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At least he was honest - Martin Prokop says "not at all" when asked if he's looking forward to SS9.
Green flag
Another stage underway, as Ogier heads onto today's final stage - Terra Alta.
A nifty run for Sordo, too, as he goes third on the stage in his Hyundai i20 WRC. With Ostberg slightly slower on that stage, Sordo's fourth is a bit more secure again.
He just won't go away, will he?
Tanak is doing a cracking job and closes back up to within a second of Latvala overall with the fastest time of the stage by 0.7s. The M-Sport driver now turns his attention to the 'Monster' Terra Alta stage as he pursues the lead of the rally.
Tanak is doing a cracking job and closes back up to within a second of Latvala overall with the fastest time of the stage by 0.7s. The M-Sport driver now turns his attention to the 'Monster' Terra Alta stage as he pursues the lead of the rally.
Paddon is the next man through and completes the stage quicker than the previous three drivers, 0.9s down on Latvala's time.
"Everybody is managing the tyres at the moment - the next stage critical. There's something not right on rear of the car," says Paddon as he completes the stage.
"Everybody is managing the tyres at the moment - the next stage critical. There's something not right on rear of the car," says Paddon as he completes the stage.
Back on SS8, we've now had Neuville, Meeke and Evans through as well. These three have been pretty closely matched all weekend, but it's Neuville of the three who now looks most comfortable.
Information
A quick WRC2 update for you; Pontus Tidemand continues to lead into SS7 from Jan Kopecky, but there's been a change for the final podium position, which is now occupied by Esapekka Lappi after Teemu Suninen stopped.
No changes to the order after that stage, but Latvala increases his gap back to Tanak ever so slightly:
1 Latvala2 Tanak +1.6s3 Ogier +2.8s4 Sordo +10.9s5 Ostberg +16.2s6 Paddon +22.8s
1 Latvala2 Tanak +1.6s3 Ogier +2.8s4 Sordo +10.9s5 Ostberg +16.2s6 Paddon +22.8s
Checkered flag
Back on SS7, we're just about ready to round up the leading times:
1 Ostberg2 Latvala +0.1s3 Neuvile +0.3s4 Tanak +0.8s5 Sordo +1.0s6 Ogier +1.7s
1 Ostberg2 Latvala +0.1s3 Neuvile +0.3s4 Tanak +0.8s5 Sordo +1.0s6 Ogier +1.7s
The second run of Bot might just be the first time today that Ostberg hasn't been faster than the Volkswagen's on outright pace today. He finishes the stage 1.4s shy of Latvala's time, but having suffered on Terra Alta earlier on, you could perhaps forgive him for saving his tyres ahead of the second running of that stage.
Mikkelsen slots in behind his Volkswagen team-mates for the time being on SS8, as he continues to manage tyre wear before tackling Terra Alta.
That's four stages in a row now where Latvala has outpaced Ogier, and the Finn certainly has the bit between his teeth after pulling out 0.4s on Bot.
Tanak is through SS7, 0.8s away from Ostberg's time, while Ogier has completed SS8 - the shortest stage - in 4m05.5s.
We're at the crossover point now where Ogier is onto SS8, as the remainder of the WRC field complete SS7.
Evans is next up, and goes 0.1s quicker than Meeke.
Co-driver Barritt's stage previews have been pretty insightful today, but there's not too much we can learn from Evans' post-stage interview.
"I felt it was reasonably smooth, but the time is a disappointment. We just have to keep at it and see what we can do."
Keep pushing, Elfyn.
Co-driver Barritt's stage previews have been pretty insightful today, but there's not too much we can learn from Evans' post-stage interview.
"I felt it was reasonably smooth, but the time is a disappointment. We just have to keep at it and see what we can do."
Keep pushing, Elfyn.
Meeke is a long way back, though. He drops 7.1s on Ostberg's time - but he's quite reflective, and has realised the importance of saving his tyres for the long run on Terra Alta later this afternoon.
That's more like it, Thierry!
Neuville can't quite match Ostberg's time, but the Hyundai man is third of the five runners to have completed the stage so far, ahead of Ogier and Mikkelsen. He'll be encouraged by that after a pretty forgettable start to the day.
Neuville can't quite match Ostberg's time, but the Hyundai man is third of the five runners to have completed the stage so far, ahead of Ogier and Mikkelsen. He'll be encouraged by that after a pretty forgettable start to the day.
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There's no doubt that Ostberg would be right up the front were it not for that puncture on SS5. He goes quickest by 0.1s on this stage, and remains pretty happy despite his tyre problems on the morning loop.
"The conditions are quite tricky now this afternoon, but we're doing a good job, I'm happy with what we are doing. It seems like others are struggling a bit more."
"The conditions are quite tricky now this afternoon, but we're doing a good job, I'm happy with what we are doing. It seems like others are struggling a bit more."
Mikkelsen comes through slower than his Volkswagen team-mates. It's been a pretty 'meh' sort of day for the Norwegian, but hes confident the savings he's making now will pay dividends later on.
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Latvala carries that promise and goes 1.6s quicker than Ogier to extend his overall lead.
"It was a good stage, it's a nice feeling and the grip was quite high," says the Finn, who seems pretty chuffed with that run.
When asked about making changes, he adds: "Not at the moment, you mainly just play with the tyres. I'm happy with everything."
"It was a good stage, it's a nice feeling and the grip was quite high," says the Finn, who seems pretty chuffed with that run.
When asked about making changes, he adds: "Not at the moment, you mainly just play with the tyres. I'm happy with everything."
Stopwatch
Ogier is through in 7m20.1s, but there's little doubt at the moment that Latvala has the upper hand in the battle of the Volkswagens, as he dips 0.7s below his team-mate's time through the first split.
Information
SS7 is the second run of Caseres - here's what Dan Barritt makes of it:
We’ve done part of this one before, but the really narrow and rough section of this stage has been taken out. It is, however, still a really tricky stage – there are lots of corners coming on top of you really quickly. When you’re in one corner, the next one’s coming straight away. I make a note at the top of the page in my pacenote book for this one, telling me I need to up the tempo and get ready for some rapid-fire calls.
This stage was made famous by one rock a few years ago, when Ken Block, Thierry [Neuville] and Petter [Solberg] all hit the same one and retired. We’ll have that one well marked!
We’ve done part of this one before, but the really narrow and rough section of this stage has been taken out. It is, however, still a really tricky stage – there are lots of corners coming on top of you really quickly. When you’re in one corner, the next one’s coming straight away. I make a note at the top of the page in my pacenote book for this one, telling me I need to up the tempo and get ready for some rapid-fire calls.
This stage was made famous by one rock a few years ago, when Ken Block, Thierry [Neuville] and Petter [Solberg] all hit the same one and retired. We’ll have that one well marked!
Green flag
Enough of the cute, cuddly pictures - Ogier is onto SS7.
Rest is something that WRC2 driver Yurii Protasov probably hasn't had much of this week.
Here's a snap from yesterday from our man on the ground, David Evans, of Yurii and his week-old son, Alain. Our congratulations to Yurii.
Here's a snap from yesterday from our man on the ground, David Evans, of Yurii and his week-old son, Alain. Our congratulations to Yurii.
A very brief chance for rest, then.
A quick lull in WRC action before we head into the day's remaining stages, which will flow pretty well into one another in the next couple of hours.
That means there's another change on the overall leaderboard, with Latvala edging past team-mate Ogier for the first time this weekend.
1 Latvala2 Tanak +0.9s3 Ogier +1.2s4 Sordo +10.0s5 Ostberg +16.3s6 Paddon +18.3s7 Mikkelsen +21.0s8 Meeke +34.9s9 Evans +35.1s10 Neuville +44.6s
1 Latvala2 Tanak +0.9s3 Ogier +1.2s4 Sordo +10.0s5 Ostberg +16.3s6 Paddon +18.3s7 Mikkelsen +21.0s8 Meeke +34.9s9 Evans +35.1s10 Neuville +44.6s
Checkered flag
With all of the WRC runners now through, here are the leading times from SS6:
1= Kubica + Tanak 3 Ostberg +0.6s4 Latvala +0.8s5 Paddon +1.1s6 Sordo +1.9s7 Ogier +2.8s8 Mikkelsen +3.1s9 Meeke +3.1s10 Neuville +4.2s
1= Kubica + Tanak 3 Ostberg +0.6s4 Latvala +0.8s5 Paddon +1.1s6 Sordo +1.9s7 Ogier +2.8s8 Mikkelsen +3.1s9 Meeke +3.1s10 Neuville +4.2s
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"There's much more grip, is was all good," says Kubica. "We had back luck on the long stage but that's how it is, we'll try to enjoy the rest of it."
Kubica proves his pace as he matches Tanak's fastest time. A real shame he's now out of contention.
Kubica is out on stage, and running competitively with the leading times that have so far been set.
Here's hoping the Pole has a trouble-free run this afternoon, after his rally was ruined by those two punctures on SS5.
Here's hoping the Pole has a trouble-free run this afternoon, after his rally was ruined by those two punctures on SS5.
Sordo is next through, with fifth on the stage consolidating his fourth overall.
Stopwatch
Tanak's form shows no sign of letting up yet, as the Estonian flies to the fastest stage time so far by 0.6s. Like Latvala, he's jumped Ogier in the overall classification, and is only 0.9s off the Rally lead after that effort.
Two contrasting fortunes for two Hyundai drivers so far today. Paddon, on the back of his three-year extension with the marque, is reveling in that security this weekend while Neuville, who will be demoted for the season-ending event to Hyundai's second-string team, has really struggled relative to the Kiwi and the third i20 WRC of Dani Sordo.
Evans is in, 4.1s down on Ostberg. He's followed by Paddon - who's had a consistent run in his Hyundai i20 WRC - who gets within half a second of Ostberg's time.
Neuville and Meeke were two drivers stuck - if we're honest - in mediocrity earlier today, and there's not much sign of that changing here.
Belgian Neuville is slowest of the six runners through so far, while Meeke - who says he's still learning the course - matches Mikkelsen's time.
Belgian Neuville is slowest of the six runners through so far, while Meeke - who says he's still learning the course - matches Mikkelsen's time.
Ostberg completes the stage now and goes 0.2s quicker than Latvala - but he isn't all that happy and feels he could have gone quicker.
The Norwegian will need a strong run on this second loop to regain the ground he lost through SS5.
The Norwegian will need a strong run on this second loop to regain the ground he lost through SS5.
Mikkelsen is through, 2.3s shy of Latvala.
If you missed out on the first loop earlier today, here's a quick guide to this first stage, courtesy of Elfyn Evans' co-driver, Dan Barritt.
SS2/6 Mora d’Ebre – Asco (5.97 miles)
As far as I’m aware this stage has never been used before. It’s quite wide and fast – which is not that characteristic of these Spanish gravel stages. And it will clean, there’s a fair bit of loose gravel on the top here.
SS2/6 Mora d’Ebre – Asco (5.97 miles)
As far as I’m aware this stage has never been used before. It’s quite wide and fast – which is not that characteristic of these Spanish gravel stages. And it will clean, there’s a fair bit of loose gravel on the top here.
The lead is now Latvala's, as the Finn goes two seconds quicker than his team-mate.
By: Matt Beer
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