Monte Carlo Rally
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Latvala is 7s slower than Kubica and Ogier in the middle of the stage, but on the earlier splits that's still 6s better off than Mikkelsen in the third VW.
Stopwatch
Kubica sets the stage benchmark with a 15m13.2s, achieved on very worn snow tyres:
"It's very difficult but you have to get used to it. We used all our studs on the second stage where there was a fast Tarmac part. So wherever there was ice and snow, it was very difficult for us. It's not easy to survive."
"It's very difficult but you have to get used to it. We used all our studs on the second stage where there was a fast Tarmac part. So wherever there was ice and snow, it was very difficult for us. It's not easy to survive."
Ogier is two tenths faster than Kubica at the final split, but he finishes the stage 0.8s off the Pole.
Anyone else thinking that the only way a Loeb/Ogier battle for Monte victory could be even better would be if Kubica was making it a three-way fight...? Yeah, damn those electrical problems last night.
Ogier completes the stage with plenty of snow in the front of his VW...
He admits that he was deliberately trying to "make some cuts" and bring some more snow and mud onto the road to hamper those behind him to even out what he feels is a running order disadvantage.
He admits that he was deliberately trying to "make some cuts" and bring some more snow and mud onto the road to hamper those behind him to even out what he feels is a running order disadvantage.
TV crews on the stage are reporting that Evans had a big moment and nearly crashed, but is continuing unscathed.
Evans's first split time is indeed a few seconds off the other WRC frontrunners.
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Latvala says Ogier's snow-spreading plans are working, but it's not making much difference to him:
"I had to take it carefully, it was very, very messy in some places.
"I had quite a smooth run. Obviously we are losing time, but I'm concentrating on my tactics. I want to be in the top four."
Latvala completes the stage 15s slower than Kubica and Ogier.
"I had to take it carefully, it was very, very messy in some places.
"I had quite a smooth run. Obviously we are losing time, but I'm concentrating on my tactics. I want to be in the top four."
Latvala completes the stage 15s slower than Kubica and Ogier.
The focus for Latvala is the M-Sport pair as they fight for third, and at the early splits he's adding a few seconds to his advantage over Evans. Tanak is yet to start the stage.
Mikkelsen is fourth fastest, 28s off Kubica/Ogier and 13s down on Latvala.
But he's on a similar pace to Meeke and Ostberg, his sparring partners in the close battle for sixth overall.
But he's on a similar pace to Meeke and Ostberg, his sparring partners in the close battle for sixth overall.
This isn't turning out to be a good stage for Evans - at the middle split he's slowest so far, 10s off the Ostberg/Meeke/Mikkelsen par and 20s off third-place rival Latvala.
Ostberg finishes the stage precisely one tenth of a second slower than Mikkelsen, so the gap between them increases from 9.6s to 9.7s. They're set to stay seventh and eighth at present.
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Potentially bad news for Loeb from Neuville, who says running further back on this stage is not fun:
"Definitely worse, it's getting horrible towards the end of the stage. Sometimes spectators are putting snow on the road, sometimes the cars in front are cutting."
The Hyundai is slowest so far and loses 20s to the Ostberg/Mikkelsen pack.
"Definitely worse, it's getting horrible towards the end of the stage. Sometimes spectators are putting snow on the road, sometimes the cars in front are cutting."
The Hyundai is slowest so far and loses 20s to the Ostberg/Mikkelsen pack.
Loeb's first split is in, he's 4s down on Ogier.
Meeke adds 3s to his advantage over Mikkelsen and Ostberg in their fight for sixth.
"Good notes from the safety crew, but spectators are putting snow on the road after they've been through and it's incredibly dirty in places.
"In some places though it's bone dry. That's Monte Carlo."
"Good notes from the safety crew, but spectators are putting snow on the road after they've been through and it's incredibly dirty in places.
"In some places though it's bone dry. That's Monte Carlo."
Stopwatch
Stage order so far:
1 Kubica
2 Ogier
3 Latvala
4 Meeke
5 Mikkelsen
6 Ostberg
1 Kubica
2 Ogier
3 Latvala
4 Meeke
5 Mikkelsen
6 Ostberg
Loeb reaches split two and is now 7s slower than Ogier.
Evans finishes the stage 32s slower than Latvala, his rival for third place overall.
He plays down the moment the TV crew spotted, but says worn tyres clearly cost him.
"We just touched a bank in a slippery section," Evans says of his near-miss.
"We didn't have any studs left for this stage. It didn't feel so bad but the time is not great."
Unless we've just had our second maths failure of Friday, that time actually drops Evans a few tenths behind Meeke into sixth overall.
He plays down the moment the TV crew spotted, but says worn tyres clearly cost him.
"We just touched a bank in a slippery section," Evans says of his near-miss.
"We didn't have any studs left for this stage. It didn't feel so bad but the time is not great."
Unless we've just had our second maths failure of Friday, that time actually drops Evans a few tenths behind Meeke into sixth overall.
Prokop, Sordo and Solberg (Henning, in case anyone's thinking the Petter comeback has become fact already) up next, then Tanak and Loeb.
Czech privateer Prokop has set some very respectable times on this event so far and was keeping Sordo under pressure for 10th until this stage, where he's a fair way off the Hyundai's pace.
Split three is in, and Loeb is 10s slower than Ogier.
His lead was 24.3s at the start of the stage...
His lead was 24.3s at the start of the stage...
Sordo comes through, slightly happier on that stage and he's carved a healthy chunk out of the gap to ninth-placed Hyundai team-mate Neuville.
If you weren't with us last night, Sordo made his Monte hard from the outset by sliding off the road in the first few miles of SS1 and needing a quick shove back on course from co-driver Marc Marti.
If you weren't with us last night, Sordo made his Monte hard from the outset by sliding off the road in the first few miles of SS1 and needing a quick shove back on course from co-driver Marc Marti.
Tanak is having a harder stage too. He's a bit quicker than team-mate Evans, but is set to lose about 20s to Latvala. He shouldn't fall into range of Meeke and Mikkelsen, though. Expect the Estonian to stay fourth when he comes in.
Final split for Loeb, and he's 16.3s slower than Ogier! His lead is set to tumble.
Solberg completes the stage slowest so far.
Tanak describes the stage as "really tricky and challenging" but says he's "enjoyed it a lot".
His time isn't stunning and he's now 24s behind Latvala in fourth overall, but still with a 13s cushion over Meeke.
His time isn't stunning and he's now 24s behind Latvala in fourth overall, but still with a 13s cushion over Meeke.
Loeb completes the stage and his lead over Ogier has plunged from 24s to just 3s!
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Loeb confirms that running 14th on the road is an unhappy place to be on a stage where there isn't much ice and snow, just a lot of mud being pulled onto the course by the cars ahead:
"In some places it's very, very dirty," he admits, and says he's having to "take some risks" to stay on this pace.
"In some places it's very, very dirty," he admits, and says he's having to "take some risks" to stay on this pace.
Checkered flag
SS5 results:
Stage times:
1 Kubica 15m13.2s
2 Ogier +0.8s
3 Latvala +15.7s
4 Loeb +22.1s
5 Meeke +25.3s
6 Mikkelsen +27.8s
7 Ostberg +27.9s
8 Sordo +36.1s
9 Tanak +38.7s
10 Chardonnet +40.4s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Loeb
2 Ogier +3.0s
3 Latvala +1m10.7s
4 Tanak +1m35.0s
5 Evans +1m48.4s
6 Meeke +1m48.8s
7 Mikkelsen +1m51.4s
8 Ostberg +2m01.1s
9 Neuville +2m28.5s
10 Sordo +2m44.4s
Stage times:
1 Kubica 15m13.2s
2 Ogier +0.8s
3 Latvala +15.7s
4 Loeb +22.1s
5 Meeke +25.3s
6 Mikkelsen +27.8s
7 Ostberg +27.9s
8 Sordo +36.1s
9 Tanak +38.7s
10 Chardonnet +40.4s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Loeb
2 Ogier +3.0s
3 Latvala +1m10.7s
4 Tanak +1m35.0s
5 Evans +1m48.4s
6 Meeke +1m48.8s
7 Mikkelsen +1m51.4s
8 Ostberg +2m01.1s
9 Neuville +2m28.5s
10 Sordo +2m44.4s
Breaking news
SS5 summary:
* Loeb's lead over Ogier shrinks from 24s to 3s as he encounters muddier conditions
* Slow times for Tanak and Evans cement Latvala's third place
* Meeke closes in on Evans for fifth and inches away from Mikkelsen
* Loeb's lead over Ogier shrinks from 24s to 3s as he encounters muddier conditions
* Slow times for Tanak and Evans cement Latvala's third place
* Meeke closes in on Evans for fifth and inches away from Mikkelsen
Time for the crews to head to service and Race Centre Live to slow the pace while they do so.
