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Kubica is keen to ensure not all of the attention goes Ostberg's way, though, as he sets a blistering pace through SS3! He's three seconds faster than Ostberg, and he now leads overall by 3.6s.
That was worth the wait.
That was worth the wait.
There's no mid-stage split on SS4, given its short nature.
We should really have guessed by now though that Ostberg would be fast and he's quickest again, more than three seconds clear of Ogier's effort. That puts him seven seconds clear overall.
"It's been a great start," he says. "I'm really enjoying the stages and pushing really hard - it's nice to see it pay off."
We should really have guessed by now though that Ostberg would be fast and he's quickest again, more than three seconds clear of Ogier's effort. That puts him seven seconds clear overall.
"It's been a great start," he says. "I'm really enjoying the stages and pushing really hard - it's nice to see it pay off."
Mikkelsen is a touch slower on SS4, and although the stage gap is only 1.1s between him and Ogier, he's not too happy with his run so far this morning.
"It was a bit better. I'm not happy with my driving this morning to be honest, I've been a bit carefully and haven't got into the attacking rhythm. "
"It was a bit better. I'm not happy with my driving this morning to be honest, I've been a bit carefully and haven't got into the attacking rhythm. "
Latvala is through SS4 0.2s slower than Ogier.
Back on SS3, Sordo is through and goes fourth fastest on the stage.
Back on SS3, Sordo is through and goes fourth fastest on the stage.
Ogier has completed Bot - SS4 - in a time of 4m16.5s.
It's the shortest of today's four stages, but it's by no means easy, as Dan Barritt explains:SS4/8 Bot
(4.03 miles)This stage has been used every year since the gravel roads have formed part of the
route – but it’s been reversed for the first time, so it is a little bit different. It’s only a short one, but it’s quite loose again. The surface can be really deceptive; it doesn’t look slippery, but the grip level is quite low on the first pass.
It's the shortest of today's four stages, but it's by no means easy, as Dan Barritt explains:SS4/8 Bot
(4.03 miles)This stage has been used every year since the gravel roads have formed part of the
route – but it’s been reversed for the first time, so it is a little bit different. It’s only a short one, but it’s quite loose again. The surface can be really deceptive; it doesn’t look slippery, but the grip level is quite low on the first pass.
It's a good time from Paddon, who is second quickest of the eight to have completed SS3 at the moment and is 1.6s slower than Ostberg.
Tanak is next through, just 0.1s behind Paddon. Good effort so far today from the Estonian.
Tanak is next through, just 0.1s behind Paddon. Good effort so far today from the Estonian.
We're on quite a tight schedule, so as Paddon and the rest start to filter through SS3, Ogier gets us going on SS4.
Evans is next through and is third quickest on the stage, 4.6s down on Ostberg.
Meeke is through now but, to be honest, it's a bit of a stinker.
He takes up Neuville's mantle of slowest on stage so far, 8.2s down on Citroen team-mate Ostberg.
"For me I've only ever done this rally once in 2011 so I have no experience," he says. "It's slippery, all these guys have done them since 2008 - I'm just learning."
He takes up Neuville's mantle of slowest on stage so far, 8.2s down on Citroen team-mate Ostberg.
"For me I've only ever done this rally once in 2011 so I have no experience," he says. "It's slippery, all these guys have done them since 2008 - I'm just learning."
Neuville is through and again is slower than anyone else so far.
It's not a great start to the day from the Belgian, who was second quickest in yesterday's opening stage.
It's not a great start to the day from the Belgian, who was second quickest in yesterday's opening stage.
Ostberg is through, and while it's not as impressive as that first split, he still goes fastest on SS3 so far.
He seems fairly happy with that, but admits his tyres went off towards the end of the stage.
"I pushed hard at the beginning of the stage. I lost the rhythm a little bit unfortunately but it was OK."
He seems fairly happy with that, but admits his tyres went off towards the end of the stage.
"I pushed hard at the beginning of the stage. I lost the rhythm a little bit unfortunately but it was OK."
A few runners down, but here's your guide to SS3, Caseres, again courtesy of Dan Barritt. SS3/7
Caseres (7.76 miles)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!
Caseres (7.76 miles)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!
If you thought Latvala's time was quick, then Ostberg's time might just blow you away. He's 4.1s up on the Finn's first-split time.
Latvala is through and goes quicker than his world champion team-mate by 3.0s.
"I did a little change with the setup, more for the driving," he says. "It was the braking points and the way you attack through the corners."
A much better effort from the Finn there, and nice to hear 'attack' so early on.
"I did a little change with the setup, more for the driving," he says. "It was the braking points and the way you attack through the corners."
A much better effort from the Finn there, and nice to hear 'attack' so early on.
Ogier is through in 7m34.3s.
Pontus Tidemand snuck under the radar and topped SS2 in WRC2, he is now second overall just 1.4s off the lead.
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Yurii Protasov is in a celebratory mood today, not because he is currently fourth overall in WRC2, but because he has brought his week-old son to his first ever rally! As David Evans explains.
"There are congratulations and commiserations in WRC2 on this event. Congratulations to Yurii Protasov who arrived in Spain accompanied by his week-old son Alain (pictured). Commiserations to Yazeed Al-Rajhi, who couldn’t take the start of the event due to illness."
"There are congratulations and commiserations in WRC2 on this event. Congratulations to Yurii Protasov who arrived in Spain accompanied by his week-old son Alain (pictured). Commiserations to Yazeed Al-Rajhi, who couldn’t take the start of the event due to illness."
Ogier now underway on SS3.
Bertelli rolled his car earlier on. Both he and co-driver Lorenzo Grani got out of the car and are OK.
SS3 will be starting shortly, another gravel stage for the drivers to sink their teeth into.
The buzzword from this morning's opening stage when describing conditions was 'slippery', so let's see how they cope on this stage.
The buzzword from this morning's opening stage when describing conditions was 'slippery', so let's see how they cope on this stage.
Nasser Al-Athiya still leads WRC2 by 3.5s. He topped SS2 by 1.3s from Esapekka Lappi, who is second overall.
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FEVER ALERT!
Our man David Evans caught world champion Sebastien Ogier having a chat with none other than Daniel Elena.
"Here's some mid-morning fever for you (taken earlier this morning, obviously). This pair have 12 world titles between them, but Monegasque Daniel Elena outscores Sebastien Ogier by 9-3. For now."
Our man David Evans caught world champion Sebastien Ogier having a chat with none other than Daniel Elena.
"Here's some mid-morning fever for you (taken earlier this morning, obviously). This pair have 12 world titles between them, but Monegasque Daniel Elena outscores Sebastien Ogier by 9-3. For now."
And here's what that opening stage of the day has done to the overall classification
1 Ogier2 Kubica +1.1s3 Ostberg +1.7s4 Paddon +2.4s5= Mikkelsen + Meeke +5.1s7 Tanak +5.4s8 Sordo +5.6s9 Neuville +5.8s10 Latvala +7.7s
1 Ogier2 Kubica +1.1s3 Ostberg +1.7s4 Paddon +2.4s5= Mikkelsen + Meeke +5.1s7 Tanak +5.4s8 Sordo +5.6s9 Neuville +5.8s10 Latvala +7.7s
Checkered flag
As we wait to find out a bit more about Bertelli's incident, here are the leading times from SS2:
1= Ostberg + Paddon3 Kubica +0.2s4 Tanak +1.4s5 Sordo +2.2s6 Ogier +3.0s7 Evans +3.1s8 Meeke +4.8s9 Mikkelsen +5.2s10 Latvala +5.5s
1= Ostberg + Paddon3 Kubica +0.2s4 Tanak +1.4s5 Sordo +2.2s6 Ogier +3.0s7 Evans +3.1s8 Meeke +4.8s9 Mikkelsen +5.2s10 Latvala +5.5s
Crash
Bertelli has stopped out on stage
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Here's what Kubica had to say:
"We had a few issues, it’s difficult to get through these stages without any. It’s very slippery and I pulled the handbrake and went wide. In the low speed corners I was struggling a lot."
"We had a few issues, it’s difficult to get through these stages without any. It’s very slippery and I pulled the handbrake and went wide. In the low speed corners I was struggling a lot."
Kubica is in and he goes third fastest through the stage, and second overall - just 1.1s behind leader Ogier.
David Evans
Tyre choice will play a big part by the end of today, with drivers already complaining of slippery conditions. David Evans explains who has fitted what.
Reasonable variation in tyre choice for the first loop. Citroen, Hyundai and Mikkelsen's Volkswagen have taken four hards and two softs, allowing for a crossed - front to rear or diagonal - mix of tyres. Ogier and Latvala have four hards and one soft, so will fit one soft on the front left or right and both M-Sport drivers are running five hards. Four hards are definitely the right call for the final stage in the loop - the 22-mile Terra Alta stage, which comes complete with six potentially tyre-wrecking asphalt miles towards the end.
Weather-wise it's war and getting warmer, sunny getting sunnier and likely to be hot then hotter. Early predictions of rain for today are well wide of the mark.
Reasonable variation in tyre choice for the first loop. Citroen, Hyundai and Mikkelsen's Volkswagen have taken four hards and two softs, allowing for a crossed - front to rear or diagonal - mix of tyres. Ogier and Latvala have four hards and one soft, so will fit one soft on the front left or right and both M-Sport drivers are running five hards. Four hards are definitely the right call for the final stage in the loop - the 22-mile Terra Alta stage, which comes complete with six potentially tyre-wrecking asphalt miles towards the end.
Weather-wise it's war and getting warmer, sunny getting sunnier and likely to be hot then hotter. Early predictions of rain for today are well wide of the mark.
More times coming through - Tanak goes third on the stage with a time of 5m57.0s, 0.8s quicker than next man through Sordo.
Paddon is now in and matches Ostberg's time - a good effort from the Hyundai driver.
"It’s majorly slippery and it’s very very loose, so I’m trying to drive nice tidy lines," says Paddon. "The road is going to keep cleaning a bit so we will see what the guys behind us can do."
"It’s majorly slippery and it’s very very loose, so I’m trying to drive nice tidy lines," says Paddon. "The road is going to keep cleaning a bit so we will see what the guys behind us can do."
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Meeke admits he wasn't completely comfortable on that stage, and had a minor moment.
“I can’t find the rhythm on these technical slippery stages, there’s lots of clearing to do," he says. "I had a moment towards the end of the stage and maybe lost a second or two.”
M-Sport man Evans agrees: " It’s quite difficult judging the grip level out there."
“I can’t find the rhythm on these technical slippery stages, there’s lots of clearing to do," he says. "I had a moment towards the end of the stage and maybe lost a second or two.”
M-Sport man Evans agrees: " It’s quite difficult judging the grip level out there."
Meeke is now through, too, and is third quickest of those through so far. He's deposed by Elfyn Evans - fresh from his second place on the Tour of Corsica - while Hayden Paddon is fastest of all through the first split.
Neuville is now in, but he's slowest so far. That will drop him behind Ostberg and Mikkelsen overall.
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Here is what current stage leader Ostberg had to say:
"It was a good stage I was pushing hard and had a good rhythm. It wasn’t that difficult, not too much dust, and you can still go flat out."
"It was a good stage I was pushing hard and had a good rhythm. It wasn’t that difficult, not too much dust, and you can still go flat out."
Stopwatch
Tasty time from Ostberg! He goes fastest on the stage by 3.0s.
Andreas Mikkelsen is the third man through, splitting his two team-mates at the top to take second for the time being.
That looks under threat, though, as Mads Ostberg goes 1.5s quicker than Ogier through the first split. He and Neuville are the two now tackling the stage.
That looks under threat, though, as Mads Ostberg goes 1.5s quicker than Ogier through the first split. He and Neuville are the two now tackling the stage.
Stopwatch
Latvala is now in, and cuts the beam 2.5s down on his team-mate
And Ogier completes the stage in a time of 5m58.6s
By: Matt Beer
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