Rally Monte Carlo
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Ogier felt being first on the road wasn't ideal for him, and Neuville's time fits that - he's 13s quicker than the champion.
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All is indeed fine with Ogier and he's at the stage finish giving his thoughts on the car and slushy conditions:
"In some sections, the car is difficult to handle, but a better feeling than this morning at this point," he says.
"In some sections, the car is difficult to handle, but a better feeling than this morning at this point," he says.
Potential for a swing in the battle for fourth too - Sordo has taken 7s out of Latvala on this stage so far. They were 20s apart leaving service.
Stopwatch
Meanwhile, Tanak is nearly 3s up on Neuville at split one.
There may be 30s between them but that can vanish fast on the Monte.
There may be 30s between them but that can vanish fast on the Monte.
No splits from Ogier so far, and he's not on the tracking system... but no panic at M-Sport, it's believed to be a system glitch making him vanish not a problem for the champion.
David Evans
Neuville's morning wasn't completely perfect, the Belgian spent lunchtime pondering more maps for the centre diff on his i20 Coupe WRC.
"I struggle a bit with understeer in the very tight corners,” he told Autosport.
"When we go on the throttle we are getting some understeer and I couldn't find a solution so far.
"The front is just going away and we need a lot of handbrake, especially in the slippery parts and that's not the most efficient way – I'm just trying to keep it smooth."
"I struggle a bit with understeer in the very tight corners,” he told Autosport.
"When we go on the throttle we are getting some understeer and I couldn't find a solution so far.
"The front is just going away and we need a lot of handbrake, especially in the slippery parts and that's not the most efficient way – I'm just trying to keep it smooth."
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Here's how they stand going into the afternoon's three-stage loop:
1 Neuville
2 Tanak +31.7s
3 Ogier +59.1s
4 Latvala +1m21.4s
5 Sordo +1m41.1s
6 Breen +1m52.2s
7 Mikkelsen +3m35.1s
8 Tidemand +4m57.8s
9 Evans +5m15.7s
10 Bouffier +5m19.3s
(17 Lefebvre +11m53.0s)
Mikkelsen, Tidemand and Bouffier are all in WRC2/R5 cars, and we've lobbed Lefebvre on there too as his Citroen WRC is running under Rally2 after last night's transmission trouble.
1 Neuville
2 Tanak +31.7s
3 Ogier +59.1s
4 Latvala +1m21.4s
5 Sordo +1m41.1s
6 Breen +1m52.2s
7 Mikkelsen +3m35.1s
8 Tidemand +4m57.8s
9 Evans +5m15.7s
10 Bouffier +5m19.3s
(17 Lefebvre +11m53.0s)
Mikkelsen, Tidemand and Bouffier are all in WRC2/R5 cars, and we've lobbed Lefebvre on there too as his Citroen WRC is running under Rally2 after last night's transmission trouble.
David Evans
This afternoon's repeated stages are likely to have even more changeable conditions than this morning, according to rally leader Neuville.
The Belgian said: "I expect it to be a bit more tricky, there will be some more slush around and the tyre will work less well in these places.
"As well as that, there will be some more dry sections which will use the studs even more as well. We will have to manage the tyres even more."
Local hero Ogier echoed those sentiments, saying: "I expect very difficult conditions this afternoon – maybe it can be even worse.
"There will be come evolution of the surface, but not everywhere and the grip changes will be even bigger."
All the drivers have taken the same tyre option for this afternoon, with six studded winter tyres.
The Belgian said: "I expect it to be a bit more tricky, there will be some more slush around and the tyre will work less well in these places.
"As well as that, there will be some more dry sections which will use the studs even more as well. We will have to manage the tyres even more."
Local hero Ogier echoed those sentiments, saying: "I expect very difficult conditions this afternoon – maybe it can be even worse.
"There will be come evolution of the surface, but not everywhere and the grip changes will be even bigger."
All the drivers have taken the same tyre option for this afternoon, with six studded winter tyres.
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Ogier will be first on the road, followed by Neuville, when we resume proceedings with SS6 in just under five minutes.
Meeke's co-driver Paul Nagle is your guide:
SS6 Agnieres en Devoluy-Le Motty 1 (15.30 miles)
This is a new stage, we've never done this one before. When we came here on the recce, this was one of the coldest places on the route at about -13 and plenty of snow. There are a lot of hairpins in the first part of the stage, but then it's quite strange as we go into a tunnel for about 200 metres – it'll be really slippery in there.
Out of there and the road's faster, really fast in places, but it's in the forest and nadgery and quite tight.
After the village of Monestier-d'Ambel the road widens, but there will be a real ice base on the road as we're down alongside Lac du Sautet – right on the water's edge.
Meeke's co-driver Paul Nagle is your guide:
SS6 Agnieres en Devoluy-Le Motty 1 (15.30 miles)
This is a new stage, we've never done this one before. When we came here on the recce, this was one of the coldest places on the route at about -13 and plenty of snow. There are a lot of hairpins in the first part of the stage, but then it's quite strange as we go into a tunnel for about 200 metres – it'll be really slippery in there.
Out of there and the road's faster, really fast in places, but it's in the forest and nadgery and quite tight.
After the village of Monestier-d'Ambel the road widens, but there will be a real ice base on the road as we're down alongside Lac du Sautet – right on the water's edge.
Toyota isn't in the lead fight, but it's shown much stronger pace than many sceptics expected.
Juho Hanninen was in the podium battle and running third until an error on the last stage before service, and Jari-Matti Latvala has moved up to fourth.
Juho Hanninen was in the podium battle and running third until an error on the last stage before service, and Jari-Matti Latvala has moved up to fourth.
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If you weren't with us this morning, the big news is that Sebastien Ogier is a minute back in third after going off the road, Kris Meeke has crashed out and Thierry Neuville leads with Ott Tanak trying to challenge him.
And welcome back to our Monte Carlo Rally coverage for the afternoon loop.
Autosport
Here's a recap of the morning's action and the current standings. We'll be back in full live business from 2pm UK time: 
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Here's Lefebvre with a Hanninen report: "He was stopped on the right side. The crew looked quite OK."
Still no movement from Hanninen's car on the system nor any information about his problem so far. Lefebvre will have passed him on the stage so may be able to update us at the finish.
So Hanninen's trouble means Ogier will make it into third by the end of the loop.
Crash
Bad news for Toyota! The tracking system shows Hanninen stopped...
Not so bad for the struggling Evans and his DMACKs on this stage - he's shipped 23s to the leaders rather than two minutes.
OK, so, Hanninen vs Ogier for third now - and Hanninen has lost 2.4s of his 9s advantage over the world champion by split one.
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Here's Tanak's verdict: "It was a little tricky. I'm quite enjoying getting the feeling with the car and it's improving - with more distance there's a better rhythm."
And in other good news, after his intercom was filled with all the M-Sport team's internal conversation earlier today, it's been fixed and it's just co-driver Raigo Mulder's wisdom in his ears.
And in other good news, after his intercom was filled with all the M-Sport team's internal conversation earlier today, it's been fixed and it's just co-driver Raigo Mulder's wisdom in his ears.
Stopwatch
Tanak is next in, and he's only third quickest behind Neuville and Ogier - dropping another 5.9s to the rally-leading Hyundai.
That leaves Neuville a handy 31.7s clear of the field heading to midday service.
That leaves Neuville a handy 31.7s clear of the field heading to midday service.
Latvala is a solid third fastest on the stage, pulling him further clear of Sordo in fifth overall as both drop away from the charging Ogier.
Neuville finishes the stage 4.8s faster than Ogier. He's happy with the Hyundai, thinks his pace notes have been a bit conservative, but generally sounds like a man happy with being in the Monte Carlo Rally lead after the first proper loop of the new era.
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Ogier says "it's been a difficult morning but we are here. It's not so bad. We'll keep going" as he completes that one. Will he finish the loop fourth or third...?
Stopwatch
But by split two, the flying Neuville is 6.9s up on Ogier, while Tanak is now quickest of all at split one - though that's just 0.2s faster than Neuville.
Stopwatch
Ogier is the pacesetter at split one, but only by a tenth over Neuville.
This would be a very close lead battle between these two if Ogier hadn't been in that ditch.
This would be a very close lead battle between these two if Ogier hadn't been in that ditch.
Neuville gets going too. He's got a 25s cushion over Tanak and that gap has ebbed and flowed on today's stages so far - Tanak tending to start stronger but then fade a touch.
Green flag
Ogier has just begun SS5. He was second two hours ago, then he was ninth (after a visit to a ditch), now he's fourth (after beginning a recovery).
His next target is third-placed Hanninen, who is 9s ahead right now.
His next target is third-placed Hanninen, who is 9s ahead right now.
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Onto SS5 in just a moment. Meeke's co-driver Nagle won't be on it after his driver's crash on SS4, but he described it for us earlier:
SS5 St Leger les Melezes-La Batie Neuve 1 (10.45 miles)
This is the ski slope stage, but starting 200 metres earlier – we do a full doughnut around the roundabout and then on and up the road.
We start climbing up the ski slope, which is full snow. Last year we took crossed studs and slick tyres and it was 5mph all the way.
It's so, so narrow and under the trees… really difficult for a lot of this stage. We go around a hairpin left just over halfway through and the road starts to drop down, then after a hairpin left when we exit the valley the road changes completely and it's full dry asphalt with just a couple of patches of ice.
The end of this stage is where we hit and bust the sumpguard [in 2016]. They're not using that place this time, it's too rough.
SS5 St Leger les Melezes-La Batie Neuve 1 (10.45 miles)
This is the ski slope stage, but starting 200 metres earlier – we do a full doughnut around the roundabout and then on and up the road.
We start climbing up the ski slope, which is full snow. Last year we took crossed studs and slick tyres and it was 5mph all the way.
It's so, so narrow and under the trees… really difficult for a lot of this stage. We go around a hairpin left just over halfway through and the road starts to drop down, then after a hairpin left when we exit the valley the road changes completely and it's full dry asphalt with just a couple of patches of ice.
The end of this stage is where we hit and bust the sumpguard [in 2016]. They're not using that place this time, it's too rough.
So Mikkelsen is now a minute clear of the rest of the WRC2/R5 field in eighth overall. And the main reason for that? He's just driven faster than the rest of them.
It's a pretty illustrious 'rest' too, his pursuers are Kopecky, Pontus Tidemand, Bryan Bouffier and Eric Camilli.
It's a pretty illustrious 'rest' too, his pursuers are Kopecky, Pontus Tidemand, Bryan Bouffier and Eric Camilli.
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SS4 summary:
* Meeke goes off and breaks his suspension when second, ending his day
* Neuville extends lead over new second-place man Tanak to 25s with stage win
* Ogier recovers from ninth to fourth after SS3 ditch visit
* Evans loses another two minutes as DMACKs struggle in the ice
* Meeke goes off and breaks his suspension when second, ending his day
* Neuville extends lead over new second-place man Tanak to 25s with stage win
* Ogier recovers from ninth to fourth after SS3 ditch visit
* Evans loses another two minutes as DMACKs struggle in the ice
Stopwatch
SS4 results:
Stage times:
1 Neuville 25m41.9s
2 Ogier +4.9s
3 Tanak +8.0s
4 Hanninen +17.4s
5 Latvala +30.4s
6 Sordo +37.3s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Neuville
2 Tanak +25.8s
3 Hanninen +45.3s
4 Ogier +54.3s
5 Latvala +1m09.1s
6 Sordo +1m17.6s
7 Breen +1m35.0s
8 Mikkelsen +3m10.8s (WRC2)
Stage times:
1 Neuville 25m41.9s
2 Ogier +4.9s
3 Tanak +8.0s
4 Hanninen +17.4s
5 Latvala +30.4s
6 Sordo +37.3s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Neuville
2 Tanak +25.8s
3 Hanninen +45.3s
4 Ogier +54.3s
5 Latvala +1m09.1s
6 Sordo +1m17.6s
7 Breen +1m35.0s
8 Mikkelsen +3m10.8s (WRC2)
Good news for Mikkelsen in the WRC2 battle on this one - looks like pursuer and team-mate Kopecky is losing about a minute to him on this stage.
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"A lot less tyre grip on the ice than I expected, but things could be a lot worse," says Evans, confirming that his issue is just that the DMACKs aren't working in these conditions.
Again Evans is over two minutes off the pace and this stage, so he's now nearly five minutes off the overall lead. He's tumbling away among the WRC2 cars in the outright order.
Now it might be that Hanninen took that minute-late start to make sure he didn't catch Evans's slow car on the stage again, as had they gone in two minutes apart there might've been another traffic jam.
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Breen will be hanging on in seventh overall with his old-spec car, and here's his view of what happened to team-mate Meeke:
"Kris has gone off at quite high speed but it looks like they're both OK. It's so easy to make a mistake, I'm happy to make it to the end."
"Kris has gone off at quite high speed but it looks like they're both OK. It's so easy to make a mistake, I'm happy to make it to the end."
So the order will now be Neuville leading from Tanak, Hanninen and Ogier if Hanninen continues at his current very decent pace.
Crash
Confirmation that it's broken suspension that's stopped Meeke and taken him out of the lead fight (or at least podium fight given Neuville's pace up front).
By: Geoff Creighton
Published:
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