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Rally Mexico, WTCC opener
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WRC - Mexico: Evans drops a bit of time compared to his rivals in the second half, but is only 2.9s slower than Ogier and comes through with the fourth-best time so far.
Sordo looks set to eclipse that, mind.
Sordo looks set to eclipse that, mind.
WRC - Mexico: Sordo joins Evans on stage. The Welshman is 2.0s slower than Ogier at the first split.
WRC - Mexico: The Norwegian comes through 17s slower than Mikkelsen. Game on in the fight for second, not enough to bring Evans into play for a podium. Yet.
"Something wrong with my right front," Ostberg reports. He seems confused, and reveals he spun.
"Something wrong with my right front," Ostberg reports. He seems confused, and reveals he spun.
WRC - Mexico: Ostberg was 26.7s clear of Mikkelsen at the start of this stage, with Evans another 29.7s back.
The second half of this run is fine from Ostberg. So there must have been an error early on.
The second half of this run is fine from Ostberg. So there must have been an error early on.
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?
WTCC - Argentina: Muller makes it in to the safe zone. P9 with a 1m47.445s.
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: 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: Ostberg's up, and Mikkelsen is 1.5s slower than Ogier at the first split.
WRC - Mexico: Ogier laughs that he's only in this position because his rivals are all "having bad weekends".
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.
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.
WRC - Mexico: Mikkelsen starts his run.
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.
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 and Ogier are on the stage now.
Stopwatch
WRC - Mexico: Top spot for Thierry. Great end to the stage as Neuville goes quickest by 8.1s.
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.
WTCC - Argentina: Jose Maria Lopez is curiously off the pace for now. Currently 14th with 1m51.092s and sitting in the pits.
WRC - Mexico: Further back, Neuville's on a good run. He's 2.2s quicker than Kubica at the split.
WRC - Mexico: Meeke misses out on the quickest time by 0.6s.
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.
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.
Stopwatch
WRC - Mexico: Kubica's in, 10.6s quicker than Paddon. Meeke isn't quite up to the Pole's pace at the split.
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.
WRC - Mexico: Kubica's started his run.
Green flag
WTCC - Argentina: And they're off! Gabriele Tarquini is first out of the pitlane in his Honda Civic.
WRC - Mexico: El Brinco begins, with Paddon on stage.
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: No rest for the wicked in North America. We'll be onto the live El Brinco television stage very shortly.
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.
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
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.
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.
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: 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.
WRC - Mexico: Latvala's in, with Evans just behind him. Unfortunate for the Welshman, who will have lost a chunk of time there...
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: Dani Sordo's on a good run. Just to put out there, he could nick second on this stage.
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...
By: AUTOSPORT staff, David Evans, Stuart Codling, Scott Mitchell
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