Monte Carlo Rally
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A muted first split for Loeb on this one, he's 7s slower than Ogier. He had a 30s cushion over the champion after SS1.
Tanak passes split two and he's only fourth fastest, 17s off Ogier's pace. That puts Ogier on course to regain one place from the M-Sport Ford at least.
Sordo completes the stage fifth quickest behind Ogier, Latvala, Evans and Mikkelsen. That doesn't do the Hyundai too much good yet as Sordo lost a lot of time going off on SS1, but it at least closes him onto the tail of the pack.
Loeb is 9.2s down on Ogier at split two, so the time loss is a little less.
Some of the recent drivers through have reported that a bit of gravel is getting pulled onto the road as cars ahead cut corners on this one.
Some of the recent drivers through have reported that a bit of gravel is getting pulled onto the road as cars ahead cut corners on this one.
Breaking news
Trouble for last year's runner-up Bouffier - he's running very slowly on the stage and has had to pull over for Tanak and Kubica.
Tanak thinks Bouffier has been off the road. The Estonian is happy enough with his own performance, but is another to note that there's an increasing amount of gravel on the stage now.
Still waiting for Tanak's actual stage time, he was fifth quickest at split three, 32s off Ogier's pace.
Breaking news
Potential problems for Kubica on this stage too, judging by his pace on the tracking system.
Loeb is 15s slower than Ogier at split three, so the lead is shrinking fast, but at present, the returnee is set to cling on.
Quote
A huge, huge cheer greets Loeb as he completes this stage. That's going to be pretty standard this weekend isn't it.
"It was OK, but a lot of gravel at every corner - gravel and mud - so it's very difficult," Loeb confirms.
"It was OK, but a lot of gravel at every corner - gravel and mud - so it's very difficult," Loeb confirms.
Loeb is 17.6s slower than Ogier, so he holds the lead by 13s at the end of day one of his return to the WRC.
And that's ideal - the returning hero up front, but his arch-rival firmly fighting back. This is going to be fun...
And that's ideal - the returning hero up front, but his arch-rival firmly fighting back. This is going to be fun...
Kubica has dropped over four minutes to the leaders, but he should make it to the stage finish. No sign of Bouffier yet.
Kubica explains that it was a spin followed by an electrical problem on his RK Ford, with the car losing power and switching itself off. He's nearly five minutes down on the leaders.
Checkered flag
SS2 results:
Stage times:
1 Ogier 13m57.1s
2 Latvala +10.7s
3 Loeb +17.6s
4 Evans +18.3s
5 Mikkelsen +23.6s
6 Sordo +31.1s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Loeb
2 Ogier +13.3s
3 Latvala +36.1s
4 Tanak +38.6s
5 Evans +47.4s
6 Meeke +59.8s
7 Mikkelsen +59.9s
8 Neuville +1m06.8s
9 Ostberg +1m08.7s
10 Solberg +1m17.6s
Stage times:
1 Ogier 13m57.1s
2 Latvala +10.7s
3 Loeb +17.6s
4 Evans +18.3s
5 Mikkelsen +23.6s
6 Sordo +31.1s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Loeb
2 Ogier +13.3s
3 Latvala +36.1s
4 Tanak +38.6s
5 Evans +47.4s
6 Meeke +59.8s
7 Mikkelsen +59.9s
8 Neuville +1m06.8s
9 Ostberg +1m08.7s
10 Solberg +1m17.6s
Breaking news
Here's the full story of an amazing first night in Monte Carlo:
Monte Carlo Rally Thursday evening report
We'll be back from 8.45am UK time tomorrow morning to see if Loeb can keep this amazing performance up. There's an epic fight ahead...
Monte Carlo Rally Thursday evening report
We'll be back from 8.45am UK time tomorrow morning to see if Loeb can keep this amazing performance up. There's an epic fight ahead...
Good morning from AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live, it's Friday morning, it's Monte Carlo Rally week and the World Rally Championship has a message for the World Touring Car Championship: You're not having him back...
Yes, Sebastien Loeb leads the Monte once again, by 13 seconds over arch-rival Sebastien Ogier, as the two Sebs renew the battle of titans that could have done so much for the WRC had it lasted more than half a season.
