Rally Mexico, Las Vegas NASCAR
Live Text
Sort by
This is where we have our gap due to Mikkelsen shunting on the previous stage.
Update from the previous stage, brake problems now adding to Atkinson's woes. He's way down in 13th overall.
Quote
Here's Ostberg's verdict:
"It's a very good start. I'm very pleased. The pace is good, the car is working really well. So far, I'm on my target: to have fun. I'm really enjoying it and we're fast."
"It's a very good start. I'm very pleased. The pace is good, the car is working really well. So far, I'm on my target: to have fun. I'm really enjoying it and we're fast."
Stopwatch
Ostberg is flying, he completes the stage with the fastest time so far and brings his rally lead up to 6s over Ogier.
That leaves the two remaining VWs (for those just joining us, Sweden hero Mikkelsen crashed out on SS3) 15s apart overall. Let's see where they stand as Ostberg, Hirvonen and Meeke come through.
Stopwatch
Ogier is faster than his team-mate, but only by 0.3s.
Quote
The Finn is perky.
"I felt good on this stage. This was the stage I felt best on today, so hopefully the time will be good."
"I felt good on this stage. This was the stage I felt best on today, so hopefully the time will be good."
Stopwatch
Latvala completes SS4 in 11m24s. He began the stage clinging on in fifth overall as he cleans the road for everyone else.
Crash
Confirmation that Tanak is out, he crashed early on SS3.
Checkered flag
SS3 results: 1 Ostberg 30m04.8s; 2 Ogier +3.0s; 3 Meeke +6.4s; 4 Hirvonen +6.9s; 5 Latvala +13.9s; 6 Kubica +33.5s.
Overall leaderboard: 1 Ostberg; 2 Ogier +1.1s; 3 Hirvonen +9.6s; 4 Meeke +10.9s; 5 Latvala +16.3s; 6 Kubica +45.0s.
Overall leaderboard: 1 Ostberg; 2 Ogier +1.1s; 3 Hirvonen +9.6s; 4 Meeke +10.9s; 5 Latvala +16.3s; 6 Kubica +45.0s.
Local favourite Guerra loses over 1m40s on that stage and reports that his steering is worryingly loose.
Twitter
He wrote "sad" rather than :( too. AUTOSPORT approves.
Twitter
Somewhere out in the middle of nowhere, Mikkelsen reaches Twitter to update everyone on his incident:
"Went off in a narrow section, suspension damaged, has to be picked up by the team. That's it for today. Sad."
"Went off in a narrow section, suspension damaged, has to be picked up by the team. That's it for today. Sad."
Lights out
A few more WRC runners to complete El Chocolate, but the VWs are already onto the following Las Minas stage, which is a relatively modest 15.59km.
That's going to leave Kubica sixth overall now Mikkelsen is out, 10s ahead of team-mate Evans.
Kubica reveals that he was driving without his specially adapted hydraulic system in the gearchange for over half that stage.
Both Hyundais are a long way off the pace, Atkinson's splits suggests the switch that fell off before SS2 isn't back where it should be.
Kubica is sixth quickest of those in so far, about half a minute down on Ostberg. He came into this stage in seventh overall.
With the leaders through, the order is Ostberg a second ahead of Ogier for the top spot, then an 8.5s gap back to the battling Hirvonen and Meeke, who are 1.3s apart.
Quote
Thierry Neuville
Sure enough, Neuville confirms that's as fast as the car will go for now.
"I tried my best, but we still have some changes to make on the car. We're missing a bit of power..."
Neuville and Hyundai are still well off the pace - he's nearly a minute own on Ostberg's time as he completes SS3.
You'd normally assume something went wrong, but the i20's slow pace on SS2 suggests that might be a pure lack of speed.
You'd normally assume something went wrong, but the i20's slow pace on SS2 suggests that might be a pure lack of speed.
Tracking system suggests last night's WRC2 hero Ott Tanak has stopped early on El Chocolate. He was leading the class after SS2.
Stopwatch
WRC timing system declares that Hirvonen is 26 minutes quicker than anyone else on the stage.
He isn't.
He isn't.
Meeke's time is 6s down on pacesetter Ostberg, a very fair effort on his Mexico debut across a 30km stage. He says he's not paying any attention to times until he knows he's got the rally cracked and is properly on the pace.
Crash
Looks like Mikkelsen crashed out - here's news from Meeke as he completes the stage:
"He was off in the narrow section. Really narrow, tight and twisty, and I think he just ran wide and hit a big rock."
"He was off in the narrow section. Really narrow, tight and twisty, and I think he just ran wide and hit a big rock."
This is a repeat of 2013 so far, as Ostberg (then in an M-Sport Ford) stepped up to battle Ogier for the day one lead, before retiring from second on the Saturday with mechanical problems, leaving Ogier to dominate.
Ostberg was 3.0s faster than Ogier so now leads the rally by 1.1s.
Latvala is a further 15.2s back.
Latvala is a further 15.2s back.
Quick update on the Kubica crash tally from earlier... turns out it's now seven shunts in four rallies - he put his recce car off the road earlier this week.
With a bit of maths, we reckon Ostberg now leads overall by one second from Ogier.
A gap in the cars now as Mikkelsen has definitely stopped. No information yet on what's happened to him.
A gap in the cars now as Mikkelsen has definitely stopped. No information yet on what's happened to him.
Not for the first time in recent WRC history, the timing system is a little off the pace of the drivers, but Ostberg is cautiously happy and may well be our new rally leader.
Stopwatch
Splits are suggesting Ostberg might be about to take the lead from Ogier...
Quote
Ogier is guarded about how things are going. He's finding being early in the running order tough and just has to wait and see how those behind are coping.
"It's very, very slippery, but we do what we can."
"It's very, very slippery, but we do what we can."
Stopwatch
Ogier is 10s faster than Latvala at the finish.
Latvala completes the long El Chocolate stage, the splits suggest he's going to lose 15s at least to Ogier but he's pretty happy with that - felt it could've been a lot worse.
Breaking news
News coming in that Andreas Mikkelsen might've gone off on this stage and stopped... He was second overall.
Breakfast in Mexico
Do you think Mexican journalists come to Britain and take photos of their breakfast, incredulous that their beans are baked and not refried?
Sorry about the half-eaten omelette – it was very nice.
And for Kubica fans, he's currently seventh.
Breaking news
SS2 summary:
* Ogier narrowly fastest and maintains lead
* Little benefit to running further down the order as dust hangs in the air and leaves drivers struggling to see
* Atkinson's Hyundai has to run in 'road mode' after its anti-lag system switch falls off, costing him 40s.
* Ogier narrowly fastest and maintains lead
* Little benefit to running further down the order as dust hangs in the air and leaves drivers struggling to see
* Atkinson's Hyundai has to run in 'road mode' after its anti-lag system switch falls off, costing him 40s.
Checkered flag
SS2 results: 1 Ogier 7m40.2s; 2 Ostberg +0.6s; 3 Mikkelsen +1.0s; 4 Hirvonen +3.2s; 5 Latvala +3.5s; 6 Meeke +5.8s.
Overall leaderboard: 1 Ogier; 2 Mikkelsen +1.4s; 3 Ostberg +1.9s; 4 Latvala +4.3s; 5 Hirvonen +4.6s; 6 Meeke +6.4s.
Overall leaderboard: 1 Ogier; 2 Mikkelsen +1.4s; 3 Ostberg +1.9s; 4 Latvala +4.3s; 5 Hirvonen +4.6s; 6 Meeke +6.4s.
Troubled start for Chris Atkinson. He was already 20s down after SS1 following an electrical problem, and he loses more time on SS2 for an unusual reason:
"No, that's OK, but my anti-lag system switch fell off before the stage, so I had to run in road mode, with no power."
He says he'll have to get the pliers out before SS3.
"No, that's OK, but my anti-lag system switch fell off before the stage, so I had to run in road mode, with no power."
He says he'll have to get the pliers out before SS3.
By: Matt Beer, David Evans, Scott Mitchell, Pablo Elizalde
Published:
Lap:
