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Sheer determination on the face of Elfyn Evans as he catapults into the stage. As he has been all day today, he's our first 2017-spec WRC car on the road.
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Looking at the onboard pictures from Stephane Lefebvre, there's a much more defined 'racing' line in the snow now. As long as the drivers stick in those tramlines, they should have plenty of grip.
Green flag
SS14 is underway. Valeriy Gorban is steering his green Mini through the stage racing towards Colin's Crest.
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David Evans
Next up? We're back to Vargasen. And that means more Colin's Crest! Here's DAVID EVANS to run you through the stage:
SS11/14 Vargåsen (8.86 miles)
"Far from the fastest stage off the start, this one’s full of medium speed corners, crests and dips on medium-width road, then you’re out of a fourth-gear right through a top-gear left into a similarly committed right and on the gas down a short straight.
"The road starts to drop down and then it’s time for take-off: Colin’s Crest. You fly high for 40-odd metres, then have to sort out the super-quick right that follows. Mint."
SS11/14 Vargåsen (8.86 miles)
"Far from the fastest stage off the start, this one’s full of medium speed corners, crests and dips on medium-width road, then you’re out of a fourth-gear right through a top-gear left into a similarly committed right and on the gas down a short straight.
"The road starts to drop down and then it’s time for take-off: Colin’s Crest. You fly high for 40-odd metres, then have to sort out the super-quick right that follows. Mint."
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Checkered flag
Here's your times and we haven't got long before SS14 goes live.
SS13
1 Latvala +7m50.9s
2 Tanak +1.1s
3 Neuville +1.2s
4 Ogier +2.2s
5 Meeke +3.4s
6 Breen +7.9s
Overall after SS13
1 Neuville 1h46m41.6s
2 Latvala +31.6s
3 Tanak +41.9s
4 Ogier +57.2s
5 Meeke +1m12.5s
6 Sordo +2m11.5s
SS13
1 Latvala +7m50.9s
2 Tanak +1.1s
3 Neuville +1.2s
4 Ogier +2.2s
5 Meeke +3.4s
6 Breen +7.9s
Overall after SS13
1 Neuville 1h46m41.6s
2 Latvala +31.6s
3 Tanak +41.9s
4 Ogier +57.2s
5 Meeke +1m12.5s
6 Sordo +2m11.5s
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Neuville is third quickest and drops just over a second to Latvala. The lead gap owned by Neuville is 31.6s. To be safe, the Belgian has taken six tyres in total for the afternoon and he reckons the car is handling differently as a result.
"The stage went well," he says. "The car is moving on the rear with the second tyre. Hopefully the tyre won't wear too much. It was understeering towards the rear. Other than that the car is working perfectly."
"The stage went well," he says. "The car is moving on the rear with the second tyre. Hopefully the tyre won't wear too much. It was understeering towards the rear. Other than that the car is working perfectly."
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Latvala pulls a fastest stage time out of the bag at the most crucial of moments.
He's 1.1s quicker than Tanak and extends the gap to Tanak to over 10s now. He's taking a deep breath at the stage end.
"I'm happy with that we had a good stage,' smiles Latvala. "The downhill was difficult. At some point I thought we had a puncture."
No puncture and no time loss to Latvala. That's the definition of performing under pressure. Kudos Jari-Matti.
He's 1.1s quicker than Tanak and extends the gap to Tanak to over 10s now. He's taking a deep breath at the stage end.
"I'm happy with that we had a good stage,' smiles Latvala. "The downhill was difficult. At some point I thought we had a puncture."
No puncture and no time loss to Latvala. That's the definition of performing under pressure. Kudos Jari-Matti.
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Tanak arrives and he's 1.1s quicker than Ogier. The cars after Ogier all appear to be losing time to him in the last split.
"I'm trying my best but in the stage it's difficult to tell as everyone is pushing," says Tanak.
When asked if he can catch Latvala, the reply is: "We keep pushing. Lets see what happens."