But what matters right now is that they are both here today, they're first and second and it's game on, and it's wide open behind them too.
And because this is the Monte, everything that's happened so far could prove totally irrelevant if some unexpected snow turns up.
Yes, Sebastien Loeb leads the Monte once again, by 13 seconds over arch-rival Sebastien Ogier, as the two Sebs renew the battle of titans that could have done so much for the WRC had it lasted more than half a season.
But what matters right now is that they are both here today, they're first and second and it's game on, and it's wide open behind them too.
And because this is the Monte, everything that's happened so far could prove totally irrelevant if some unexpected snow turns up.
Car
Friday morning weather update from DAVID EVANS:
The AUTOSPORT 308 offers proof of a frost-free night in Gap this morning...
Crash
We've already lost one Monte Carlo Rally winner from the start list today. M-Sport has confirmed that Bryan Bouffier's Ford Fiesta sustained too much damage when he went off on SS2 last night, so his WRC return is over.
Today's schedule is two quick bursts - over the next two hours we have three stages in rapid succession, the first 10 miles long, the second both 16 miles.
Then the crews return to service before repeating those stages in the afternoon.
After last night's after-dark adventures, Friday's action should all be in daylight until perhaps a bit of dusk for the closing part of the Les Costes - St Julien en Champsaur finale.
Then the crews return to service before repeating those stages in the afternoon.
After last night's after-dark adventures, Friday's action should all be in daylight until perhaps a bit of dusk for the closing part of the Les Costes - St Julien en Champsaur finale.
Stopwatch
This is the order of the WRC pack starting SS3:
1 Loeb
2 Ogier +13.3s
3 Latvala +36.1s
4 Tanak +38.6s
5 Evans +47.4s
6 Meeke +59.8s
7 Mikkelsen +59.9s
8 Neuville +1m06.8s
9 Ostberg +1m08.7s
10 Solberg +1m17.6s
11 Prokop +1m18.9s
12 Sordo +1m24.9s
And Kubica is back in 66th, more about why he's there in a moment.
1 Loeb
2 Ogier +13.3s
3 Latvala +36.1s
4 Tanak +38.6s
5 Evans +47.4s
6 Meeke +59.8s
7 Mikkelsen +59.9s
8 Neuville +1m06.8s
9 Ostberg +1m08.7s
10 Solberg +1m17.6s
11 Prokop +1m18.9s
12 Sordo +1m24.9s
And Kubica is back in 66th, more about why he's there in a moment.
Lights out
The cars are running in championship order again today, so Ogier has just kicked us off on SS3, and Loeb will be 13th onto the road (rather than 14th last night, thanks to Bouffier's departure).
Sorry, let's correct that... we've got the drivers running under Rally2 up first, so we begin with Sebastien Chardonnet and Kubica.
Breaking news
Robert Kubica
So why is Kubica 66th? DAVID EVANS explains:
Robert Kubica put his new team to the test last night when he arrived back in service far later than planned following an electrical problem on his Lotos-backed Ford Fiesta RS WRC on last night's two stages.
The Pole eventually stopped on the road back from SS2. We know this, because we were following him and watched him getting pulled over by the police for driving with no lights on.
The local plod stayed for a while before moving on down the N202, but Kubica's efforts to get going again were thwarted by a starter motor which wouldn't play ball – despite being hit repeatedly with a wheel brace.
Unfortunately, in terms of technical insight David Evans and WRC Live's Colin Clark (and we've grabbed Colin's Twitter picture here to illustrate Kubica's struggle) were unable to contribute much beyond offering a slightly shifty bump start…
This morning's opening stage is completely new in this configuration, explains DAVID EVANS, although stretches of the road from La Salle en Beamont-Corps (SS3/6) were last used in 1987.
The tricky section here comes at 1200 metres between Hameau de Villelonge and the Col de l'Holme – plenty of ice and snow still sitting in wait for around three miles there.
The tricky section here comes at 1200 metres between Hameau de Villelonge and the Col de l'Holme – plenty of ice and snow still sitting in wait for around three miles there.
AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live is now on top of the 2015 running order regulations (in terms of Rally2 drivers turning up first, THEN championship order thereafter) so to clarify, here's the order in which drivers are coming through this morning:
Chardonnet - Kubica - Ogier - Latvala - Mikkelsen - Ostberg - Neuville - Meeke - Evans - Prokop - Sordo - Solberg - Tanak - Loeb - Bertelli
Chardonnet - Kubica - Ogier - Latvala - Mikkelsen - Ostberg - Neuville - Meeke - Evans - Prokop - Sordo - Solberg - Tanak - Loeb - Bertelli
Stopwatch
As you'd expect, Ogier is our initial pacesetter on SS3, 14.2s faster than Kubica at split one.
Tyre choices for the morning: the three Citroens and Neuville have five studded tyres, the rest of the pack have four studded tyres and two non-studded options.
Stopwatch
Kubica is comfortably quicker than Chardonnet as the first cars come through, but Ogier beats that by 20 seconds.
Quote
Latvala is slower than Kubica on the splits, and says he "took it very, very easily" on a stage full of black ice.
His stage time is now up and he's lost 27s to team-mate Ogier.
"There was no reason to take any risks on this stage, there are better stages to come," Latvala insists.
But still, Jari-Matti, you might want that half-minute you've just dropped.
His stage time is now up and he's lost 27s to team-mate Ogier.
"There was no reason to take any risks on this stage, there are better stages to come," Latvala insists.
But still, Jari-Matti, you might want that half-minute you've just dropped.
Quote
Better pace from Mikkelsen, who is 8s slower than Ogier and takes second on the stage. That'll thrust him past Latvala overall.
"What a stage... I thought today was going to get easier, but wow. So, so difficult. So much ice and it's getting colder, so more ice than I expected.
"Also with the fog there was no visibility at all. When you're supposed to look at the ground to see where the grip is and there's no visibility, it's very difficult. I played it safe."
"What a stage... I thought today was going to get easier, but wow. So, so difficult. So much ice and it's getting colder, so more ice than I expected.
"Also with the fog there was no visibility at all. When you're supposed to look at the ground to see where the grip is and there's no visibility, it's very difficult. I played it safe."
Ostberg completes the stage 15.6s slower than Ogier, so 11s up on Latvala.
On the splits, Neuville is closest to Ogier and Mikkelsen's pace right now.
On the splits, Neuville is closest to Ogier and Mikkelsen's pace right now.
Slight maths failure a moment ago - Mikkelsen doesn't quite pass Latvala, but he does close to within 3s of his team-mate, who was third overnight.
Good pace from Evans again this morning, he's fourth fastest behind Ogier, Mikkelsen and Neuville at split one.
Quote
Neuville comes in fourth fastest in the Hyundai, 3s slower than Ostberg and just ahead of Kubica.
"It's very, very difficult. My aim is to finish this rally, I'm focused on that."
"It's very, very difficult. My aim is to finish this rally, I'm focused on that."
Meeke finishes the stage sixth fastest, 20s off Ogier's pace and just behind Neuville and Kubica.
Stopwatch
Stage pace so far:
1 Ogier
2 Mikkelsen
3 Ostberg
4 Neuville
5 Kubica
6 Meeke
7 Latvala
1 Ogier
2 Mikkelsen
3 Ostberg
4 Neuville
5 Kubica
6 Meeke
7 Latvala
Meeke says he's ignoring how he compares to everyone else and focusing on a rhythm he feels comfortable in. And it's plenty decent enough for the man who was a shock third here last year.
Stopwatch
Great time from Evans - he's second quickest! He nips in ahead of Mikkelsen and only 7s off Ogier.
Flying Welsh superstar Evans is the least excited person at the stage end:
"It was OK, I didn't feel we were too wild. We just tried to be clean and tidy."
"It was OK, I didn't feel we were too wild. We just tried to be clean and tidy."
That time from Evans definitely places him ahead of overnight third-place man Latvala. For where he fits in overall we have to wait to see Tanak and Ogier's pace.
By: AUTOSPORT staff, Scott Mitchell
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