Rally Sweden 2014
Live Text
Sort by
Quote
And now Solowow finishes, 21.2s slower than Kubica. But the ex-F1 is soon usurped at the top of the times...
...because Al Qassimi goes quicker than Kubica! Four seconds to be a bit more precise.
"Messy," is Khalid's answer of how the stage looks. "There are no lines. The cars cannot turn easy."
...because Al Qassimi goes quicker than Kubica! Four seconds to be a bit more precise.
"Messy," is Khalid's answer of how the stage looks. "There are no lines. The cars cannot turn easy."
Back on the stage - or rather, the stage end - Kubica is in. 11m45.8s, and that's 7.3s quicker than Solowow as he crosses the penultimate split.
Unless Solowow pulls something special out of the bag, Kubica will be quickest of those two runners. Little victories...
Unless Solowow pulls something special out of the bag, Kubica will be quickest of those two runners. Little victories...
Speaking of Kubica, he was on sublime form behind the mic as well as the wheel yesterday.
Fortunately, he kept his opinion on WRC Live reporter Colin Clark’s hat to himself...
The 19.26km Torntorp stage means no relief for the drivers. Kubica's nearing its end, with Solowow slower on the splits.
Is Kubica pushing more now? He is a fantastic sight for fans when he starts ringing more out of the Citroen.
Is Kubica pushing more now? He is a fantastic sight for fans when he starts ringing more out of the Citroen.
Checkered flag
Overall leaderboard:
1 Latvala (VW)
2 Mikkelsen (VW) +7.5s
3 Ostberg (Citroen) +45.5s
4 Hirvonen (M-Sport Ford) +1m06.5s
5 Tanak (M-Sport Ford) +1m22.9s
6 Meeke (Citroen) +2m55.8s
7 Solberg (Solberg Ford) +3m04.2s
8 Tidemand (M-Sport Ford) +3m25.0s
9 Ogier (VW) +3m56.0s
10 Evans (M-Sport Ford) +4m11.8s
SS17 times:
1 Latvala (VW)
2 Ostberg (Citroen) +2.5s
3 Hirvonen (M-Sport Ford) +3.8s
4 Mikkelsen (VW) +3.9s
5 Hanninen (Hyundai) +6.0s
1 Latvala (VW)
2 Mikkelsen (VW) +7.5s
3 Ostberg (Citroen) +45.5s
4 Hirvonen (M-Sport Ford) +1m06.5s
5 Tanak (M-Sport Ford) +1m22.9s
6 Meeke (Citroen) +2m55.8s
7 Solberg (Solberg Ford) +3m04.2s
8 Tidemand (M-Sport Ford) +3m25.0s
9 Ogier (VW) +3m56.0s
10 Evans (M-Sport Ford) +4m11.8s
SS17 times:
1 Latvala (VW)
2 Ostberg (Citroen) +2.5s
3 Hirvonen (M-Sport Ford) +3.8s
4 Mikkelsen (VW) +3.9s
5 Hanninen (Hyundai) +6.0s
In comes Hanninen, and he's fifth quickest. That's a good effort, but Hyundai must feel this was an opportunity spurned after the Saturday shunt.
SS18 is underway elsewhere. Kubica and Solowow are on the stage.
SS18 is underway elsewhere. Kubica and Solowow are on the stage.
Quote
Mikkelsen might have driven smart, but Latvala's driven superbly!
He goes quickest on Hara of anyone and pushes his lead north of 7s.
Big result for JML, who rounds off the major running (not including Hanninen and Neuville's Hyundais) by commenting, like most, how tough the going was on that.
"There's a lot of snow, you need to be very careful. I had to really, really focus. The beginning was even more difficult.
"I got the information and for sure it was a stressful moment. When it gets faster, it should be better."
He goes quickest on Hara of anyone and pushes his lead north of 7s.
Big result for JML, who rounds off the major running (not including Hanninen and Neuville's Hyundais) by commenting, like most, how tough the going was on that.
"There's a lot of snow, you need to be very careful. I had to really, really focus. The beginning was even more difficult.
"I got the information and for sure it was a stressful moment. When it gets faster, it should be better."
Mikkelsen is in. And he's not quickest. Will he drop further behind Latvala now?
He's not bothered about that prospect - he's searching for a maiden WRC podium, let alone win!
"We tried to stay on line and not take any risks," he says. "We drove smart."
He's not bothered about that prospect - he's searching for a maiden WRC podium, let alone win!
"We tried to stay on line and not take any risks," he says. "We drove smart."
Relief for Evans! The timing screen updates once more, and his original time is reinstated. 7m03.6s and he's seventh on the stage as it stands.
Both Volkswagens are on the stage...and Mikkelsen is quicker at the split!
Mads Ostberg bursts Hirvonen's bubble slightly. The two, having swapped cars for 2014, were running less than 20s apart after last night's superspecial. So you might have thought Mikko's mega effort would close that gap.
It doesn't. Mads is through in 6m36.1s.
It doesn't. Mads is through in 6m36.1s.
The top is changing all the time. Hirvonen is through now, and it's a big result for Mikko.
He's 10s quicker than M-Sport stable-mate Tanak's 6m47.8s, which means he more than doubles his gap in the battle for fourth. Impressive.
He's 10s quicker than M-Sport stable-mate Tanak's 6m47.8s, which means he more than doubles his gap in the battle for fourth. Impressive.
Now Ott Tanak, one of the stars of the rally, is in - and even quicker than Solberg!
Quote
More cars come through. Pontus Tidemand loses 18.5s to Ogier before Henning Solberg goes faster! 6m50.8s for Solberg.
Meeke is in, 6.5s slower than Ogier, and says: "I was really, really cautious."
Meeke is in, 6.5s slower than Ogier, and says: "I was really, really cautious."
Hmm. That's very odd. AUTOSPORT is temporarily stumped by the timing screens - and is then rather disappointed.
It refreshes, and Evans drops to the foot of the screen - two minutes slower than Ogier!
What a bizarre error. And explains why the Welshman isn't thrilled at the stage end.
It refreshes, and Evans drops to the foot of the screen - two minutes slower than Ogier!
What a bizarre error. And explains why the Welshman isn't thrilled at the stage end.
Ogier's time was 6m51.7s for that stage, and now Evans is in. The Welshman lost ninth to Ogier yesterday in the superspecial, and comes through 11.9s slower.
That's not a bad effort at all.
That's not a bad effort at all.
Quote
Prokop's time at the top lasts only a short while.
In comes Ogier, and he smashes it. He's the latest to remark about how tough that run was, and is philosophical of his chances of making significant progress up the order today.
"It looks a bit difficult with the conditions. For sure we are not in the best condition to it but...we try."
In comes Ogier, and he smashes it. He's the latest to remark about how tough that run was, and is philosophical of his chances of making significant progress up the order today.
"It looks a bit difficult with the conditions. For sure we are not in the best condition to it but...we try."
Al Qassimi loses a heap of time in the first half of the stage and ends it some 43s slower than Solowow.
But then Prokop comes through in 7m17.5s to go quickest of the runners so far, and Breen is also in, four seconds slower.
But then Prokop comes through in 7m17.5s to go quickest of the runners so far, and Breen is also in, four seconds slower.
Rain
The conditions are causing Kubica pain - but our man on the ground David Evans is jubilant the snow is back...
Quote
It's tough out there on the Hara. The conditions are making it even more of a challenge, and Kubica - who comes through in one piece - says he was running with extra caution. Which is understandable really.
"It has been very very difficult and very slippery," he says. "We were driving like we were going to the supermarket!"
Solowow is through too, and as if to exemplify Kubica's approach, he's much quicker than the M-Sport Ford man's 8m07.2s - 18-odd seconds, in fact.
"It has been very very difficult and very slippery," he says. "We were driving like we were going to the supermarket!"
Solowow is through too, and as if to exemplify Kubica's approach, he's much quicker than the M-Sport Ford man's 8m07.2s - 18-odd seconds, in fact.
Breaking news
The first man on the stage is Robert Kubica - a man who spent a lot of Friday in the news.
After a troublesome day in which he lost about 20 minutes to Latvala and went off the road more than once, the ex-Formula 1 driver copped an earful from Citroen man Mads Ostberg.
Ostberg wasn't happy with Kubica's actions after his two crashes - and warned that the consequences could have been far more severe than a few seconds lost being baulked...
After a troublesome day in which he lost about 20 minutes to Latvala and went off the road more than once, the ex-Formula 1 driver copped an earful from Citroen man Mads Ostberg.
Ostberg wasn't happy with Kubica's actions after his two crashes - and warned that the consequences could have been far more severe than a few seconds lost being baulked...
Breaking news
Rally Sweden Friday night summary:
*After rally leader Jari-Matti Latvala had looked like putting a bit of a buffer between himself and team-mate Andreas Mikkelsen, building his lead to 4.8s by the end of Friday afternoon, the superspecial closed it back up again.
*Mikkelsen, quickest on the Karlstad blast on Wednesday's event-opening superspecial, replicated that performance to take 1.2s out of his team-mate and leave them just 3.6s apart.
* Sebastien Ogier in the third VW continued his fightback, snatching ninth from Elfyn Evans after SS16.
Any we have cars on the stage...
*After rally leader Jari-Matti Latvala had looked like putting a bit of a buffer between himself and team-mate Andreas Mikkelsen, building his lead to 4.8s by the end of Friday afternoon, the superspecial closed it back up again.
*Mikkelsen, quickest on the Karlstad blast on Wednesday's event-opening superspecial, replicated that performance to take 1.2s out of his team-mate and leave them just 3.6s apart.
* Sebastien Ogier in the third VW continued his fightback, snatching ninth from Elfyn Evans after SS16.
Any we have cars on the stage...
Rain
Our first running of Saturday morning comes from the first running of the 11.9km Hara stage.
That will kick off any minute now. So before it does, we've got chance to give you the briefest of reminders of where exactly we stand at the start of the last day.
Here's the first thing: It's started snowing again...
Good morning and welcome to the final day of AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live's coverage of Rally Sweden 2014.
The drivers are now heading for service, then the end of day press conference, before having a bit of a break before the Karlstad superspecial this evening.
AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live won't be covering the superspecial in full, but we will bring you an update report in our news section afterwards.
And then tomorrow morning we're back from just before 7am for the deciding day of the rally, with the Latvala/Mikkelsen battle still very finely-poised and Ogier set to continue his charge back up the order.
AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live won't be covering the superspecial in full, but we will bring you an update report in our news section afterwards.
And then tomorrow morning we're back from just before 7am for the deciding day of the rally, with the Latvala/Mikkelsen battle still very finely-poised and Ogier set to continue his charge back up the order.
Rain
Snow turned back to rain. And now it's fully miserable, going dark and very, very wet as the cars prepare for a run south down to Karlstad.
Interestingly, Jari-Matti Latvala was the only driver to go with a no jacket policy at the in control. Surely that's opened the goal for a gag about Phil Collins' third solo album...
Interestingly, Jari-Matti Latvala was the only driver to go with a no jacket policy at the in control. Surely that's opened the goal for a gag about Phil Collins' third solo album...
Breaking news
Summary from SS14/SS15:
* Latvala pulls 9.6s clear of Mikkelsen, only to run out of tyre life on the next stage and see his lead reduce to 4.8s again.
* Ogier takes two more stage wins and brings himself within 2.4s of taking ninth from Evans.
* Kubica loses another 11 minutes with his second off-road trip of the afternoon.
* Latvala pulls 9.6s clear of Mikkelsen, only to run out of tyre life on the next stage and see his lead reduce to 4.8s again.
* Ogier takes two more stage wins and brings himself within 2.4s of taking ninth from Evans.
* Kubica loses another 11 minutes with his second off-road trip of the afternoon.
Checkered flag
Overall leaderboard:
1 Latvala (VW)
2 Mikkelsen (VW) +4.8s
3 Ostberg (Citroen) +42.3s
4 Hirvonen (M-Sport Ford) +1m00.3s
5 Tanak (M-Sport Ford) +1m06.5s
6 Meeke (Citroen) +2m28.0s
7 Tidemand (M-Sport Ford) +2m43.7s
8 Solberg (M-Sport Ford) +2m46.1s
9 Evans (M-Sport Ford) +3m36.7s
10 Ogier (VW) +3m39.1s
1 Latvala (VW)
2 Mikkelsen (VW) +4.8s
3 Ostberg (Citroen) +42.3s
4 Hirvonen (M-Sport Ford) +1m00.3s
5 Tanak (M-Sport Ford) +1m06.5s
6 Meeke (Citroen) +2m28.0s
7 Tidemand (M-Sport Ford) +2m43.7s
8 Solberg (M-Sport Ford) +2m46.1s
9 Evans (M-Sport Ford) +3m36.7s
10 Ogier (VW) +3m39.1s
Checkered flag
SS15 times:
1 Ogier (VW) 2m02.9s
2 Ostberg (Citroen) +2.0s
3 Solberg (M-Sport Ford) +2.5s
4 Mikkelsen (VW) +2.9s
5 Hirvonen (M-Sport Ford) +3.1s
6 Evans (M-Sport Ford) +3.1s
1 Ogier (VW) 2m02.9s
2 Ostberg (Citroen) +2.0s
3 Solberg (M-Sport Ford) +2.5s
4 Mikkelsen (VW) +2.9s
5 Hirvonen (M-Sport Ford) +3.1s
6 Evans (M-Sport Ford) +3.1s
That also brings him to within 2.4s of Evans's ninth place. Remember Ogier was 20th not so long ago after shunting this morning.
Stopwatch
Ogier takes another stage win, giving him a clean sweep for the afternoon.
Latvala was right down in 13th place on stage times there.
That said, Mikkelsen is still emphasising that he really would like to get a podium...
Mikkelsen manages to close back to within 4.8s of Latvala. The lead fight is still on!
Rain
AUTOSPORT's DAVID EVANS brings weather news as he walks towards service... it's genuinely snowing. He says there is rain around too, but people need to do their jackets up again.
Latvala puts the loss of time down to having taken too much out of his tyres on the full-length stages.
"My tyres are too finished. I lost a lot of time."
"My tyres are too finished. I lost a lot of time."
Slow time for Latvala... he's 6.2s down on Ostberg.
It won't be another stage win for Solberg, as Ostberg beats him by half a second.
That means Ostberg's lead over Hirvonen in the battle for third is up to 18s.
That means Ostberg's lead over Hirvonen in the battle for third is up to 18s.
In that family battle, Tidemand is now only 2.4s ahead of Solberg, who has clawed back onto his stepson's tail after the puncture and spin that dropped him back.
By: Matt Beer, David Evans, Scott Mitchell
Published:
Lap:
