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Not much height on Craig Breen's jump, but the car was going so quickly the camera almost blurred.
He completes the stage 4.8s quicker than Evans.
He completes the stage 4.8s quicker than Evans.
Stopwatch
Evans completes 33.2s quicker than Lefebvre.
"We were quite careful over it [the jump]," says Evans. "It's a nice piece of road. It was really difficult, struggled for grip."
"We were quite careful over it [the jump]," says Evans. "It's a nice piece of road. It was really difficult, struggled for grip."
Stopwatch
Lefebvre completes 26.9s quicker than Gorban. No real surprise there.
Stopwatch
Gorban reaches the end of the stage with a subdued jump over Colin's Crest.
Through the first split, fellow 2016 WRC driver Stephane Lefebvre is 15s up on Gorban.
Through the first split, fellow 2016 WRC driver Stephane Lefebvre is 15s up on Gorban.
Elfyn Evans pulls his gloves tight and fires into our stage. He's the first 2017 car on the road today.
Green flag
Our stage is underway with the fantastic Mini John Cooper Works WRC of Valeriy Gorban.
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Just a couple of minutes until this modern classic, made by Colin's Crest, gets underway.
Here's the starting order:
Gorban
Lefebvre
Evans
Breen
Sordo
Paddon
Ogier
Meeke
Tanak
Latvala
Neuville
Ostberg
Hanninen
Here's the starting order:
Gorban
Lefebvre
Evans
Breen
Sordo
Paddon
Ogier
Meeke
Tanak
Latvala
Neuville
Ostberg
Hanninen
David Evans
Only a few minutes before we switch to our third and final stage of the morning.
Here's DAVID EVANS with a stage guide for one of the best stages in the WRC:
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."
Here's DAVID EVANS with a stage guide for one of the best stages in the WRC:
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 the times from SS10:
SS10
1 Tanak 8m03s
2 Neuville +0.1s
3 Ogier +0.9s
4 Latvala +2.7s
5 Sordo +5s
6 Meeke +5.9s
Overall after SS10
1 Neuville 1h38m17.1s
2 Latvala +33.2s
3 Tanak +45.8s
4 Ogier +55.3s
5 Meeke +1m08.2s
6 Sordo +1m54.5s
SS10
1 Tanak 8m03s
2 Neuville +0.1s
3 Ogier +0.9s
4 Latvala +2.7s
5 Sordo +5s
6 Meeke +5.9s
Overall after SS10
1 Neuville 1h38m17.1s
2 Latvala +33.2s
3 Tanak +45.8s
4 Ogier +55.3s
5 Meeke +1m08.2s
6 Sordo +1m54.5s
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Neuville sounds like he has pace in the tank, which must be terrifying for his fellow drivers.
"It was a good pace but I'm keeping it in the clean lines," says Neuville. "I tried to be very efficient."
"It was a good pace but I'm keeping it in the clean lines," says Neuville. "I tried to be very efficient."
Stopwatch
Rally leader Neuville arrives, he's only 0.1s slower than Tanak. Again he increases his lead, it's up to 33.2s.
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Latvala certainly seems disturbed by Tanak's pace.
"He's doing really well at the moment,"says Latvala. "He's fighting hard."
"He's doing really well at the moment,"says Latvala. "He's fighting hard."
Stopwatch
Latvala is next and he drops another 2.7s to Tanak. The Estonian is now within 12.6s of the Finn after two stages this morning.
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Tanak is 0.9s quicker than Ogier and extends his gap over his team-mate overall to 9.5s. Tanak third, Ogier is fourth.
"I have a good feeling with the car today," says Tanak. "I've been pushing hard."
"I have a good feeling with the car today," says Tanak. "I've been pushing hard."
Stopwatch
True to form, Thierry Neuville is quickest through the first split. That's why he's the rally leader by half a minute.
Here's the juicy battle though, Tanak and Latvala. Tanak is hunting the Toyota driver and he wants his second place.
Here's the juicy battle though, Tanak and Latvala. Tanak is hunting the Toyota driver and he wants his second place.
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Meeke arrives third quickest, again he loses time to Ogier. He drops 5s to the Frenchman after losing fourth to him overall on the last stage.
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Ogier is pushing hard and goes quickest so far. He's 4.1s up on Sordo.
"It's a nice stage. There's a little bit of fresh snow but the conditions aren't optimal."