We'll keep you updated with any major news from service, and resume full coverage at 1.30pm UK time for the next leg of this incredible Loeb vs Ogier fight.
We'll keep you updated with any major news from service, and resume full coverage at 1.30pm UK time for the next leg of this incredible Loeb vs Ogier fight.
Michelin
Welcome back to AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live for the Friday afternoon of the 2015 Monte Carlo Rally.
Here are the big questions facing us over the next 2-3 hours of stage action:
* What will the weather do? Will the crews face snow, fog, ice, mud or all four?
* Can Loeb fend off Ogier for the rally lead?
* Can M-Sport's young chargers get back in podium contention?
* Is someone poised for a tyre-choice masterstroke that turns the leaderboard inside-out?
* Will Kubica keep setting fastest stage times?
* Can Meeke, Mikkelsen or Ostberg get into the top five?
* What is going on in this picture? Is that what a teenage Bibendum looks like?
Breaking news
This morning was all about the see-saw battle between Loeb and Ogier, as the returning hero's lead grew from 13s to 28s, then shrank to just 3s:
Monte Carlo Rally Friday am report
Monte Carlo Rally Friday am report
This afternoon is a repeat of this morning's three stages. The first had a lot of fog, and even five hours later, that doesn't seem to have shifted.
The following pair of 16-milers were increasingly clear this morning, which meant more and more mud, but TV crews are suggesting that there could be a little snow on the way.
The following pair of 16-milers were increasingly clear this morning, which meant more and more mud, but TV crews are suggesting that there could be a little snow on the way.
Breaking news
Quite a spread of tyre choices this afternoon, here's what Michelin has just reported:
Loeb: 4 snow + 2 super-soft slicks
Ogier: 4 studded tyres + 2 super-soft slicks
Latvala: 2 snow, 2 studded, 2 super-soft
Tanak: 2 snow, 2 studded, 2 super-soft
Evans: 4 studded + 2 snow
Meeke: 2 snow, 2 studded, 2 super-soft
Mikkelsen: 2 snow, 2 studded, 2 super-soft
Ostberg: 4 snow + 2 super-soft slicks
Loeb: 4 snow + 2 super-soft slicks
Ogier: 4 studded tyres + 2 super-soft slicks
Latvala: 2 snow, 2 studded, 2 super-soft
Tanak: 2 snow, 2 studded, 2 super-soft
Evans: 4 studded + 2 snow
Meeke: 2 snow, 2 studded, 2 super-soft
Mikkelsen: 2 snow, 2 studded, 2 super-soft
Ostberg: 4 snow + 2 super-soft slicks
DAVID EVANS' verdict on those tyre choices:
"For the first time in the event, Sebastiens Loeb and Ogier have gone with significantly different tyre packages... leader Loeb takes four winter tyres and two super-soft racers, while Ogier has four studded tyres and two super-soft racers.
"Citroen's feeling is obviously that there's going to be less ice around in the afternoon."
"For the first time in the event, Sebastiens Loeb and Ogier have gone with significantly different tyre packages... leader Loeb takes four winter tyres and two super-soft racers, while Ogier has four studded tyres and two super-soft racers.
"Citroen's feeling is obviously that there's going to be less ice around in the afternoon."
The running order is the same as this morning, so initially we have our two Rally2 runners in Citroen young gun Sebastien Chardonnet and ex-Formula 1 star Robert Kubica, then it's the main field in 2014 championship order.
So Ogier is third on the road, Loeb is 14th.
So Ogier is third on the road, Loeb is 14th.
Robert Kubica
Kubica was the fastest man of all on the last two stages before lunch. He had to retire from Thursday night when electrical problem that hampered him on SS2 stopped the RK Ford completely on the following road section, but so far he's progressed back from 66th to 31st overall.
He's 10 minutes away from the lead, and if he can keep matching the frontrunners and stay out of trouble, you wouldn't totally rule out a point or two. Sometimes with Monte attrition you can be a long way adrift here and still score.
Stopwatch
Rapid start from Chardonnet this afternoon - he's quicker than both Kubica and Ogier on the early splits.
Kubica's pace hasn't been so stunning as yet, he's 3.7s down on Chardonnet and 2s off Ogier.
Kubica's pace hasn't been so stunning as yet, he's 3.7s down on Chardonnet and 2s off Ogier.
Stopwatch
Now Latvala's setting the pace, he's 5.4s faster than Ogier at split one.
By: AUTOSPORT staff, Scott Mitchell
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