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SS7 results:
Stage times:
1 Ogier 9m43.4s
2 Mikkelsen +3.9s
3 Paddon +5.5s
4 Meeke +6s
5 Ostberg +12.3s
6= Tanak +16.1s
6= Neuville +16.1s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Ogier 1h12m54s
2 Paddon +32.4s
3 Mikkelsen +45.9s
4 Ostberg +46.0s
5 Tanak +50.9s
6 Sordo +1m44.2s
7 Solberg +1m56s
8 Breen +2m01.5s
9 Evans +3m36.8s
10 Tidemand +4m19.5s
Stage times:
1 Ogier 9m43.4s
2 Mikkelsen +3.9s
3 Paddon +5.5s
4 Meeke +6s
5 Ostberg +12.3s
6= Tanak +16.1s
6= Neuville +16.1s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Ogier 1h12m54s
2 Paddon +32.4s
3 Mikkelsen +45.9s
4 Ostberg +46.0s
5 Tanak +50.9s
6 Sordo +1m44.2s
7 Solberg +1m56s
8 Breen +2m01.5s
9 Evans +3m36.8s
10 Tidemand +4m19.5s
Information
We're onto the WRC2 pack now, and there's a big change after this first stage.
Elfyn Evans retains his overnight lead with a pretty respectable time, but his closest challenger Fredrik Ahlin is in trouble as he is the third man to come through with a puncture.
"I have no idea [where it was]. We have two spares, but [it's] game over," says the Swede, clearly downbeat after that.
He drops behind Anders Grondal and Pontus Tidemand overall as a result.
Elfyn Evans retains his overnight lead with a pretty respectable time, but his closest challenger Fredrik Ahlin is in trouble as he is the third man to come through with a puncture.
"I have no idea [where it was]. We have two spares, but [it's] game over," says the Swede, clearly downbeat after that.
He drops behind Anders Grondal and Pontus Tidemand overall as a result.
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"I have to say the stage was very rough," says Latvala. "I knew that the stones where there but a snow left-hander there was a bit of snow. I knew Dani Sordo had a puncture but I couldn't do anything."
"I have two spares."
"I have two spares."
Information
No change in fortune for Jari-Matti Latvala today, who loses 1m07.2s on SS10.
The Finn suffered a broken driveshaft on the opening stage yesterday, before retiring with a suspension issue in the evening.
He has a front-left puncture, like Sordo.
The Finn suffered a broken driveshaft on the opening stage yesterday, before retiring with a suspension issue in the evening.
He has a front-left puncture, like Sordo.
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Meeke is through and it's not quite as promising as it had appeared - still, it's the fourth-fastest time and he reveals that he backed off a bit in the final split:
"You have to ride your luck, sometimes you come to the end of the stage smiling because you've got away with something, other times you don't," he says of his Friday incident.
"Before this stage we got a bit of information that a couple of guys had punctures so I was really carefully around the last few kilometres."
"You have to ride your luck, sometimes you come to the end of the stage smiling because you've got away with something, other times you don't," he says of his Friday incident.
"Before this stage we got a bit of information that a couple of guys had punctures so I was really carefully around the last few kilometres."
It's good to hear that he and co-driver Nicolas Klinger are OK.
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Here's a quick snap of Camilli's car - no wonder a few drivers were put off.
He might be out of contention, but Kris Meeke is keen to prove he had the pace to fight Ogier here. He's just 0.4s down on the Frenchman through the second split, and should be home in the next minute or so.
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Henning Solberg - who Breen was embroiled in a battle with yesterday - comes through three seconds up on the Citroen driver.
Contrary to what we'd anticipated ahead of the stage, the Norwegian reckons those out earlier have the best of the running.
"It's more difficult today. I think the first cars through had a better line through the hard bends."
Contrary to what we'd anticipated ahead of the stage, the Norwegian reckons those out earlier have the best of the running.
"It's more difficult today. I think the first cars through had a better line through the hard bends."
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"Unfortunately Eric had a big accident, and that put me off a bit. I struggled a little bit, but we made it through," says Breen.
On the conditions: "It's quite difficult - there's some heavy snow in some places and the road is a bit narrower in places than when we did the recce."
On the conditions: "It's quite difficult - there's some heavy snow in some places and the road is a bit narrower in places than when we did the recce."
Stopwatch
Another decent showing from the Irishman here, who comes in 22.7s down on Ogier's benchmark.
Instead then, Breen will be the next driver through.
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It's believed the Frenchman rolled just over two miles into the stage.
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Crash
Further back towards the start of the stage, Eric Camilli appears to have stopped.
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Paddon's not too sure how much influence the running order is having on times this morning.
"I think it's 50-50. some places we have good grip but in others there's a lot of ice. I'm a bit frustrated with my own driving.
He insists his eyes are firmly fixed on securing second:
"That's the goal. Andreas is going to be the toughest one [to beat]."
"I think it's 50-50. some places we have good grip but in others there's a lot of ice. I'm a bit frustrated with my own driving.
He insists his eyes are firmly fixed on securing second:
"That's the goal. Andreas is going to be the toughest one [to beat]."
Stopwatch
Paddon is in, 5.5s down on Ogier.
That's a fair effort by the looks of things, and enough to consolidate his second place for the time being.
That's a fair effort by the looks of things, and enough to consolidate his second place for the time being.
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Waiting for Paddon to come through now.
Stopwatch
Ott Tanak is through now, and equals Neuville's pace from earlier on.
With Estonian Tanak fighting for a podium, perhaps we were a tad quick to judge Neuville's pace when he came through.
With Estonian Tanak fighting for a podium, perhaps we were a tad quick to judge Neuville's pace when he came through.
Crash
Not a great start to the day for Dani Sordo, who comes through a minute slower than Ogier.
The Spaniard had run well yesterday, but picked up a puncture which looks to have served his hopes a real blow.
"I had a puncture about four kilometres from the end. There were a lot of stones in the road."
The Spaniard had run well yesterday, but picked up a puncture which looks to have served his hopes a real blow.
"I had a puncture about four kilometres from the end. There were a lot of stones in the road."
Stopwatch
All eyes on Hayden Paddon as he starts the stage.
It's not the first split that those hoping for a fight for victory would have wanted, though, as he's 3.7s down on Ogier.
It's not the first split that those hoping for a fight for victory would have wanted, though, as he's 3.7s down on Ogier.
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Ostberg is through and quicker than Neuville, but he's still more than 10 seconds slower than Ogier over the 11 miles.
Some good insight from the Norwegian here, who had to back out after a scary moment:
"That was a crazy opening to the day. I had a big moment and I'm very lucky; it was a bit of a wake-up call.
"I slid wide in a corner - I couldn't get the car in and slid down into the ditch on the exit. It seems to be OK.
"There are some big cuts from the cars in front - I tried to follow them but had to back out a bit."
Some good insight from the Norwegian here, who had to back out after a scary moment:
"That was a crazy opening to the day. I had a big moment and I'm very lucky; it was a bit of a wake-up call.
"I slid wide in a corner - I couldn't get the car in and slid down into the ditch on the exit. It seems to be OK.
"There are some big cuts from the cars in front - I tried to follow them but had to back out a bit."
We'll be back to see how Saturday unfolds, and how much snow falls, from 7am UK time tomorrow morning. See you then.
Information
SS9 summary:
* Paddon fastest again, cements his second place, cuts Ogier's lead to 26.9s
* Ostberg keeps Tanak at bay for third
* Latvala stops, reportedly with suspension damage
* Mikkelsen still making no progress from sixth
* Breen spins, Solberg's engine cuts out - they swap seventh and eighth but stay 1.3s apart
* Paddon fastest again, cements his second place, cuts Ogier's lead to 26.9s
* Ostberg keeps Tanak at bay for third
* Latvala stops, reportedly with suspension damage
* Mikkelsen still making no progress from sixth
* Breen spins, Solberg's engine cuts out - they swap seventh and eighth but stay 1.3s apart
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"There was big expectation after Monte and I was determined to show it was no fluke," says the determined Welshman. Think he's managing that.
Evans finishes the stage and looks good to keep his WRC2 lead with the Skodas' problems, but what will his future BRC rival Ahlin do?
Stopwatch
SS9 results:
Stage times:
1 Paddon 8m56.6s
2 Ogier +4.0s
3 Sordo +6.6s
4 Tanak +6.7s
= Mikkelsen +6.7s
= Ostberg +6.7s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Ogier
2 Paddon +26.9s
3 Ostberg +33.7s
4 Tanak +34.8s
5 Sordo +38.2s
6 Mikkelsen +42.0s
7 H Solberg +1m36.9s
8 Breen +1m38.8s
9 Camilli +2m43.5s
10 Bertelli +3m08.6s
Stage times:
1 Paddon 8m56.6s
2 Ogier +4.0s
3 Sordo +6.6s
4 Tanak +6.7s
= Mikkelsen +6.7s
= Ostberg +6.7s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Ogier
2 Paddon +26.9s
3 Ostberg +33.7s
4 Tanak +34.8s
5 Sordo +38.2s
6 Mikkelsen +42.0s
7 H Solberg +1m36.9s
8 Breen +1m38.8s
9 Camilli +2m43.5s
10 Bertelli +3m08.6s
So if Solberg thinks he lost a minute... that means had he not had the engine problem, he'd have won this stage by 40s.
Henning is exaggerating.
Henning is exaggerating.
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Solberg's problem was mechanical: "The engine stopped for quite a long time. I drove like a manic. I lost a minute or more."
Solberg grabs seventh back from Breen, by just 1.3s.
Looks like Breen did damage a tyre a bit on that stage, hence the spin.
Stopwatch
Looks like Solberg had a scrape of his own early on the stage, as after losing 13s by split one, he's matched Ogier on the section to split two.
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"I had a spin," Breen confirms. "I had a funny feeling in the rear, at the start of the stage I touched something and I'm not sure if I lost some studs. Anyway, I'm still happy with the day. I have to be happy with our speed."
Having been only 0.6s slower than Ogier at split two, Breen finishes the stage 19s down. That suggests a wobble somewhere at the end, let's see what he says...
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"I'm happy with this afternoon and for learning," says Camilli. "The last stage before this one was very hard and I didn't want to damage the car. So I know where it's possible to find the time."
Seventh on the stage for Camilli, who looks set to end the day in a solid ninth. After being pretty spooked by conditions this morning, he's settling in this afternoon.
Stopwatch
This is looking like a great time for Breen, who is only six tenths off Ogier's pace at split two.
By: Matt Beer
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