Rally Sweden 2014
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We also wonder how many Scandinavian WRC winners learned some of their car control hammering tractors around Finnish farms at surprisingly young ages. Rather a lot, we'd guess.
More cultural exploration evidence from AUTOSPORT's DAVID EVANS.
"Wonder what this mag's all about?"
"Wonder what this mag's all about?"
Tractor
Lights out
Quick-fire stages all morning today, Rammen is already underway for first-man-on-the-road Prokop.
Breaking news
SS9 summary:
* Mikkelsen inches lead over Latvala up to 3.3s
* Meeke takes seventh from Tidemand
* Solberg takes ninth from Evans
* Ogier fastest as he begins comeback after SS7 excursion
* Mikkelsen inches lead over Latvala up to 3.3s
* Meeke takes seventh from Tidemand
* Solberg takes ninth from Evans
* Ogier fastest as he begins comeback after SS7 excursion
And for the Kubica fans, he's 5s behind Evans in 11th. We'll let you know where Ogier slots in as more cars come through, but he'll have already moved up from 20th.
Checkered flag
Leaderboard after SS9:
1 Mikkelsen (VW)
2 Latvala (VW) +3.3s
3 Ostberg (Citroen) +25.8s
4 Hirvonen (M-Sport Ford) +27.4s
5 Tanak (M-Sport Ford) +29.9s
6 Hanninen (Hyundai) +57.4s
7 Meeke (Citroen) +1m32.0s
8 Tidemand (M-Sport Ford) +1m33.3s
9 Solberg (M-Sport Ford) +1m48.2s
10 Evans (M-Sport Ford) +1m59.0s
1 Mikkelsen (VW)
2 Latvala (VW) +3.3s
3 Ostberg (Citroen) +25.8s
4 Hirvonen (M-Sport Ford) +27.4s
5 Tanak (M-Sport Ford) +29.9s
6 Hanninen (Hyundai) +57.4s
7 Meeke (Citroen) +1m32.0s
8 Tidemand (M-Sport Ford) +1m33.3s
9 Solberg (M-Sport Ford) +1m48.2s
10 Evans (M-Sport Ford) +1m59.0s
Checkered flag
SS9 times:
1 Ogier (VW) 10m25.2s
2 Mikkelsen (VW) +2.8s
3 Latvala (VW) +5.5s
4 Ostberg (Citroen) +11.7s
5 Tanak (M-Sport Ford) +12.0s
6 Hirvonen (M-Sport Ford) +12.8s
1 Ogier (VW) 10m25.2s
2 Mikkelsen (VW) +2.8s
3 Latvala (VW) +5.5s
4 Ostberg (Citroen) +11.7s
5 Tanak (M-Sport Ford) +12.0s
6 Hirvonen (M-Sport Ford) +12.8s
Stopwatch
Ogier beats Mikkelsen by 0.3s so gets the stage win. Good start to his comeback drive - he's 4m15s off the lead but might have a shot at points still.
If you're just joining us, Ogier went off on today's first stage.
If you're just joining us, Ogier went off on today's first stage.
Stopwatch
Mikkelsen faster still! His lead is up to 3.3s.
"We took some new tyres and I think it was the right choice.
"We'll see how hard we've used them, this rally is all about tyres.
"Before, I've been too eager in these situations. I need to avoid mistakes."
"We took some new tyres and I think it was the right choice.
"We'll see how hard we've used them, this rally is all about tyres.
"Before, I've been too eager in these situations. I need to avoid mistakes."
Stopwatch
Latvala comes through 6.2s faster than Ostberg, but how will it compare to Mikkelsen?
"He's doing a really good rally. He has the young spirit," says Latvala of his team-mate and rival.
"He didn't do this rally last year so he's doing an amazing job.
"But let's see, it's a long rally."
"He's doing a really good rally. He has the young spirit," says Latvala of his team-mate and rival.
"He didn't do this rally last year so he's doing an amazing job.
"But let's see, it's a long rally."
Quote
Tanak is just 0.3s off Ostberg, despite still finding inexperienced co-driver Molder's pace note reading on the fast sections a bit unnerving.
"I just need to give him some time to get used to it. We can handle it."
"I just need to give him some time to get used to it. We can handle it."
Stopwatch
Ostberg beats Hirvonen by 1.1s, so the gap between them is up to 1.6s.
Stopwatch
Hirvonen is through fastest so far, 4s up on Hanninen.
Twitter
Juho Hanninen
This is how Hanninen prefers to take jumps.
Hanninen beats Solberg to the fastest time so far, and apologises to the spectators for not being as flamboyant as he might've wanted over the jumps.
With Neuville out, Hyundai needs Hanninen to keep it clean. He's currently sixth.
With Neuville out, Hyundai needs Hanninen to keep it clean. He's currently sixth.
Quote
Tidemand isn't happy this morning.
"The feeling is not so good. It's going all over the road," says last year's Junior WRC champion and Sweden giantkiller.
He does indeed lose a place to Meeke.
"The feeling is not so good. It's going all over the road," says last year's Junior WRC champion and Sweden giantkiller.
He does indeed lose a place to Meeke.
Kris Meeke is another man on a learning mission this weekend, having never done a fully-fledged snow rally before.
He says he doesn't feel he can trust his judgement in the conditions yet. He might get Tidemand for seventh on this stage, though.
He says he doesn't feel he can trust his judgement in the conditions yet. He might get Tidemand for seventh on this stage, though.
Kubica has lost a chunk of time to Solberg there and a little to Evans, but has pulled further away from Breen so is in a more solitary 11th spot right now.
Quote
Kubica comes through, 17s slower than Solberg. He managed to bring his Fiesta's set-up back towards something more suitable between stages, but he can't get it completely where he wants it until service.
"I made a mistake in evaluating the road conditions. I have to discover the car and treat this rally as a test, and this time it didn't really work."
"I made a mistake in evaluating the road conditions. I have to discover the car and treat this rally as a test, and this time it didn't really work."
Tidemand and Solberg
AUTOSPORT spotted Solberg and Tidemand having a father and stepson chat yesterday.
They were just 0.1s apart in their battle at the bottom of the points position for a while on leg one before Solberg's puncture dropped him back.
Not sure who lives in the slightly dodgy looking caravan behind though...
Henning Solberg beats Breen and Prokop to set our fastest time so far, but reports there is "SO MUCH snow" on the road in typically exuberant Solberg fashion.
Craig Breen suspects he might've broken something in his Fiesta's rear end. The handling is odd and he's feeling a lot of jolts.
Crash
Hyundai confirms that Neuville's problem was that he hit a stone and damaged the i20.
That's two shunt-related retirements in two rallies for Neuville so far this year.
He can use Rally2 in Sweden, and from Hyundai's point of view it'll be worth it for the mileage, but he'll incur 45 minutes of penalties.
That's two shunt-related retirements in two rallies for Neuville so far this year.
He can use Rally2 in Sweden, and from Hyundai's point of view it'll be worth it for the mileage, but he'll incur 45 minutes of penalties.
Prokop completes SS8. He says there is plenty of snow in there to clean out of the way, and that the ruts in the road "are doing crazy things to the car".
This is going to be a tricky stage all round regardless of running order position.
This is going to be a tricky stage all round regardless of running order position.
Crash
More times to come through still, but at the moment Ogier is down to 20th overall, 4m18s off the lead and 2m48.5s away from the points.
So scoring is still doable (especially with the power stage in mind).
So scoring is still doable (especially with the power stage in mind).
VW dinner
Would Ogier have made that mistake if he'd had a proper dinner last night?
In AUTOSPORT's snap, Julien Ingrassia joins Latvala, Miikka Anttila and Mikko Markkula for some Thursday evening tucker at VW.
Ogier joined them a couple of minutes later and had some salad. Is that the supper of a world champion?
There you go VW, we wrote it.
Quote
Last night, VW team boss Jost Capito insisted there would be no team orders for his drivers, then running one-two-three.
AUTOSPORT asked Mikkelsen, then second to Ogier, if he reckoned he would be allowed to win, seeing as he is effectively number three in the team given his lack of WRC experience.
Can you win this rally, we asked Mikkelsen.
"I don't know, the podium is the target here. But, if the opportunity comes along then I'm not going to hide!"
But will you be allowed to win, we ventured.
"Yes, I think so. Write it... if you write it, then I'm sure I'll be allowed!"
AUTOSPORT asked Mikkelsen, then second to Ogier, if he reckoned he would be allowed to win, seeing as he is effectively number three in the team given his lack of WRC experience.
Can you win this rally, we asked Mikkelsen.
"I don't know, the podium is the target here. But, if the opportunity comes along then I'm not going to hide!"
But will you be allowed to win, we ventured.
"Yes, I think so. Write it... if you write it, then I'm sure I'll be allowed!"
We've now got Fredriksberg (18.15km), Rammen (22.76km) and Hagfors (1.87km) in very quick succession before service.
Lights out
And the next stage is live. Prokop first in.
Breaking news
Sebastien Ogier
SS7 summary:
* Ogier goes off and loses four and a half minutes and the rally lead!
* Latvala wins the stage and closes to within 0.6s of new leader Mikkelsen.
* Tanak has a spin and falls behind Ostberg and Hirvonen to fifth.
* Neuville parks on the stage with a problem and retires.
* A slow time for Kubica, who says he got set-up wrong, means he falls behind Evans and Solberg. The Pole is now 11th.
Checkered flag
Overall leaderboard:
1 Mikkelsen (VW)
2 Latvala (VW) +0.6s
3 Ostberg (Citroen) +16.9s
4 Hirvonen (M-Sport Ford) +17.4s
5 Tanak (M-Sport Ford) +20.7s
6 Hanninen (Hyundai) +43.3s
7 Tidemand (M-Sport Ford) +1m03.6s
8 Meeke (Citroen) +1m05.4s
9 Evans (M-Sport Ford) +1m29.2s
10 Solberg (M-Sport Ford) +1m30.9s
Kubica is half a second behind Solberg in 11th.
1 Mikkelsen (VW)
2 Latvala (VW) +0.6s
3 Ostberg (Citroen) +16.9s
4 Hirvonen (M-Sport Ford) +17.4s
5 Tanak (M-Sport Ford) +20.7s
6 Hanninen (Hyundai) +43.3s
7 Tidemand (M-Sport Ford) +1m03.6s
8 Meeke (Citroen) +1m05.4s
9 Evans (M-Sport Ford) +1m29.2s
10 Solberg (M-Sport Ford) +1m30.9s
Kubica is half a second behind Solberg in 11th.
Checkered flag
SS8 times:
1 Latvala (VW) 9m19.9s
2 Mikkelsen (VW) +5.8s
3 Ostberg (Citroen) +6.0s
4 Hirvonen (M-Sport Ford) +6.5s
5 Hanninen (Hyundai) +12.9s
6 Tanak (M-Sport Ford) +17.5s
(and don't forget Tanak's time includes a spin!)
1 Latvala (VW) 9m19.9s
2 Mikkelsen (VW) +5.8s
3 Ostberg (Citroen) +6.0s
4 Hirvonen (M-Sport Ford) +6.5s
5 Hanninen (Hyundai) +12.9s
6 Tanak (M-Sport Ford) +17.5s
(and don't forget Tanak's time includes a spin!)
Breaking news
Right, deep breath, let's recap the positions and everything that has just happened...
The drama isn't limited to the overall lead battle - in WRC2, Jari Ketomaa has just carved over 20s out of Yazeed Al-Rahji's overnight cushion.
Full standings shortly, but to summarise, we now have Mikkelsen leading the rally by just 0.6s over Latvala, then Ostberg/Hirvonen/Tanak with 3.8s of each other in third-place fight.
Ogier lost a total of four and a half minutes with that mistake. That means he's be outside the overall top 20.
And Neuville has stopped again.
Quote
Ogier completes the stage and confesses it was his own mistake. The VW is heavily packed with snow in its front.
"I just went into the snow bank and got stuck. It was on a slow corner. I was not really concentrated. It's a stupid mistake.
"For sure I will do my best now. I don't know what is possible but I guess it's going to be hard."
"I just went into the snow bank and got stuck. It was on a slow corner. I was not really concentrated. It's a stupid mistake.
"For sure I will do my best now. I don't know what is possible but I guess it's going to be hard."
By: Matt Beer, David Evans, Scott Mitchell
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