"It's a nice stage. There's a little bit of fresh snow but the conditions aren't optimal."
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When asked at stage end 'how can you limit the time loss', Hayden Paddon's response is a cracker.
"At the minute I'm just trying to make sure my arms don't fall off!"
Bravo Hayden. Even with an issue like broken power steering, he's still entertaining and chipper.
"At the minute I'm just trying to make sure my arms don't fall off!"
Bravo Hayden. Even with an issue like broken power steering, he's still entertaining and chipper.
Stopwatch
Tanak's first split is in and he's 0.2s behind his team-mate Ogier at that point.
Stopwatch
On the last stage Sebastien Ogier took fourth overall from Kris Meeke.
At the first split in SS10, Ogier has taken a couple of seconds out of the Northern Irishman.
At the first split in SS10, Ogier has taken a couple of seconds out of the Northern Irishman.
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Sordo completes and his time is 4.2s faster than Breen.
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Breen goes quickest, 8s faster than Elfyn Evans.
At the final split, Sordo is quickest. At the first split, Sebastien Ogier is on top.
At the final split, Sordo is quickest. At the first split, Sebastien Ogier is on top.
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Hayden Paddon has started the stage, and Ogier has been given a three minute gap behind him to make sure he doesn't catch him.
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Elfyn Evans is the first WRC car in. He completes in 8m20.2s.
"It was really slippy," says Evans. "We'll keep at it. We'll keep pushing."
"It was really slippy," says Evans. "We'll keep at it. We'll keep pushing."
Stopwatch
It's a quick stage, just 9.86 miles this one.
Elfyn Evans and Craig Breen give us a helpful does of 2017 cars on the stage.
Elfyn Evans and Craig Breen give us a helpful does of 2017 cars on the stage.
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Green flag
Our stage is live and underway.
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Information
Here's your five minute warning, and a starting order for this 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
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David Evans
Less than 10 minutes to go until our next stage, SS10, and this one has more stories than most. Here's DAVID EVANS to run you through it.
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.
David Evans
And while we wait for the stage, why not indulge in a bit more DAVID EVANS insight:
Mads Ostberg wasn’t the only driver to sample a new World Rally Car minus the all-important aero – but Citroen’s Craig Breen was robbed of downforce at the front end of his C3 WRC.
“You wouldn’t believe the difference it makes to drive the car like this,” he said. “We went into a snowbank at something like 5mph, honestly we were in a downhill section and it just nudged the bank and broke the right front corner of the splitter. But what a difference: the car felt like it was floating, it was really hard to get it turned in.”
The Norwegian elected to skip the final Friday test to ensure there was time to get a replacement wing fitted to the car. He returns under Rally2 regulations.
Mads Ostberg wasn’t the only driver to sample a new World Rally Car minus the all-important aero – but Citroen’s Craig Breen was robbed of downforce at the front end of his C3 WRC.
“You wouldn’t believe the difference it makes to drive the car like this,” he said. “We went into a snowbank at something like 5mph, honestly we were in a downhill section and it just nudged the bank and broke the right front corner of the splitter. But what a difference: the car felt like it was floating, it was really hard to get it turned in.”
The Norwegian elected to skip the final Friday test to ensure there was time to get a replacement wing fitted to the car. He returns under Rally2 regulations.
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David Evans
As always, our man on the ground DAVID EVANS has some brilliant insight from the service park. Here's the latest:
Ott Tanak has admitted to even more respect for his team-mate Sebastien Ogier after running third on the road behind the Frenchman yesterday.
The Estonian told Autosport: “I must say this was a new experience for me, I have never run so high and done the cleaning before. Now I understand what he was complaining about last year, he has done an incredible job – especially in the afternoon. We are quite lucky that we get to change this running order for today.”
A change of regulations for this season mean the priority crews are run in reversed classification order for the second and third days.
Ott Tanak has admitted to even more respect for his team-mate Sebastien Ogier after running third on the road behind the Frenchman yesterday.
The Estonian told Autosport: “I must say this was a new experience for me, I have never run so high and done the cleaning before. Now I understand what he was complaining about last year, he has done an incredible job – especially in the afternoon. We are quite lucky that we get to change this running order for today.”
A change of regulations for this season mean the priority crews are run in reversed classification order for the second and third days.
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By: Matt Beer
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