"I'm trying my best but in the stage it's difficult to tell as everyone is pushing," says Tanak.
When asked if he can catch Latvala, the reply is: "We keep pushing. Lets see what happens."
Stopwatch
Neuville has matched Tanak's first split, 1.1s slower than Latvala.
His lead is over 30s, so it's damage limitation for Neuville.
His lead is over 30s, so it's damage limitation for Neuville.
Stopwatch
Meeke is 1.2s slower than Ogier. He was quicker through the first split, will that be a trend mirrored by the cars behind Meeke?
Stopwatch
Latvala's first split is a good one, he's 1.1s quicker than Tanak.
Remember, Tanak took over 10s out of Latvala this morning and the gap from Latvala in second to third-placed Tanak was under 10s in total starting this afternoon.
Remember, Tanak took over 10s out of Latvala this morning and the gap from Latvala in second to third-placed Tanak was under 10s in total starting this afternoon.
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Ogier lands and he's 5.7s quicker than Breen.
But Latvala and Tanak are both quicker than him at the first split.
"The grip is getting better and better," says Ogier. "There will be some tyre wear but there aren't as many kilometres."
But Latvala and Tanak are both quicker than him at the first split.
"The grip is getting better and better," says Ogier. "There will be some tyre wear but there aren't as many kilometres."
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Paddon is second quickest so far and has a fixed i20.
"That was much easier with powersteering," says Paddon. "I feel like I have a feather in my fingertips!"
"That was much easier with powersteering," says Paddon. "I feel like I have a feather in my fingertips!"
Stopwatch
Kris Meeke's first split is in and he's 0.8s up on Ogier. Meeke trails Ogier in the overall order by 14.1s. Ogier is ahead in fourth.
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Craig Breen is in and he's 9.2s quicker than Evans.
"It was a bit better than this morning," says Breen. "There were more clean lines. It's another stage without any mistakes, we can be happy with that."
Sebastien Ogier has joined the stage and is quicker than Breen at the first split.
"It was a bit better than this morning," says Breen. "There were more clean lines. It's another stage without any mistakes, we can be happy with that."
Sebastien Ogier has joined the stage and is quicker than Breen at the first split.
Stopwatch
Breen is 5.9s up on Evans at the second split. The Irishman is over a minute ahead of the DMACK driver in the order, anyway.
Evans is 37.2s quickest. Lefebvre had a moment and lost a lot of time towards the end.
Evans is 37.2s quickest. Lefebvre had a moment and lost a lot of time towards the end.
Stopwatch
Breen's first split is in and he's 3.1s quicker than Evans. So Evans looks to be struggling a little bit in this one.
Sordo and Paddon are also into the test now.
Sordo and Paddon are also into the test now.
Stopwatch
Evans is only 1.1s up on Lefebvre at the first split. Is that the length of the stage or is Elfyn struggling in this one.
Predictably Lefebvre is quicker than Gorban at the first split. We've now got Elfyn Evans into the test, the first 2017 WRC car on the road.
Green flag
The stage is underway with Mini driver (that's marque not size) Valeriy Gorban into the test.
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And here's your starting order for the stage:
Gorban
Lefebvre
Evans
Breen
Sordo
Paddon
Ogier
Meeke
Tanak
Latvala
Neuville
Ostberg
Hanninen
Gorban
Lefebvre
Evans
Breen
Sordo
Paddon
Ogier
Meeke
Tanak
Latvala
Neuville
Ostberg
Hanninen
David Evans
With SS12 canceled, we're straight into Hagfors. Here's DAVID EVANS' guide to the stage:
SS10/13 Hagfors (9.86 miles)
"The Varmullsasen powerstage from last year. Starts with typical fast and flowing Swedish roads before moving into the Viking Arena, which takes the crews through a series of hairpins on a nursery ski slope."
"This is where Hayden Paddon clattered a fence post and was forced to feed his Hyundai champagne in order to make the finish in a stunning second place."
SS10/13 Hagfors (9.86 miles)
"The Varmullsasen powerstage from last year. Starts with typical fast and flowing Swedish roads before moving into the Viking Arena, which takes the crews through a series of hairpins on a nursery ski slope."
"This is where Hayden Paddon clattered a fence post and was forced to feed his Hyundai champagne in order to make the finish in a stunning second place."
Autosport
Hello and welcome back to Autosport Live's coverage of Rally Sweden.
If you're wondering why we're late getting underway, here's the latest on the cancellation of SS12.
If you're wondering why we're late getting underway, here's the latest on the cancellation of SS12.
Autosport
Another good morning for Thierry Neuville as he extends his Rally Sweden lead. But who will hold onto second this afternoon?
Here's our comprehensive report and rejoin us at 1300hrs UK time for the shortened afternoon loop.
Here's our comprehensive report and rejoin us at 1300hrs UK time for the shortened afternoon loop.
Checkered flag
Epic run from Tanak. Here's the times.
SS11
1 Tanak 8m20.7s
2 Latvala +3.4s
3 Neuville +3.8s
4 Ogier +4.7s
5 Meeke +5.9s
6 Sordo +6.4s
Overall after SS11
1 Neuville 1h46m41.6s
2 Latvala +32.8s
3 Tanak +42s
4 Ogier +52.2s
5 Meeke +1m10.3s
6 Sordo +1m57.1s
SS11
1 Tanak 8m20.7s
2 Latvala +3.4s
3 Neuville +3.8s
4 Ogier +4.7s
5 Meeke +5.9s
6 Sordo +6.4s
Overall after SS11
1 Neuville 1h46m41.6s
2 Latvala +32.8s
3 Tanak +42s
4 Ogier +52.2s
5 Meeke +1m10.3s
6 Sordo +1m57.1s
Stopwatch
Neuville completes and goes third quickest, dropping just 0.4s to Latvala in second overall. His rally lead is 32.8s.
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Latvala says he had a good run through SS11, but he is ruing the extra tyre he's carrying compared to the majority of the other WRC runners.
Stopwatch
Latvala arrives at stage end. He's second quickest, but loses another 3.4s to Tanak. That means Tanak (third overall) is only 9.2s behind Latvala.
Game on.
Game on.
Stopwatch
At the first split, Latvala is a couple of seconds down on Tanak. The gap is coming down to second again.
Stopwatch
Neuville is into the stage.
First, Tanak. He's a whole 4.7s quicker than Ogier and quickest so far.
First, Tanak. He's a whole 4.7s quicker than Ogier and quickest so far.
Stopwatch
At the first split, Tanak is 1.2s quicker than Ogier. Next up Latvala at that split.
Meeke goes second quickest on this stage, 1.2s slower than Ogier.
Meeke goes second quickest on this stage, 1.2s slower than Ogier.
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Quote of the weekend from Hayden Paddon and his broken power steering.
"With the cars being wider, it's like wrestling a 400lb lion," he says. "And I'll tell you, I'm coming off second best at the moment!"
"With the cars being wider, it's like wrestling a 400lb lion," he says. "And I'll tell you, I'm coming off second best at the moment!"
Stopwatch
Nice tidy leap from Ogier and he goes quickest by 1.7s.
Meeke is two seconds slower through the first split.
Meeke is two seconds slower through the first split.
Stopwatch
Ogier is quickest by 2.1s through the first split.
Kris Meeke and Ott Tanak are also into the stage.
Kris Meeke and Ott Tanak are also into the stage.
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The grimace on Paddon's face is clear to see from the onboard pictures, the Kiwi won't be needing to go to the gym this weekend. He's done his bicep curls in the shape of a Hyundai i20 WRC.
Stopwatch
Sordo goes quickest by 7.8s, some time by the Spaniard.
Paddon is next but he still has no power steering.
Paddon is next but he still has no power steering.
Sebastien Ogier is into the stage, as is Sordo who's just about to complete, and Hayden Paddon.
By: Matt Beer
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