Rally Mexico and IndyCar opener
Live Text
Sort by
WRC
We're underway at Rally Mexico, with Valeriy Gorban into the stage. Here's your running order for this test:
Gorban
Evans
Sordo
Latvala
Hanninen
Paddon
Tanak
Neuville
Ogier
Meeke
Gorban
Evans
Sordo
Latvala
Hanninen
Paddon
Tanak
Neuville
Ogier
Meeke
IndyCar
It's been a chaotic start to the 2017 IndyCar season in St Petersburg. Graham Rahal and Charlie Kimball made contact at Turn 3 and brought out the full course yellow.
We're 10 laps down and it's Schmidt Peterson's James Hinchcliffe who leads the way ahead of pole-sitter Will Power and morning warm-up pacesetter Scott Dixon.
We're 10 laps down and it's Schmidt Peterson's James Hinchcliffe who leads the way ahead of pole-sitter Will Power and morning warm-up pacesetter Scott Dixon.
Twitter
Twitter
Nice to see our man in the service park, DAVID EVANS, photo-bombing Yves Matton in the tweet below. Top work David. Nice white shirt too.
Twitter
Twitter
Twitter
Autosport
Rally Mexico offers little in the way of retro picture options as the event is so young in terms of the WRC calendar. We’ve gone back five years to bring you Sebastien Loeb, on his way to winning his last Rally Mexico and last title that year before he retired from full-time WRC competition.
Quote
First up in just a few minutes time is the La Calera stage.
Here's the navigator currently leading this rally, PAUL NAGLE, with what to expect:
SS18 La Calera
"The start is the same as SS10, but we turn left and then we’re onto part of the very long stage from last year.
"The end of the stage is mega, mega fast and there’s a big jump at the end. This is definitely one of the best stages on the route."
Here's the navigator currently leading this rally, PAUL NAGLE, with what to expect:
SS18 La Calera
"The start is the same as SS10, but we turn left and then we’re onto part of the very long stage from last year.
"The end of the stage is mega, mega fast and there’s a big jump at the end. This is definitely one of the best stages on the route."
Autosport
Hello and welcome back to Rally Mexico, brought to you by Autosport Live.
Are you ready for a finale? It's not all that close at the front, but you never know what can happen in rallying...
Are you ready for a finale? It's not all that close at the front, but you never know what can happen in rallying...
Autosport
Here's our comprehensive report from this morning's action in Mexico (albeit in the evening GMT).
We'll have a report on the afternoon loop at 0100hrs GMT, and our live coverage resumes at 1630hrs on Sunday for the final loop where the Rally Mexico winner will be decided. Until then, buenas noches.
We'll have a report on the afternoon loop at 0100hrs GMT, and our live coverage resumes at 1630hrs on Sunday for the final loop where the Rally Mexico winner will be decided. Until then, buenas noches.
Twitter
Twitter
Twitter
Twitter
Twitter
Autosport
We've got IndyCar race coverage coming up tomorrow as the season gets underway at St Petersburg. In the final practice earlier today, Scott Dixon was quickest:
Checkered flag
And here's confirmation of stage times and overall order.
SS11
1 Neuville 5m27.1s
2 Meeke +0s
3 Ogier +0.8s
4 Sordo +0.9s
5 Tanak +2.2s
6 Paddon +4.8s
Overall after SS11
1 Meeke +1h52m24.8s
2 Ogier +23.5s
3 Neuville +1m07.1s
4 Tanak +1m59s
5 Paddon +2m48.2s
6 Hanninen +2m48.5s
SS11
1 Neuville 5m27.1s
2 Meeke +0s
3 Ogier +0.8s
4 Sordo +0.9s
5 Tanak +2.2s
6 Paddon +4.8s
Overall after SS11
1 Meeke +1h52m24.8s
2 Ogier +23.5s
3 Neuville +1m07.1s
4 Tanak +1m59s
5 Paddon +2m48.2s
6 Hanninen +2m48.5s
Quote
Meeke is happy to exit this stage without the spectre of defeat.
"This is my bogie stage, I've made a few mistakes in here in the past," he says. "Today it felt good. It's going to be a tough afternoon."
The last time he left this stage it was on the back of a truck. Strong result in itself for Meeke, there.
"This is my bogie stage, I've made a few mistakes in here in the past," he says. "Today it felt good. It's going to be a tough afternoon."
The last time he left this stage it was on the back of a truck. Strong result in itself for Meeke, there.
Stopwatch
And Meeke ties Neuville for a joint stage win!
Stopwatch
Ogier slots in second, 0.8s slower than Neuville.
Just rally leader Meeke remaining.
Just rally leader Meeke remaining.
Only Ogier and Meeke are left to complete the morning loop.
Stopwatch
Sordo doesn't claim another stage win, but he's only lost 0.9s to his Belgian team-mate Neuville.
Stopwatch
Neuville completes and he goes quickest so far, 2.2s quicker than Paddon.
Poor Juho Hanninen is being sick next to the time control. If there's any event you would want to be ill, this would be top of the list.
