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General

Rally GB and Sepang MotoGP

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That should mean we're underway in the next 10 minutes or so.
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Just to update you, the stage start has been delayed. No indication yet of when we might get going.
Apologies for the lack of updates - we're still waiting for the timing screens to update.
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So with one stage to go, here's one final preview from our latest man to hit trouble, Jari-Matti Latvala:

SS8 Dyfnant (11.12 miles)
This is a little bit different in character and grip level compared with the first three, it’s a little bit away in a different area. But I like this one, it’s nice and flows really well. A couple of places there has been some grading, but nothing too bad. It’ll be interesting to see what the grip change is like from the first run to the second.
We're gearing up now for the final stage of the day. Just over 10 minutes until the stage start.
We showed you a shot of Latvala earlier as our picture selection, but couldn't resist going for him again with this spectacular action shot. Photo: McKlein

We showed you a shot of Latvala earlier as our picture selection, but couldn't resist going for him again with this spectacular action shot. Photo: McKlein

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In WRC2, Lappi and Suninen both appear to have had spins on SS7, but Lappi's lead is now up over 50s at the front of the field.
Checkered flag
With a bit of a break to come, shall we take a bit of a check in on some times?

SS7 Hafren leading times:
1 Ogier 20m58.6s
2 Tanak +5.9s
3 Neuville +11.5s
4 Paddon +14s
5 Meeke +19.8s
6 Sordo +25.5s

Overall classification:
1 Ogier 1h33m58.4s
2 Tanak +23.3s
3 Meeke +1m05.4s
4 Paddon +1m06.8s
5 Neuville +1m09.7s
6 Sordo +1m53.5s
7 Ostberg +2m25.1s
8 Latvala +2m26.6s
Crash
Volkswagen confirms Latvala's problem is also a broken driveshaft, just like team-mate Mikkelsen's issue.
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Our leading WRC2 runners are now on the stage, but before they complete it here's a look at how things stand after six stages:

1 Lappi 1h16m33.3s; 2 Suninen +21.9s; 3 Kopecky; 4 Tidemand; 5 Aasen; 6 Pryce
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From our leading runners, here's a summary of the main action:

SS7 Hafren summary:
- Leader Ogier extends advantage with fifth stage win of rally
- Tanak second on stage but now 23.3s back
- Third-placed Latvala drops 1m45s with transmission issue
- Problem follows similar woes for VW team-mate Mikkelsen
- Meeke up to third, but Paddon and Neuville close
We've got a similar gap now as we had this morning before the final stage of the afternoon, the second attempt at Dyfnant.
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"I had a perfect stage," says Meeke. "These conditions are completely where we struggle.
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Tanak says he's still struggling with his original problem, and it sounds as though he lost intercoms too.

"Yeah, it's making it difficult. We lost some time now, it's very difficult at the moment. Today we just have to manage to get through."
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Latvala is indeed in trouble, and guess what the issue is...

"I am very frustrated, we have a transmission problem, there is nothing we can do about it."

He's then asked if it's a driveshaft issue: "It's a transmission problem," is his abrupt response.
Just waiting for drivers to come through for a bit of reaction for the moment. Hopefully we'll be able to hear what has gone wrong for Latvala.
Stopwatch
Meeke comes through and is 19.8s slower than Ogier. He does inherit third as a result of whatever trouble Latvala has come across, but has also forfeited some time to Paddon on that stage.
Stopwatch
Tanak comes through 5.9s slower than leader Ogier - so the gap goes out to well over 20s between the two.
Tanak doesn't look like he'll be able to challenge Ogier's time. He's 5s down at the final split - although 10s to the good over Meeke.
Stopwatch
Must be trouble for Latvala, surely. He completes the stage 1m45.8s slower than Ogier.
Latvala has suddenly dropped a chunk of time at the final split. He was 1.9s slower than Ogier through the third, but is now more than a minute down.
Tanak is now slower again at the third split, once again by 0.1s.
Stopwatch
Neuville has completed the stage and is 11.5s slower, while Paddon a further 2.5s down.
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"The most interesting is not at the end of the stage yet," says Ogier, in reference to Tanak. "This stage was very slippery - more so than earlier - so I'm just glad we're done with it."
Tanak lights up the timing screen in green and is now 1.8s up on Ogier through the second split.
Stopwatch
Mikkelsen is in, now, and drops a further 2m57.3s to Ogier.
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Further back down the road, if you were looking out for WRC2 runner Fredrik Ahlin's progress after JACK BENYON's update earlier today we have bad news for you. The Swede started the afternoon loop with a pop off valve issue, which appears to have developed into a terminal problem.
Mikkelsen will be the next man through, but he's 2m23.6s down at the final split.
But that appears to be a unviersal trend, with no-one setting faster splits than the rally leader. Tanak is the closest; one split in, he's 0.1s slower than Ogier.
Stopwatch
Ogier is in, and completes the stage in 20m58.6s. That's 13s slower than he managed this morning.
There is still some rain out on the stages, including Hafren. Ogier is now through the fourth and final split in a time of 16m31.1s, while a split back Mikkelsen is now 1m50.1s slower than his team-mate.

By: Matt Beer

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