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Race Centre Live will take a bit of a break from full-time rolling updates now, though our man DAVID EVANS may pop in with golden nuggets from the service park.
We'll return just before 8pm UK time for the start of SS6. See you then.
Breaking news
So, that's it for the morning loop. Here's SS5 in brief:
* Ogier wins the stages to halve Ostberg's lead...
* ...as the M-Sport man suffers from a radiator mask removal mistake
* ...and Latvala closes to within 20s of the lead
But if you want more info...
Our report after SS5 is live here
* Ogier wins the stages to halve Ostberg's lead...
* ...as the M-Sport man suffers from a radiator mask removal mistake
* ...and Latvala closes to within 20s of the lead
But if you want more info...
Our report after SS5 is live here
Checkered flag
SS5 results:
1 Ogier 2m23.2s
2 Latvala +0.4s
3 Hirvonen +2.0s
4 Meeke +3.1s
5 Ostberg +3.3s
6 Neuville +3.5s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Ostberg
2 Ogier +3.3s
3 Hirvonen +11.3s
4 Latvala +19.2s
5 Meeke +25.0s
6 Kubica +1m00.6s
1 Ogier 2m23.2s
2 Latvala +0.4s
3 Hirvonen +2.0s
4 Meeke +3.1s
5 Ostberg +3.3s
6 Neuville +3.5s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Ostberg
2 Ogier +3.3s
3 Hirvonen +11.3s
4 Latvala +19.2s
5 Meeke +25.0s
6 Kubica +1m00.6s
Atkinson completes the morning's work for the main runners, and the Hyundai is well down – 17.1s slower than stage winner Ogier.
Atko's not ebullient, but that's unsurprising. It was "not the easiest morning I've ever had," he admits, "but we're still here so I'll keep trying".
Atko's not ebullient, but that's unsurprising. It was "not the easiest morning I've ever had," he admits, "but we're still here so I'll keep trying".
Guerra's now done for the morning, and has a bit of a launch control issue. So Prokop's pushed up and the home favourite slots into 10th, 9.9s slower than Ogier.
Anyway, despite those issues, Kubica nipped in ahead of Evans and Prokop. He completed the stage in 2m27.5s.
AUTOSPORT is now wondering whether or not Kubica can still claim to be a "race driver". He's a man of mud now, is he not?
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Kubica through now. Overheating problem for the Pole but he thinks they can fix it. He's not sure though. "If I was a mechanic I'd know but I'm not even a rally driver, I'm a race driver!"
Prokop proks-up (that doesn't work) the timing screen now. He's slower than Evans by 0.3s, and Ogier by 6.7s.
Prokop's in, and we just have Kubica, Guerra and Atkinson to go (of the main runners).
Neuville brings the struggling Hyundai to the end of the stage. He admits that more changes are needed to boost performance, but he's only 3.5s slower than Ogier that time and beats Evans.
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In comes Elfyn Evans. He's slowest of all through so far, 6.4s down on Ogier.
"It's been an interesting morning, a lot to learn," says the M-Sport youngster. "We've not pushed too much, we just need to look at improving the technique and hopefully the speed will come with that."
"It's been an interesting morning, a lot to learn," says the M-Sport youngster. "We've not pushed too much, we just need to look at improving the technique and hopefully the speed will come with that."
Hirvonen's next through. He's quicker than Meeke and 2.0s slower than Ogier. That means he's slipped 11.3s behind the champion overall now.
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"Some parts are just so slippery, not cleaning at all," is Mexico debutant Meeke's verdict after that stage.
"I'm still not completely comfortable. Maybe we can pick it up a little bit."
"I'm still not completely comfortable. Maybe we can pick it up a little bit."
It's 2m26s for Meeke, so he shades Ostberg but is a little off the two VWs.
Meeke has now started the stage (he's about a minute in), and we'll have his time soon.
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"We forgot to take the radiator masks off," Ostberg confesses.
Those are put on between stages but need to come off when at competitive pace to avoid overheating the engine.
Those are put on between stages but need to come off when at competitive pace to avoid overheating the engine.
Bit of drama for Ostberg - he loses 3.3s to Ogier, bringing his lead down to 3.3s.
Stopwatch
Ogier is 0.4s quicker than Latvala and says the stage is "fun", although he doesn't sound totally convinced about that as he also adds "...a lot of hairpins".
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He adds that "the privilege of being first car on the road is that you know there will be no rocks on the road", which won't be the case on the repeat runs later on.
Stopwatch
Latvala completes that short Bicentennial Park stage.
"It's been a decent morning, but it's not been easy. I'm not on vacation in my office here!
"But it should be a bit easier this afternoon.
"For sure I'm in a bit of a difficult position, but at least there will be a bit of a line."
"It's been a decent morning, but it's not been easy. I'm not on vacation in my office here!
"But it should be a bit easier this afternoon.
"For sure I'm in a bit of a difficult position, but at least there will be a bit of a line."
The drivers are heading for SS5 in the Bicentennial Park, on the road from Leon to Guanajuato now. This short asphalt stage (1.5 miles) will be packed with local fans, running so close to big population centres.
The park itself is a place of culture and learning with a big exhibition about climate change running in the Pavilion of Tomorrow.
So, instead of doing tyre pressures, maybe the crews could pop along and see why it was so warm in Sweden last time out.
The park itself is a place of culture and learning with a big exhibition about climate change running in the Pavilion of Tomorrow.
So, instead of doing tyre pressures, maybe the crews could pop along and see why it was so warm in Sweden last time out.
Atkinson lost another 1m18s on that stage.
He reckons it's possible to fix but is concerned about the time that might take.
There aren't a lot of things that haven't broken on his car during these first four stages.
There aren't a lot of things that haven't broken on his car during these first four stages.
Breaking news
More problems for Atkinson... He's got a broken wheel.
"It was on a long left corner, I felt something strange and thought it was a puncture, but it came so quickly. I guess an arm's broken or something. We didn't hit anything."
"It was on a long left corner, I felt something strange and thought it was a puncture, but it came so quickly. I guess an arm's broken or something. We didn't hit anything."
And big logistical news this year is that after being indoors in the poliforum in recent years, the service park is outdoors for 2014.
But AUTOSPORT is to wonder at the organisers' decision now.
The temperature is wandering up past the 30 degree mark and there's barely a breath of air. This time last year? Air conditioned in the teens.
Yes, it was noisy and there was always the potential for carbon monoxide poisoning, but the chances of skin cancer were far more remote. Isn't that what they call Hobson's choice?
Breaking news
Big stories outside that lead order so far are that Mikkelsen crashed out on SS3 while running second, Tanak crashed on the same stage while leading WRC2 and the Hyundais are a long way off the pace.
SS4 results: 1 Ostberg 11m18.2s; 2 Hirvonen +3.0s; 3 Ogier +5.5s; 4 Latvala +5.8s; 5 Meeke +14.3s; 6 Kubica +14.7s.
Overall leaderboard: 1 Ostberg; 2 Ogier +6.6s; 3 Hirvonen +12.6s; 4 Latvala +22.1s; 5 Meeke +25.2s; 6 Kubica +59.7s.
Overall leaderboard: 1 Ostberg; 2 Ogier +6.6s; 3 Hirvonen +12.6s; 4 Latvala +22.1s; 5 Meeke +25.2s; 6 Kubica +59.7s.
Next stage is just 10 minutes away, and it's very short indeed, then it's off to midday service.
Kubica reports that his car is back to full health on this stage, though he's taking it easier after a near-miss on the previous stage. He's going to hold sixth place overall.
Nope, the mid-stage splits were deceptive, Prokop actually extends his advantage over Neuville to 5s.
Ford privateer Martin Prokop doesn't get too many chances to battle with people, but Hyundai's lack of pace means he's in a tight fight with Neuville for eighth at the moment. Looks like he might fall back behind the i20 on this stage, though.
Next through will be Kubica, who was driving one-handed on the last stage as his hydraulic gearshift system finished.
Next through will be Kubica, who was driving one-handed on the last stage as his hydraulic gearshift system finished.
He also reckons he had a slow puncture towards the end of that stage.
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Neuville is slowest so far, 25s down on Ostberg. The Belgian makes clear that this is just the pace the Hyundai wants to do right now
"I think I'm driving quite well... We have to due some adjustments so that the car feels more like I want it to."
"I think I'm driving quite well... We have to due some adjustments so that the car feels more like I want it to."
Elfyn Evans continues his Mexican education with a time 16s off the pace. Should be safe enough for maintaining his seventh place overall.
While up front, Ostberg leads Ogier by 6s, then it's another 6s gap back to Hirvonen in third.
Meeke falls from fourth to fifth provisionally, dropping back behind Latvala.
He certainly does, as Hirvonen is second quickest, so not only edges away from Meeke, but trims a little from the gap to Ogier.
Meeke has made it through smoothly, but looks set to lose a little time to Hirvonen in their battle for third.
But if you're missing him, you could take these few minutes to learn more about his career...
After Mikkelsen's breakthrough podium in Sweden, DAVID EVANS recounted the tale of the VW number three's rise, fall and rise again:
The 'spoilt kid' who lost it all and came back
After Mikkelsen's breakthrough podium in Sweden, DAVID EVANS recounted the tale of the VW number three's rise, fall and rise again:
The 'spoilt kid' who lost it all and came back
By: Matt Beer, David Evans, Scott Mitchell, Pablo Elizalde
Published:
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