weekend. That's not just random bias, as he explains in his column:
Why I want an LMP2 to win Daytona
But let's be honest, whatever happens at Daytona today isn't the biggest news in American motorsport right now.
That thunder has been firmly stolen by the announcement that NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon will step back from full-time racing after 2015.
He says he doesn't want to use the "R-word", but that this will be his last full-time campaign and right now although the door is open, he doesn't expect to do any part-time racing afterwards, though he'll stay firmly involved with Hendrick Motorsports.
So that does sound a little bit like retirement for the four-time Cup champion and American hero.
That thunder has been firmly stolen by the announcement that NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon will step back from full-time racing after 2015.
He says he doesn't want to use the "R-word", but that this will be his last full-time campaign and right now although the door is open, he doesn't expect to do any part-time racing afterwards, though he'll stay firmly involved with Hendrick Motorsports.
So that does sound a little bit like retirement for the four-time Cup champion and American hero.
Meanwhile in Monte Carlo, we're seven minutes away from SS2 beginning and already these questions are burning:
* Can Loeb keep this extraordinary form up?
* Can Tanak keep his also quite extraordinary form up?
* Can (or will) Ogier fight back?
* Can Loeb keep this extraordinary form up?
* Can Tanak keep his also quite extraordinary form up?
* Can (or will) Ogier fight back?
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Our rallying expert DAVID EVANS is live on WRC Live giving his verdict on Loeb's performance:
"Sublime. Incredible. Just fantastic to have the boy back. The ice will have broken a little bit in the braking areas, but still, this is Sebastien Loeb."
And in case you missed it, our man did declare earlier this week that Loeb could win this rally.
"Sublime. Incredible. Just fantastic to have the boy back. The ice will have broken a little bit in the braking areas, but still, this is Sebastien Loeb."
And in case you missed it, our man did declare earlier this week that Loeb could win this rally.
The supporting cast are completing SS1 now too, and despite a wild run through the stage, Citroen's young protege Stephane Lefebvre leads WRC2 by 5.2s over fellow Frenchman Quentin Giordano.
Craig Breen had some excursions and is a minute off the pace in fifth in class.
Craig Breen had some excursions and is a minute off the pace in fifth in class.
Twitter
A man who spent his WRC driving career looking in awe at Loeb's stage times is now doing the same from a distance - it's Matthew Wilson:
"Sebastien Loeb, what a legend!!! Awesome!"
"Sebastien Loeb, what a legend!!! Awesome!"
Lights out
Ogier has headed onto SS2, which is the final part of tonight's scene-setting double-header.
Stopwatch
The first two VWs are through the opening split, with Ogier three tenths quicker than Latvala.
Mikkelsen continues to drop time, he's 6s off his team-mates at split one.
Ostberg, fifth after SS1, is slowest so far at split one of SS2, 8s down on pacesetter Ogier.
Ogier is at the stage finish. At the middle stage he'd increased the gap to Latvala to 6s.
If you're just joining us... LOEB LEADS!
But bear with us if you want to find out if he can stay there, he's 14th in the running order so won't be onto SS2 for a while.
But bear with us if you want to find out if he can stay there, he's 14th in the running order so won't be onto SS2 for a while.
Ogier describes SS2 as another very difficult stage for ice patches, especially judging it when first on the road.
Early signs on this stage are that running first is good - Ogier is 14s faster than Mikkelsen and 27s up on Ostberg at the mid-stage split.
Latvala completes the stage. He's 7s slower than Ogier and fairly relieved: "Not so good, but we are here."
He reports that his VW's boot was coming open on the stage.
He reports that his VW's boot was coming open on the stage.
Evans has come through split one third fastest behind Ogier and Latvala, quicker than Ostberg, Mikkelsen, Neuville and Meeke.
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Mikkelsen is third quickest, some way off his team-mates:
"It was OK. I'm just playing it very, very easily. It's so tricky - just black ice."
"It was OK. I'm just playing it very, very easily. It's so tricky - just black ice."
Major time loss continues for Ostberg - at split three he's 45s down on Ogier.
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Ostberg completes the stage 50s slower than Ogier:
"So many surprises and so difficult to find a rhythm. Not a good stage."
"So many surprises and so difficult to find a rhythm. Not a good stage."
Sordo, who is back in 16th overall among the WRC2 cars after going off on SS1, is an encouraging fourth quickest at the first split of this one.
Neuville has been on a similar pace to Ostberg. He says he's content just to complete the opening day of a Monte Carlo Rally, as he's crashed by now on all previous attempts.
The fact that the first day is only two stages this year does help of course... but then Neuville has crashed out of this event after less than half a mile before, so he's allowed to feel relieved.
The Hyundai is a full 46s slower than Ogier on the stage, but that still puts him fourth behind the VWs and ahead of Ostberg.
The fact that the first day is only two stages this year does help of course... but then Neuville has crashed out of this event after less than half a mile before, so he's allowed to feel relieved.
The Hyundai is a full 46s slower than Ogier on the stage, but that still puts him fourth behind the VWs and ahead of Ostberg.
Tanak starts SS2 well - fourth fastest behind Ogier, Latvala and Evans at split one. Loeb will be on the stage soon.
Evans has continued his decent pace - at split two he's third quickest still, only 1.3s behind Latvala and 7s off Ogier. Great stuff from the inexperienced Welshman.
Meeke completes the stage fourth fastest. He's also massively off the VW pace, but a couple of seconds ahead of Neuville and Ostberg.
Evans comes through to the finish third quickest, 18s off Ogier's pace and over 20s clear of the likes of Meeke.
After his poor SS1 (where he was only 13th), a stronger SS2 performance is going to do Mikkelsen a lot of good.
Hard to tell where things will shake out with so many cars to come through still, but he's already firmly back ahead of Neuville and Meeke and they were both top six runners at the end of SS1.
Hard to tell where things will shake out with so many cars to come through still, but he's already firmly back ahead of Neuville and Meeke and they were both top six runners at the end of SS1.
Evans's brilliant time is not only third-fastest on the stage, it's vaulted him to a provisional third overall so far behind Ogier and Latvala, ahead of Meeke and Mikkelsen.
By: AUTOSPORT staff, Scott Mitchell
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