Rally Sweden 2014
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Breaking news
If you're just joining us, main news from the first stage of the morning:
* Ogier takes the lead from superspecial pacesetter Mikkelsen
* Returnee Tanak keeps himself in an amazing third place
* Hanninen has the Hyundai in sixth
* Cautious start for Kubica in 11th.
* Ogier takes the lead from superspecial pacesetter Mikkelsen
* Returnee Tanak keeps himself in an amazing third place
* Hanninen has the Hyundai in sixth
* Cautious start for Kubica in 11th.
Quite a good WRC2 battle in prospect this weekend. Under-rated talent Jari Ketomaa was definitely pre-rally favourite, but right now he's less than a second ahead of Yazeed Al-Rahji.
You wouldn't normally expect a Saudi Arabian driver to fly in the snow, but Al-Rahji won WRC2 here last year and might've been among Robert Kubica's title rivals had he not then injured his back on a cross country event.
Anders Grondal did amazing things with his Group N Subaru on last night's superspecial too, but he doesn't expect to have a shot at the S2000s, R5s and RRCs when the rally gets going properly today.
You wouldn't normally expect a Saudi Arabian driver to fly in the snow, but Al-Rahji won WRC2 here last year and might've been among Robert Kubica's title rivals had he not then injured his back on a cross country event.
Anders Grondal did amazing things with his Group N Subaru on last night's superspecial too, but he doesn't expect to have a shot at the S2000s, R5s and RRCs when the rally gets going properly today.
Moderate WRC2 drama as Yuriy Protasov has a meeting with "a small tree". He completes the stage with only minor damage, though.
Checkered flag
Here are the standings after that stage:
SS2 results: 1 Ogier 4m38.1s; 2 Tanak +2.6s; 3 Latvala +2.7s; 4 Mikkelsen +3.8s; 5 Ostberg +4.4s; 6 Hanninen +5.0s.
Overall standings: 1 Ogier; 2 Mikkelsen +3.0s; 3 Tanak +4.0s; 4 Latvala +4.3s; 5 Ostberg +6.8s; 6 Hanninen +7.4s.
Meeke is 10th, Kubica 11th, Evans 13th.
SS2 results: 1 Ogier 4m38.1s; 2 Tanak +2.6s; 3 Latvala +2.7s; 4 Mikkelsen +3.8s; 5 Ostberg +4.4s; 6 Hanninen +5.0s.
Overall standings: 1 Ogier; 2 Mikkelsen +3.0s; 3 Tanak +4.0s; 4 Latvala +4.3s; 5 Ostberg +6.8s; 6 Hanninen +7.4s.
Meeke is 10th, Kubica 11th, Evans 13th.
Craig Breen is next in, but he's got troubles, with a misfire on his Fiesta.
Crash
Two WRC returnees on/in the next car through: Pirelli and Henning Solberg.
The elder one of the Solberg siblings had a spin on that stage though and "had to go back and back and back" to get going in the right direction again.
The elder one of the Solberg siblings had a spin on that stage though and "had to go back and back and back" to get going in the right direction again.
Reigning Junior WRC champion Pontus Tidemand has another shot in a World Rally Car this weekend. Last year he ran as high as fourth overall in a pretty amazing performance. He's ninth quickest, 8s off Ogier.
Poland's Michal Solowow, a man we've seen a few times on IRC and ERC events before, comes through in his Ford Fiesta RS WRC.
The main interest here is that his co-driver is Maciek Baran, the man who walked out of his partnership with Kubica at the end of last year. Kubica wasn't entirely impressed with that...
The main interest here is that his co-driver is Maciek Baran, the man who walked out of his partnership with Kubica at the end of last year. Kubica wasn't entirely impressed with that...
Ott Tanak
Remember this bloke hasn't been in top-level action since he lost his M-Sport Ford place at the end of 2012.
Tanak's back this year in a mixed programme of WRC and WRC2 events and has a point to prove.
Stopwatch
A very special time from WRC returnee Ott Tanak - he's second quickest, only 2s down on Ogier! He was third quickest last night too.
Still another six World Rally Cars to come through - great entry as usual in Sweden. Rising stars Craig Breen and Pontus Tidemand among those on the stage.
Great stuff from Hanninen, only 5s off Ogier (fifth quickest on the stage so far) on his Hyundai i20 debut.
Might the former Intercontinental Rally Challenge, Super 2000 WRC and European Rally champion be a dark horse this weekend...? AUTOSPORT would put a few quid on a podium for him actually.
Might the former Intercontinental Rally Challenge, Super 2000 WRC and European Rally champion be a dark horse this weekend...? AUTOSPORT would put a few quid on a podium for him actually.
Crash
Prokop has got out of the ditch and made it to the end of the stage. Sounds like he wanted a bit more assistance from the fans...
"There were a lot of good spectators who were helping us, but there were a lot who were just taking videos..."
"There were a lot of good spectators who were helping us, but there were a lot who were just taking videos..."
Quote
Good news for Neuville: he's got further than he did on his Hyundai debut in Monte Carlo...
He's 7s slower than Ogier, but had to dodge around Prokop.
