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Rally Mexico and IndyCar opener
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Crash
CRASH UPDATE: Bertelli rolled but is moving again.
Lefebvre has also rolled and is stopped. The crew are OK according to Citroen.
Lefebvre has also rolled and is stopped. The crew are OK according to Citroen.
Stopwatch
Neuville is in, 8.2s quicker than Tanak and fastest overall.
Stopwatch
We've got splits missing for Meeke but we'll try and keep you updated.
At the third of four splits, Meeke is around five seconds up on Ogier.
Ogier trails Meeke by 20s coming into this stage, so the gap is set to increase.
At the third of four splits, Meeke is around five seconds up on Ogier.
Ogier trails Meeke by 20s coming into this stage, so the gap is set to increase.
Stopwatch
Hanninen is in and we were right to point to the gap between he and Paddon before the stage.
Hanninen holds fifth, but the gap has gone from 25.6s to 2.3s. Paddon's coming for you, Juho.
Hanninen holds fifth, but the gap has gone from 25.6s to 2.3s. Paddon's coming for you, Juho.
Stopwatch
We're still waiting for Tanak's time, he's complaining of the setup not quite being right in the Fiesta.
He's 9.6s quicker than Elfyn Evans and fastest so far.
He's 9.6s quicker than Elfyn Evans and fastest so far.
Stopwatch
At the third split, Dani Sordo is 10 SECONDS quicker than the next fastest, Thierry Neuville.
Stopwatch
Paddon completes the stage 1.7s slower than Elfyn Evans.
Stopwatch
Neuville is comfortably fastest at the third split. Neuville, Sordo, Ogier and Meeke look set to blow the rest of the competition away here. Tanak, Paddon and Latvala all lost time to Evans in split two, while the aforementioned four have all taken at least a few seconds at that point.
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Seventh place man Lefebvre has stopped on the stage.
Stopwatch
Ogier went fastest through the first split, but Meeke has taken that mantle now.
The rally leader is 2.4s up on Ogier, who started the stage 20s behind the Northern Irishman in the rally.
The rally leader is 2.4s up on Ogier, who started the stage 20s behind the Northern Irishman in the rally.
Stopwatch
Neuville is the first man to beat Elfyn Evans' benchmark at the second split. He's 2s up at that point.
Jeez, the conditions are improving rapidly!
Quicker than Neuville at split two is Sordo, 6.4s up to be exact. Running order could prove massive on this stage by the looks of things.
Jeez, the conditions are improving rapidly!
Quicker than Neuville at split two is Sordo, 6.4s up to be exact. Running order could prove massive on this stage by the looks of things.
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Latvala drops 10s to Evans, he's not happy with his brakes which are going off.
"Yes, Elfyn has done a very good drive," he says.
"Yes, Elfyn has done a very good drive," he says.
Stopwatch
Tanak breaks the mould! After a brief spell in the red on the timing board, he's back in green as he goes ahead of Elfyn Evans at the third split. Riveting stage, this.
Stopwatch
Neuville and Sordo are quicker than Elfyn Evans through split one, but remember the drivers in the stage have all ended up slower than Evans at the next split.
Stopwatch
So the splits are revealing nothing. Or something. A little bit, bit not enough. You get the picture.
Initially it looked like Latvala had an issue as he was quick in split one but lost time in the second and third splits.
But Paddon has mirrored the time loss meaning Elfyn Evans has negotiated the wetter parts of the stage better. Or has he? We'll soon find out.
Initially it looked like Latvala had an issue as he was quick in split one but lost time in the second and third splits.
But Paddon has mirrored the time loss meaning Elfyn Evans has negotiated the wetter parts of the stage better. Or has he? We'll soon find out.
Stopwatch
Latvala, Paddon and Tanak were all quicker than Evans in the first split but are all slower in the second. Is this a mega drive from Elfyn? Perhaps the weather he mentioned helped him on the DMACK tyres. Only time will tell.
Quote
Evans completes the stage in 28m42.4s.
"It's not so bad. Over the last 20kms it's very slippy and quite wet around halfway through," says Evans. "The car was sliding around at the rear but I think it was the conditions."
"It's not so bad. Over the last 20kms it's very slippy and quite wet around halfway through," says Evans. "The car was sliding around at the rear but I think it was the conditions."
Information
Has Latvala developed an issue? He's gone from 5.5s to 8.1s down on Elfyn Evans between split two and three.
Bertelli has stopped.
Bertelli has stopped.
Stopwatch
And Tanak goes 1.8s quicker than Paddon in turn. We're on for another tight battle here.
Stopwatch
Paddon is our next pacesetter at the first split and he's just over two seconds up on Evans.
Stopwatch
Interesting times at the second split. Despite being up at the first, Latvala is 5.5s down on Elfyn Evans at the second split.
Stopwatch
First meaningful split is in, Latvala is 0.8s up on Elfyn Evans at that point.
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Elfyn Evans, Valeriy Gorban and Jari-Matti Latvala are into the test.
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While we're waiting, lets pick out some key battles to watch in the top 10 and remind you of the overall classification.
- Sebastien Ogier trails leader Kris Meeke by 20s
- Juho Hanninen lost fourth on the last stage and is only 25.6s ahead of Hayden Paddon. He could lose fifth to the Kiwi on this test.
- Jari-Matti Latvala, championship leader, is 11.2s behind Stephane Lefebvre in seventh.
Here's the overall order after SS9:
1 Meeke 1h18m39.3s
2 Ogier +20s
3 Neuville +1m00.9s
4 Tanak +1m42.4s
5 Hanninen +1m52.1s
6 Paddon +2m17.7s
- Sebastien Ogier trails leader Kris Meeke by 20s
- Juho Hanninen lost fourth on the last stage and is only 25.6s ahead of Hayden Paddon. He could lose fifth to the Kiwi on this test.
- Jari-Matti Latvala, championship leader, is 11.2s behind Stephane Lefebvre in seventh.
Here's the overall order after SS9:
1 Meeke 1h18m39.3s
2 Ogier +20s
3 Neuville +1m00.9s
4 Tanak +1m42.4s
5 Hanninen +1m52.1s
6 Paddon +2m17.7s
Stopwatch
We're underway on SS10 with Elfyn Evans into the stage.
Information
Only a coupe of minutes before SS10 is underway. Here's your running order:
Evans
Gorban
Latvala
Bertelli
Lefebvre
Paddon
Tanak
Hanninen
Neuville
Sordo
Ogier
Meeke
Evans
Gorban
Latvala
Bertelli
Lefebvre
Paddon
Tanak
Hanninen
Neuville
Sordo
Ogier
Meeke
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Autosport Live featuring PAUL NAGLE, with the hit single "El Brinco". It's a future hit.
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."
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."
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Twitter
Twitter
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WRC2 is proving to be extremely interesting.
Works Skoda man Pontus Tidemand looked invincible with a brilliant home Sweden win, but he's under threat in Mexico.
M-Sport Fiesta man Eric Camilli – who was dropped to the R5 programme from the WRC team before this season started – has taken 20s, yes 20, on the first stage of the day. The gap is down to six seconds.
Tidemand reckons there's more in the tank, and Camilli crashed here last year. Who will win the battle?
Works Skoda man Pontus Tidemand looked invincible with a brilliant home Sweden win, but he's under threat in Mexico.
M-Sport Fiesta man Eric Camilli – who was dropped to the R5 programme from the WRC team before this season started – has taken 20s, yes 20, on the first stage of the day. The gap is down to six seconds.
Tidemand reckons there's more in the tank, and Camilli crashed here last year. Who will win the battle?
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With that stage to bed, we have a small reprieve and then we've got two quickfire stages to end the day, SS10 and SS11.
SS10 starts in 25 minutes.
SS10 starts in 25 minutes.
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After SS9, here's your stage times and overall times:
SS9
1 Sordo 17m01.4s
2 Ogier +3.2s
3 Meeke +4.1s
4 Neuville +8.3s
5 Tanak +13.6s
6 Paddon +19.7s
Overall after SS9
1 Meeke 1h18m39.3s
2 Ogier +20s
3 Neuville +1m00.9s
4 Tanak +1m42.4s
5 Hanninen +1m52.1s
6 Paddon +2m17.7s
SS9
1 Sordo 17m01.4s
2 Ogier +3.2s
3 Meeke +4.1s
4 Neuville +8.3s
5 Tanak +13.6s
6 Paddon +19.7s
Overall after SS9
1 Meeke 1h18m39.3s
2 Ogier +20s
3 Neuville +1m00.9s
4 Tanak +1m42.4s
5 Hanninen +1m52.1s
6 Paddon +2m17.7s
Information
Kris Meeke is at the stage end but he's smelt something in the car and it's a sharp reply at stage end: "We need to go".
Possible issue for the rally leader?
Possible issue for the rally leader?
Stopwatch
Meeke is third quickest, 4.1s slower than Sordo but dropping only 0.9s to his closest challenger Ogier. The gap is now 20s.
Quote
Ogier is in and jokes he can't remember what it's like to see lines made by cars ahead after spending most of 2016 sweeping the road as the championship leader for the first two days. Now the rules have changed and the championship leader only sweeps on day one.
"I started a bit too careful, I'm not used to having a line," he says. "My plan is not to go all or nothing. The car is fine.
"I started a bit too careful, I'm not used to having a line," he says. "My plan is not to go all or nothing. The car is fine.
Stopwatch
Ogier completes and maintains second, 3.2s slower than Sordo and second quickest on the stage.
That also means he extends his cushion over third placed Neuville to 40.9s.
Next up: rally leader Meeke.
That also means he extends his cushion over third placed Neuville to 40.9s.
Next up: rally leader Meeke.
Stopwatch
Don't discount Ogier and Meeke though.
Meeke is only a couple of seconds off Sordo's time at the last split.
Meeke is only a couple of seconds off Sordo's time at the last split.
By: Matt Beer
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