Rally GB 2017
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David Evans
It's time for Wales to do its thing. Elfyn Evans needs help today and he needs help in the shape of heavy, heavy rain.
With close to 70 miles to run on one set of tyres, he could well do without a repeat of yesterday's blue skies and temperatures in the mid-teens. In fact, if that happens, he'll struggle to maintain much, if anything, of his advantage.
"We do need some rain," he said. "It was drying quite a lot yesterday afternoon and if it dries and it polishes then Dyfi and Garth[einiog] can be really hard on the tyres – once we see a bit of dust, those stages in the right temperature can kill even the hard compound."
Asked how he felt about leading and the pressure that brought, he added: "It's in my mind, but it's in my mind that I'm trying to manage the rally rather than in my mind because I'm excited that I might win it!"
With close to 70 miles to run on one set of tyres, he could well do without a repeat of yesterday's blue skies and temperatures in the mid-teens. In fact, if that happens, he'll struggle to maintain much, if anything, of his advantage.
"We do need some rain," he said. "It was drying quite a lot yesterday afternoon and if it dries and it polishes then Dyfi and Garth[einiog] can be really hard on the tyres – once we see a bit of dust, those stages in the right temperature can kill even the hard compound."
Asked how he felt about leading and the pressure that brought, he added: "It's in my mind, but it's in my mind that I'm trying to manage the rally rather than in my mind because I'm excited that I might win it!"
Green flag
The first cars are onto SS8, led by Khalid Al-Qassimi, Mads Ostberg, Esapekka Lappi and Juho Hanninen.
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A different, and rather fun, itinerary today.
We're about to kick off with the Aberhirmant stage, which is followed in fairly quick succession by Dyfnant, Gartheiniog and Dyfi.
Then there's a brief mid-morning regroup before another run through Gartheiniog and Dyfi, then a 94-mile drive into England for the Cholmondeley Castle stage.
The day's first service (finally) follows when the cars are back in Wales, and then they set off again to tackle Aberhirmant and Dyfnant again - but this time in the dark.
We're about to kick off with the Aberhirmant stage, which is followed in fairly quick succession by Dyfnant, Gartheiniog and Dyfi.
Then there's a brief mid-morning regroup before another run through Gartheiniog and Dyfi, then a 94-mile drive into England for the Cholmondeley Castle stage.
The day's first service (finally) follows when the cars are back in Wales, and then they set off again to tackle Aberhirmant and Dyfnant again - but this time in the dark.
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Here's how they run as Saturday begins:
1 Evans
2 Tanak +24.6s
3 Ogier +26.8s
4 Neuville +37.1s
5 Latvala +41.9s
6 Meeke +42.0s
7 Mikkelesn +52.0s
8 Sordo +1m13.9s
9 Paddon +1m22.9s
10 Hanninen +1m43.5s
11 Lappi +1m50.0s
12 Ostberg +2m00.8s
WRC2 champion Pontus Tidemand leads his class in 13th overall by 43.1s over Eric Camilli
1 Evans
2 Tanak +24.6s
3 Ogier +26.8s
4 Neuville +37.1s
5 Latvala +41.9s
6 Meeke +42.0s
7 Mikkelesn +52.0s
8 Sordo +1m13.9s
9 Paddon +1m22.9s
10 Hanninen +1m43.5s
11 Lappi +1m50.0s
12 Ostberg +2m00.8s
WRC2 champion Pontus Tidemand leads his class in 13th overall by 43.1s over Eric Camilli
To take the title fight onto Australia next month, Thierry Neuville needs to outscore Ogier by at least eight points here.
That's looking unlikely, but he did pick up speed through Friday and crept towards the M-Sport cars in fourth place.
That's looking unlikely, but he did pick up speed through Friday and crept towards the M-Sport cars in fourth place.
Yesterday was all about a Welshman - as predicted by his M-Sport stablemate Sebastien Ogier, Elfyn Evans dominated his home rally.
It was a pretty spectacular Friday for M-Sport overall, in fact. Its only WRC-win-less driver looking good for a first win in the most poignant location possible, Ogier on course for the title in third and its Ford Fiestas running 1-2-3 with Evans, Ott Tanak and Ogier.
It was a pretty spectacular Friday for M-Sport overall, in fact. Its only WRC-win-less driver looking good for a first win in the most poignant location possible, Ogier on course for the title in third and its Ford Fiestas running 1-2-3 with Evans, Ott Tanak and Ogier.
Welcome back to Autosport Live, it's time for a very long second full day of Rally GB.
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Apologies for that punctuated end to today's live coverage. It's been a pretty frenetic one out there in the forests, but Elfyn Evans has been a permanent fixture at the front from the get-go this morning and will lead Rally GB into Saturday morning.
That's all from us for now, but be sure to join us again tomorrow morning from around 7:45am UK time for comprehensive coverage of all of Saturday's action and, with any luck, no final stage technical dramas.
Thanks for joining us and have a good evening.
That's all from us for now, but be sure to join us again tomorrow morning from around 7:45am UK time for comprehensive coverage of all of Saturday's action and, with any luck, no final stage technical dramas.
Thanks for joining us and have a good evening.
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We're back - a brief internet meltdown seems to have been resolved.
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Meeke is sixth quickest on the stage, and slips to sixth overall.
"I really enjoyed it, I had a really good rhythm," says Meeke. "Generally happy with my day. I couldn't have done much more."
On Breen, Meeke says: I think he's just had a spin in a very slow corner and got stuck in a ditch."
"I really enjoyed it, I had a really good rhythm," says Meeke. "Generally happy with my day. I couldn't have done much more."
On Breen, Meeke says: I think he's just had a spin in a very slow corner and got stuck in a ditch."
We've had Hanninen in now, so there'll be a bit of a gap before Meeke is the next driver through after Breen's stoppage.
Evans is through now and isn't quite as quick as Neuville, but still stretches his overall lead.
"We should have been more competitive here to be honest," says Evans. "Who knows what the weather will do - I hope this sunshine goes away. I don't say that often."
"We should have been more competitive here to be honest," says Evans. "Who knows what the weather will do - I hope this sunshine goes away. I don't say that often."
Latvala is 12s down on Neuville, while Sordo is 18s back.
Stopwatch
Neuville is in now and 7.6s up on Ogier! great time.
Tanak claws back some of his lost time, and ends the stage 1.7s down on his team-mate.
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"This morning I was really not good on this stage," says Ogier. "I was a bit too careful. This afternoon I was a bit more on the limit."
Crash
Reports that Breen - who'd put in a competitive first split - has stopped on the stage. Hafren has not been kind to the Irishman today.
Stopwatch
Ogier completes the stage in 20m29s.9s. That's 10 seconds up on his earlier run through the stage.
And Neuville is now 4.1s up on Ogier at the final split. A bit more green being splashed about the leaderboard again.
Evans is now the fastest man of all by the second split, as he's 5.2s up on Ogier's benchmark.
That would still mean Tanak ends the first full day of running in second - just.
Tanak is now 3.1s down on his team-mate at the final split.
First split time for Evans is 2.2s up on Ogier.
Just the run to the stage end to go now for Ogier. He's through split four in 16m05.4s.
Ogier is now through the third split in 12m14.2s, and Tanak is 1.9s slower now at the same point.
Neuville loses a second to Ogier through the second split but is still 3.1s up.
Neuville's banked a stormed through the first split and is 4.1s up on Ogier.
We've now had split two times from the first and second drivers, and Tanak is now only 0.4s faster than his team-mate.
We've now had split two times from the first and second drivers, and Tanak is now only 0.4s faster than his team-mate.
This is the stage that Ogier struggled with most earlier.
First split time in from Ogier on Hafren, and it's a 4m11s. Tanak's quicker, though, by 2.6s.
We'll give you the full Sweet Lamb stage rundown when it comes in but for now we're going to switch full attention to Hafren.
Sweet Lamb's a little difficult once again for the Citroens. Breen is 2.3s slower than Ogier, while Meeke is a further 0.4s back.
Green flag
Air time filled, we can now get back to serious matters as Hafren is under way. It'd be surprising if Evans doesn't add to his lead once again.
Logs, obviously.
David Evans
With lots of talk of logging and harvesting making a mess of the roads in parts of Hafren (and tomorrow’s Aberhirnant stage), here’s a quick look at what it is that’s making things tricky for the world’s finest drivers. It’s a 40-tonne logging truck.
By: Matt Beer
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