"It cost me a little bit of time, but no more than 2-3s. The spectators slowed me down, which was good because it was quite a narrow place where he was in the ditch."
Neuville reports a bit of wheelspin and a not-quite-perfect gearchange. Something to add to Hyundai's jobs list in its first year back in the WRC.
He's 7s slower than Ogier, but had to dodge around Prokop.
"It cost me a little bit of time, but no more than 2-3s. The spectators slowed me down, which was good because it was quite a narrow place where he was in the ditch."
Neuville reports a bit of wheelspin and a not-quite-perfect gearchange. Something to add to Hyundai's jobs list in its first year back in the WRC.
It's currently an all-VW top three with Ogier leading Mikkelsen and Latvala.
The Hyundais of Neuville and Juho Hanninen are due through next.
The Hyundais of Neuville and Juho Hanninen are due through next.
Breaking news
Back to Kubica - he might be taking it gently right now, but a man who knows a lot about going fast on snow in a rally car says the ex-Formula 1 man definitely has what it takes.
Marcus Gronholm sat alongside Kubica in testing last week, then told AUTOSPORT all about it... and he was very, very impressed:
Gronholm's verdict on Kubica's rallying potential
Marcus Gronholm sat alongside Kubica in testing last week, then told AUTOSPORT all about it... and he was very, very impressed:
Gronholm's verdict on Kubica's rallying potential
Looks like our first incident might be Martin Prokop going off. The Czech driver is stopped on the stage.
Quote
Robert Kubica completes the stage 9s down on pacesetter Ogier.
"It was OK. Quite slippery and not an easy stage to start off, but I think for the whole rally we'll have to really take care. This is my first time in these conditions and they're changing the whole time."
"It was OK. Quite slippery and not an easy stage to start off, but I think for the whole rally we'll have to really take care. This is my first time in these conditions and they're changing the whole time."
Quote
Mikko Hirvonen is 6s off Ogier's pace, but says he was deliberately muted after crashing on this stage a year ago.
"I'm just happy I'm here. Last year it lasted about one kilometre. I've done the first stage, let's move on."
"I'm just happy I'm here. Last year it lasted about one kilometre. I've done the first stage, let's move on."
Breaking news
A couple of key facts to be aware of today:
* Cars are running in championship order for day one, so we get Monte winner Ogier through first and round one retirees like Robert Kubica and Thierry Neuville are further back on the start list.
* It's not very snowy. Organisers have been watering the stages during the week to try to ensure a sufficient ice base for the studded tyres, but this isn't the prettiest Rally Sweden you'll ever see.
* Cars are running in championship order for day one, so we get Monte winner Ogier through first and round one retirees like Robert Kubica and Thierry Neuville are further back on the start list.
* It's not very snowy. Organisers have been watering the stages during the week to try to ensure a sufficient ice base for the studded tyres, but this isn't the prettiest Rally Sweden you'll ever see.
Mikkelsen loses his overnight lead - he's 3s slower than Ogier and was only 0.8s ahead after his superspecial win.
Jari-Matti Latvala is 2.7s down on Ogier, Mads Ostberg 4.4s down.
Elfyn Evans is another man with a huge amount to learn. He's 16s off current pacesetter Ogier and had a half-spin, but is happy with his start.
Elfyn Evans is another man with a huge amount to learn. He's 16s off current pacesetter Ogier and had a half-spin, but is happy with his start.
Meeke is 8.5s down on Ogier but really not fussed about that. Having never done a snow rally at all before, he says he's just here to learn and enjoy himself.
Kris Meeke is next through. He promised a "no risk" approach pre-rally, then had an accident on yesterday's shakedown. After that, he reiterated he definitely, definitely would be taking a no risk approach...
Our world champion and points leader Ogier completes SS2 in a time of 4m38.1s.
He finds enough snow to make the stage pretty slippery and is only moderately satisfied with his drive, feeling he could've pushed harder.
He finds enough snow to make the stage pretty slippery and is only moderately satisfied with his drive, feeling he could've pushed harder.
Lake
While it might be warmer than expected – actually, when did zero become warm? Let's make that less cold than expected... - while it might be less cold than expected, the lake in Karlstad's still frozen.
And here's a picture to prove it.
There used to be a very nice restaurant here called the boat (largely because it was a boat) and it sat at the side of the lake. Either it's sailed away or it's sunk. Will investigate and get back to you...
But what usually happens in Sweden is that the overnight superspecial order lasts about one kilometre into the first proper stage of the day, which is kicking off in just under five minutes.
Breaking news
We've already had stage one, with the traditional Karlstad superspecial taking place on the evening before the main event as usual. Andreas Mikkelsen was fastest, so Volkswagen's number three is our current leader.
Sweden SS1 report
Sweden SS1 report
It's three weeks since Robert Kubica and Bryan Bouffier gave the World Rally Championship just the start to 2014 it needed with their thrilling day one drives in Monte Carlo, before world champion Sebastien Ogier produced one of his finest rallies yet to come back from ninth to a dominant win.
Good morning and welcome to AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live's coverage of Rally Sweden 2014.
By: Matt Beer, David Evans, Scott Mitchell
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