Rally GB 2017
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Neuville is happier after that one, and says he's made a few adjustments to his car.
"So far the car is working," said the Hyundai driver. "This stage was really good for me, somebody is taking a lot of risks [ahead]. I tried to keep to my line.
"I changed the diff mapping which is more consistent, but the grip is much higher on this stage as well."
"So far the car is working," said the Hyundai driver. "This stage was really good for me, somebody is taking a lot of risks [ahead]. I tried to keep to my line.
"I changed the diff mapping which is more consistent, but the grip is much higher on this stage as well."
Neuville is in now and second on the stage - 4.5s down on Tanak, and 5.7s up on Ogier.
Tanak is in and 10.2s up on Ogier. A great time, not that you'd know it...
"The tyre was working quite well, but I'm not happy with the car," he says. "It's not behaving and the brakes are not so nice. It's understeering quite a lot, I'm having to use the handbrake too much."
"The tyre was working quite well, but I'm not happy with the car," he says. "It's not behaving and the brakes are not so nice. It's understeering quite a lot, I'm having to use the handbrake too much."
Autosport
Ogier said before the event he was wary of taking too many risks, but he sounded disappointed after that one. 
Well, apologies - Ogier's quote was binned off by our system. He reported no real problems, but said "maybe I am not daring enough".
Stopwatch
Ogier completes the stage in 20m39.5s. Now we wait...
Our first red on the Hafren stage and... it's from Hanninen. He's now 3.1s down on Ogier at split two.
Neuville is now 5.3s up on Ogier with only the run to the stage end left.
Another good split from Evans through split two. He's 6.9s up on Ogier and set for third on the stage as things stand.
And Tanak has now dropped a bit to Ogier at split four, although he's still 9.4s up on his team-mate.
Neuville has actually lost time to Ogier through the third split.
Still a sea of green on the timing screens, though, with Evans (4s) and even Hanninen (1.6s) up on Ogier through the first split.
16m13.8s is Ogier's time through the fourth split. Just the run to the stage end to go now.
Tanak's progress through the third split isn't as convincing, but he's now 10.3s up on his team-mate.
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As we forgot to mention Mikkelsen on the previous stage...
Neuville matches Tanak's run through the second split.
Latvala and Sordo are also up through the first split on Ogier - who is now through split three in 12m21.8s.
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Does he have a problem? Tanak is the best part of 10s up on his team-mate now through the second split.
Ogier, incidentally, is through the second split in 8m18.6s.
Back on Hafren, Neuville is also up considerably on Ogier's time. He's not as quick as Tanak, but still 4.3s up on the current WRC leader.
David Evans
Skoda will be looking to return to WRC2 winning ways in Wales, having lost the last two events to Eric Camilli (Germany) and Teemu Suninen (Spain) M-Sport Fiesta R5s.
This being one of three compulsory rounds for all WRC2 runners, recently crowned champion Pontus Tidemand and his team-mates Juuso Nordgren and Ole Christian Veiby will have their work cut out to top the podium in their Fabia R5s.
Still chasing a full factory driver next season, a result would do Tidemand no harm at all in Wales. But losing – even if it’s to some of the quicker locals like Gus Greensmith or Tom Cave – would undermine his credentials as he looks to update his CV.
This being one of three compulsory rounds for all WRC2 runners, recently crowned champion Pontus Tidemand and his team-mates Juuso Nordgren and Ole Christian Veiby will have their work cut out to top the podium in their Fabia R5s.
Still chasing a full factory driver next season, a result would do Tidemand no harm at all in Wales. But losing – even if it’s to some of the quicker locals like Gus Greensmith or Tom Cave – would undermine his credentials as he looks to update his CV.
As Tidemand is leading WRC2, let's get our first word of the day in from DAVID EVANS...
Tanak scorches through the first split on SS4 and is a full 5.8s up on Ogier!
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First Hafren split time in from Ogier, and it's a 4m14.8s. Tanak and Neuville are also up and running.
Speaking of Meeke, he's had a bit of a shocker on Sweet Lamb after an encouraging SS2. He's 2.2s down on the fastest time and eighth out of nine on the stage so far.
David Evans
Here's a quick stage guide...
SS4 Hafren (21.83 miles)
Kris Meeke’s favourite, this one. And it’s not hard to see why – especially when it’s running at the full length like we are this time. Looking at the map, you’ll get a good view of the cars for a long time from car park D, while E will take you to an uphill hairpin left. There are so many surface and grip changes in this stage, reading the road and interpreting the colour of the mud is vital. You’ve got to be on your mettle in here. This stage isn’t as quick as Myherin: there are a few more corners and junctions to slow the pace down a little bit.
SS4 Hafren (21.83 miles)
Kris Meeke’s favourite, this one. And it’s not hard to see why – especially when it’s running at the full length like we are this time. Looking at the map, you’ll get a good view of the cars for a long time from car park D, while E will take you to an uphill hairpin left. There are so many surface and grip changes in this stage, reading the road and interpreting the colour of the mud is vital. You’ve got to be on your mettle in here. This stage isn’t as quick as Myherin: there are a few more corners and junctions to slow the pace down a little bit.
We're going to stagger things, now, with Ogier up and running already on SS4 Hafren.
Breen is also through and goes fifth on the stage.
Hanninen is a LONG way off the pace - 6.5s.
Sordo has come through the end of Sweet Lamb and is 1.8s down on Tanak, while Evans is also more than a second down on his fellow Fiesta driver.
Evans still leads, but now by 2.2s over Ogier.
Evans still leads, but now by 2.2s over Ogier.
Latvala comes through 0.8s down on the fastest time on the stage.
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Stat attack time...
Neuville splits the M-Sport Ford Fiestas on SS3. He's 0.1s behind Tanak, but 0.1s up on Ogier.
Stopwatch
Tanak comes in and is 0.2 faster than his team-mate on that short test.
Stopwatch
Enough of that, anyway, let's cast sentimentality to one side. Ogier is through Sweet Lamb in a time of 2m44.6s.
Information
While there's a brief lull, we'll give a quick shout out to David Evans - who, as usual, is out in the forests for us. A big hello too to Autosport Group National Editor and all-round rallying good guy Jack Benyon, who joins Evans in our 'men on the ground' super team this weekend.
Expect updates from the pair of them throughout the weekend, and when we get a chance to slot them into live coverage!
Expect updates from the pair of them throughout the weekend, and when we get a chance to slot them into live coverage!
By: Matt Beer
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