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Rally Mexico, WTCC opener
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WRC - Mexico: Mikkelsen comes through 15s slower than Ogier.
Ostberg has passed Latvala on the stage.
Ostberg has passed Latvala on the stage.
WRC - Mexico: Reports of "considerable damage" to the front of Latvala's car.
WRC - Mexico: Ostberg's slipped back at the end of the stage, now 9.1s slower than Ogier at the penultimate stage. That might well be because he's overtaken Latvala, but if he doesn't keep this together he'll end up slower than Mikkelsen.
WRC - Mexico: Ouch. Latvala's loss to Ogier at the fifth split: 5m00.6s...
WRC - Mexico: Right, Ostberg's in, 13s behind Ogier and two seconds clear of Mikkelsen.
Let's see what happened to Latvala...
Let's see what happened to Latvala...
WRC - Mexico: Dani Sordo's on a good run. Just to put out there, he could nick second on this stage.
Quote
WRC - Mexico: Right, Ostberg: "It's going OK. We passed Jari, not a bad stage.
"I'll keep doing like I do. I'm here to enjoy it."
What happened to Latvala? We must continue to wait...
"I'll keep doing like I do. I'm here to enjoy it."
What happened to Latvala? We must continue to wait...
WRC - Mexico: Latvala's in, with Evans just behind him. Unfortunate for the Welshman, who will have lost a chunk of time there...
WRC - Mexico: So Latvala loses 6m13.8s to Ogier and he's lost the rear-left, it seems.
Evans is through 27.6s slower than Ogier. A small amount lost in the final few metres thanks to Latvala.
Evans is through 27.6s slower than Ogier. A small amount lost in the final few metres thanks to Latvala.
Crash
WRC - Mexico: Confirmation from Latvala: "We touched a bank a little bit and broke the rear suspension so we lost the rear wheel."
WRC - Mexico: Sordo's through, and he's fourth-quickest again.
Just to clarify, Latvala's lost his left-rear wheel entirely. Nothing there. Gone. Kaput.
Just to clarify, Latvala's lost his left-rear wheel entirely. Nothing there. Gone. Kaput.
WRC - Mexico: Unless the damage to Latvala's Polo is minor, that's his day done. It would be amazing if the suspension has survived the final half of the last stage in a state that allows a spare wheel to be fitted for the final two runs before service.
Checkered flag
WRC - Mexico: Here's how the sharp end of the leaderboard looks after SS12:
1 Ogier 2h32m42.4s
2 Ostberg +50.5s
3 Mikkelsen +1m17.2s
4 Evans +1m46.9s
5 Sordo +2m12.3s
6 Prokop +3m03.6s
Leading times from SS12:
1 Ogier 29m58.0s
2 Ostberg +13.0s
3 Mikkelsen +15.0s
4 Sordo +19.2s
5 Neuville +24.3s
6 Evans +27.6s
1 Ogier 2h32m42.4s
2 Ostberg +50.5s
3 Mikkelsen +1m17.2s
4 Evans +1m46.9s
5 Sordo +2m12.3s
6 Prokop +3m03.6s
Leading times from SS12:
1 Ogier 29m58.0s
2 Ostberg +13.0s
3 Mikkelsen +15.0s
4 Sordo +19.2s
5 Neuville +24.3s
6 Evans +27.6s
WTCC - Argentina: As if the action from WRC Mexico wasn't hot enough, qualifying for the opening round of the 2015 World Touring Car Championship is about to kick off at a sweltering Termas de Rio Hondo circuit. With the ambient temperature spiking past 32C the damp patches on track have well and truly dried up.
We've also been treated to some entertaining six- and seven-lap thrashes by the local racers. There are over 60 cars lining up in the various categories.
We've also been treated to some entertaining six- and seven-lap thrashes by the local racers. There are over 60 cars lining up in the various categories.
WRC - Mexico: No rest for the wicked in North America. We'll be onto the live El Brinco television stage very shortly.
WRC - Mexico: A WRC2 update, and Protasov still leads in eighth overall (which will become seventh when Latvala, 52s ahead of the Ukranian at the moment, doesn't start the next stage).
WRC - Mexico: El Brinco begins, with Paddon on stage.
Green flag
WTCC - Argentina: And they're off! Gabriele Tarquini is first out of the pitlane in his Honda Civic.
WRC - Mexico: Kubica's started his run.
WRC - Mexico: Paddon, battling with what he thinks is a master cylinder problem on the brakes, crosses the line in 5m02.4s, though Kubica's 5.3s quicker at the split.
Meeke gets going.
Meeke gets going.
Stopwatch
WRC - Mexico: Kubica's in, 10.6s quicker than Paddon. Meeke isn't quite up to the Pole's pace at the split.
WTCC - Argentina: Tarquini aborts at the end of his flying lap and heads for the pits. Mehdi Bennani is currently fastest on 1m47.040s but there are problems for Norbert Michelisz, who has lost the front-left wheel from his privately run Honda.
Quote
WRC - Mexico: "We are struggling already quite a lot with the tyres in the first stage," explains Kubica. "We had some issues with the brakes on the long stage."
The Pole seems quite pleased with his pace given he's nursing the car.
The Pole seems quite pleased with his pace given he's nursing the car.
WRC - Mexico: Meeke misses out on the quickest time by 0.6s.
WRC - Mexico: Further back, Neuville's on a good run. He's 2.2s quicker than Kubica at the split.
WTCC - Argentina: Jose Maria Lopez is curiously off the pace for now. Currently 14th with 1m51.092s and sitting in the pits.
WTCC - Argentina: Tiago Monteiro is next to abort a lap that started well, but he doesn't head for the pits. He'll go again. Bennani still fastest and sitting in the pits, with Sebastien Loeb second. Rob Huff now third for Lada with a 1m47.147s.
Stopwatch
WRC - Mexico: Top spot for Thierry. Great end to the stage as Neuville goes quickest by 8.1s.
WRC - Mexico: Guerra and Ogier are on the stage now.
WTCC - Argentina: Monteiro can't eclipse Huff; he goes around in 1m47.321s, fourth fastest so far. Tarquini is now fifth with 1m47.441s. Tom Chilton sixth in the ROAL Chevrolet.
WRC - Mexico: Guerra, who clipped the edge of the bridge halfway through the stage, is through 10.6s slower than Neuville.
Ogier's 2.0s quicker than Neuville at the split.
Ogier's 2.0s quicker than Neuville at the split.
WRC - Mexico: Mikkelsen starts his run.
WTCC- Argentina: Uncertain times for Citroen - Yvan Muller now out, along with Lopez, but the Frenchman gets it loose and aborts his lap. They're currently 10th and 16th.
Stopwatch
WRC - Mexico: Ogier holds his nerve despite dropping a bit of time in the second half of the stage, and eclipses Neuville's best by 1.2s.
WRC - Mexico: Ogier laughs that he's only in this position because his rivals are all "having bad weekends".
WRC - Mexico: Ostberg's up, and Mikkelsen is 1.5s slower than Ogier at the first split.
WTCC - Argentina: Lopez nails a 1m47.300s to go P5 but Stefano D'Aste is now P4 and that's bumped Muller out of the top 10. Can he sneak back in while Lopez is still running ahead on track?
WRC - Mexico: An exuberant Mikkelsen crosses the line just 0.7s shy of Ogier, and that's good enough for P2 on SS13. So far, anyway.
WTCC - Argentina: Muller makes it in to the safe zone. P9 with a 1m47.445s.
WRC - Mexico: With no Latvala, Evans is up next.
And another potential twist! Ostberg is 17.9s slower than Ogier at the first split...
Might this be an opportunity for Evans to get into a podium position?
And another potential twist! Ostberg is 17.9s slower than Ogier at the first split...
Might this be an opportunity for Evans to get into a podium position?
By: AUTOSPORT staff, David Evans, Stuart Codling, Scott Mitchell
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