Poor Juho Hanninen is being sick next to the time control. If there's any event you would want to be ill, this would be top of the list.
Stopwatch
Hanninen is in and does indeed drop fifth to Hayden Paddon.
Neuvlle, Sordo, Ogier and Meeke to follow.
Neuvlle, Sordo, Ogier and Meeke to follow.
Stopwatch
Tanak betters Paddon by 2.6s to go quickest so far.
The Estonian is over 49s behind Neuville in third overall.
The Estonian is over 49s behind Neuville in third overall.
Quote
Paddon is in and goes quickest, 5.3s quicker than Evans. He's also got rear left damage, hitting the same rock as Latvala.
"It was an instant puncture, we didn't lose too much time," says Paddon. "I think this afternoon we can be competitive this afternoon."
He's set to take fifth off Hanninen on this stage.
"It was an instant puncture, we didn't lose too much time," says Paddon. "I think this afternoon we can be competitive this afternoon."
He's set to take fifth off Hanninen on this stage.
Quote
Latvala goes quickest so far by 2.9s. The Finn has a puncture making the time even more impressive.
The car is working better," he says. "I tried to attack more, I used the whole road and there was a rock at the edge of the corner. I only lost a couple of seconds."
The car is working better," he says. "I tried to attack more, I used the whole road and there was a rock at the edge of the corner. I only lost a couple of seconds."
Quote
Elfyn Evans slackens his belts, no doubt dreaming of an easier afternoon. He'll still be sweeping the road but it will be easier after the morning running.
"One of the loosest parts of the loop, it'll clean well and I'd expect the times to tumble," he says.
Evans predicting that the drivers further back will beat that time.
"One of the loosest parts of the loop, it'll clean well and I'd expect the times to tumble," he says.
Evans predicting that the drivers further back will beat that time.
Information
LEFEBVRE UPDATE: Stephane Lefebvre didn't roll his Citroen C3 WRC, he's merely slipped off the stage and is stuck.
Stopwatch
Watching the onboards of the 2017 cars on gravel is really spectacular. ELfyn Evans is making his way through the stage, as Valeriy Gorban has just entered.
Green flag
Now we'll switch focus to SS11 El Brinco, which Elfyn Evans is well into now.
Checkered flag
Here's your SS10 times and the overall order:
SS10
1 Sordo 28m17.5s
2 Meeke +0.9s
3 Ogier +3.6s
4 Neuville +7.1s
5 Tanak +15.3s
6 Evans +24.9s
Overall after SS10
1 Meeke +1h46m57.7s
2 Ogier +22.7s
3 Neuville +1m07.1s
4 Tanak +1m56.8s
5 Hanninen +2m41.1s
6 Paddon +2m43.4s
SS10
1 Sordo 28m17.5s
2 Meeke +0.9s
3 Ogier +3.6s
4 Neuville +7.1s
5 Tanak +15.3s
6 Evans +24.9s
Overall after SS10
1 Meeke +1h46m57.7s
2 Ogier +22.7s
3 Neuville +1m07.1s
4 Tanak +1m56.8s
5 Hanninen +2m41.1s
6 Paddon +2m43.4s
Green flag
Elfyn Evans is into El Brinco.
Meeke completes and he's 0.9s slower than Sordo. He extends his rally lead to 22.7s by the end of the stage.
Stopwatch
Ogier is in and he drops 3.6s to Sordo in SS10.
Autosport
We have a short lull. We're going to stick with SS10, but SS11 kicks off with Elfyn Evans in just a few minutes.
Here's PAUL NAGLE to run you through the next test.
SS11 El Brinco (6.26 miles)
"This is the second half of the powerstage and it’s a very fast stage. We went off here in 2014, taking a wheel off on a fast right-hander – which probably goes some way to explaining why we don’t really get on with this stage. It’s got a lot of bad dips and bumps and culverts and one very big jump at the end of the stage.
"This is quite a famous jump, it’s the one with the long downhill stretch before you take off and fly for a very long way. I like this jump, it feels natural and it’s a really good atmosphere down there, quite like Colin’s Crest."
Here's PAUL NAGLE to run you through the next test.
SS11 El Brinco (6.26 miles)
"This is the second half of the powerstage and it’s a very fast stage. We went off here in 2014, taking a wheel off on a fast right-hander – which probably goes some way to explaining why we don’t really get on with this stage. It’s got a lot of bad dips and bumps and culverts and one very big jump at the end of the stage.
"This is quite a famous jump, it’s the one with the long downhill stretch before you take off and fly for a very long way. I like this jump, it feels natural and it’s a really good atmosphere down there, quite like Colin’s Crest."
Stopwatch
Sordo is in and he's another seven seconds quicker than Neuville. Brilliant time again from the Spaniard.
Quote
Neuville is happy with his effort, quicker than Tanak and fastest so far although he's unlikely to remain so.
"Good stage, I enjoyed it, but there were some really slippy bits," he says. "I can't get the guys in front unless they make a mistake."
"Good stage, I enjoyed it, but there were some really slippy bits," he says. "I can't get the guys in front unless they make a mistake."
By: Matt Beer
Published:
Lap:
