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Checkered flag
And here's how the overall leaderboard shapes up with just the power stage to go:
1) Mikkelsen 2h47m21.9s
2) Ogier +3.0s
3) Neuville +4.6s
4) Tanak +2m07.3s
5) Paddon +3m15.2s
6) Evans +3m40.8s
7) Meeke +3m42.2s
8) Prokop +4m00.4s
9) Protasov +5m12.7s
10) Ostberg +6m33.0s
13) Latvala +9m03.4s
20) Kubica +14m17.9s
1) Mikkelsen 2h47m21.9s
2) Ogier +3.0s
3) Neuville +4.6s
4) Tanak +2m07.3s
5) Paddon +3m15.2s
6) Evans +3m40.8s
7) Meeke +3m42.2s
8) Prokop +4m00.4s
9) Protasov +5m12.7s
10) Ostberg +6m33.0s
13) Latvala +9m03.4s
20) Kubica +14m17.9s
Checkered flag
In our excitement over nationality statistics, we forgot to bring you a run-down of times for that stage. Allow us to rectify that now:
1) Latvala 8m14.1s
2) Ogier +0.9s
3) Mikkelsen +4.7s
4) Neuville +5.5s
5) Kubica/Ostberg +11.1s
7) Meeke +12.3s
8) Evans +13.2s
1) Latvala 8m14.1s
2) Ogier +0.9s
3) Mikkelsen +4.7s
4) Neuville +5.5s
5) Kubica/Ostberg +11.1s
7) Meeke +12.3s
8) Evans +13.2s
On the subject of nationalities, it's worth noting that things are hotting up between Finland and France in the battle for honours on the all-time list.
Collectively, Finnish drivers have won 172 WRC events, while the French are just two victories behind on 170.
A win for Ogier today would bring that gap down to one - so Jari-Matti Latvala had better start winning again soon to keep his country safely ahead!
Collectively, Finnish drivers have won 172 WRC events, while the French are just two victories behind on 170.
A win for Ogier today would bring that gap down to one - so Jari-Matti Latvala had better start winning again soon to keep his country safely ahead!
Neuville meanwhile secured his and Hyundai's maiden WRC victory last year in Germany, but if he can somehow claw back those 4.6s on the power stage, he would be the only Belgian to have won more than once - Francois Duval having chalked up just the one victory in Australia in 2005.
Solberg
But, if he could hang on, two-time Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion Mikkelsen would become only the third Norwegian to win a round of the WRC, after Ostberg - who broke his duck in Portugal in 2012 - and Petter Solberg, whose first win came back in 2002 on Rally GB (pictured).
Mikkelsen is staring down the barrel of his first win in the WRC - but he'll have to find a fraction of extra pace if he's to stop team-mate Ogier racking up his 26th victory.
Should the Frenchman come through, he'll match the win tally of the great Carlos Sainz, with only Marcus Gronholm (30) and his old adversary Sebastien Loeb (78) ahead of him on the all-time list.
Should the Frenchman come through, he'll match the win tally of the great Carlos Sainz, with only Marcus Gronholm (30) and his old adversary Sebastien Loeb (78) ahead of him on the all-time list.
It's a while yet before the final stage kicks off - the crews will be returning to the service park before Varmullsasen 2 starts in around an hour and a half.
Breaking news
Ogier
Caught your breath yet? Here's a summary of what has been an incredible morning of rallying for those just joining us:
* Mikkelsen takes the lead from Neuville on SS19
* Ogier moves ahead of Neuville for second, and is just 3.0s off the lead
* Ostberg drops from fourth to 10th after getting stuck in a snow bank
* Evans and Meeke in a close battle for sixth
Here's how things are shaping up with just the power stage left:
1) Mikkelsen
2) Ogier +3.0s
3) Neuville +4.6s
1) Mikkelsen
2) Ogier +3.0s
3) Neuville +4.6s
Neuville's made it, but he drops to third, 1.6s behind Ogier and 4.6s heading into the last stage.
"Very close to perfect" is how the unflappable Belgian described that stage. Even if he falls short in the final reckoning, he can take immense pride in what has been an absolutely stellar performance in the Hyundai this weekend.
"Very close to perfect" is how the unflappable Belgian described that stage. Even if he falls short in the final reckoning, he can take immense pride in what has been an absolutely stellar performance in the Hyundai this weekend.
Breaking news
Mikkelsen clings on to lead - he loses 3.8s, giving him a margin of just 3.0s going into the finale!
"It's going to be a very exciting last stage," confesses Mikkelsen, who arrived at the flying finish in rather ragged fashion, taking too much speed over the final crest and running wide at the next corner as a result.
"It's going to be a very exciting last stage," confesses Mikkelsen, who arrived at the flying finish in rather ragged fashion, taking too much speed over the final crest and running wide at the next corner as a result.
Ostberg matches Kubica's time, as Ogier completes the stage 0.9s slower than Latvala. Now for Mikkelsen's time...
Mikkelsen is at the second split, but now he's 2.8s down on Ogier!
Neuville, meanwhile, is 1.1s slower than the Frenchman at the opening split - his second place could be under threat here...
Neuville, meanwhile, is 1.1s slower than the Frenchman at the opening split - his second place could be under threat here...
All three of our leading men are on the stage now, and Mikkelsen is 0.7s down at the first split - not disastrous, but he can't afford to give away too much more than that.
Meanwhile, Paddon and Tanak have both completed the stage, slotting into seventh and eighth places - both taking things easy with nobody to fight in the overall standings.
Meanwhile, Paddon and Tanak have both completed the stage, slotting into seventh and eighth places - both taking things easy with nobody to fight in the overall standings.
Breaking news
Good news for Neuville fans - the Belgian's intercom woes have apparently been fixed. It's game on for the Hyundai-VW battle.
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Sure enough, the Czech plummets from sixth to eighth overall. Here's his take on what went wrong:
"I had a really huge moment. I was pushing so much, and the car went on its side - I don't know how we got going again!"
"I had a really huge moment. I was pushing so much, and the car went on its side - I don't know how we got going again!"
Evans had been up on Meeke at the second split, but he arrives 0.9s adrift - just 1.4s split the two Brits heading into the final stage.
Prokop meanwhile looks as if he could be slipping behind the pair on this one - a second split 20s slower suggests some kind of issue.
Prokop meanwhile looks as if he could be slipping behind the pair on this one - a second split 20s slower suggests some kind of issue.
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Meeke arrives at the flying finish, but he's dropped 12.3s to Latvala, struggling to find a groove.
"Just a little bit cautious, finding it difficult to find that commitment on the fast corners," the Ulsterman explains.
"Just a little bit cautious, finding it difficult to find that commitment on the fast corners," the Ulsterman explains.
Meeke and Evans are on the stage now. Meeke is 4.4s down on Latvala through the first split, but 0.4s up on Evans.
Quote
Abbring is through, and he's able to shed some light on what's gone wrong for Solowow:
"He had a big moment, and he was stuck in the snow bank. I just avoided him, we lost a bit of time there."
Solberg is also through, 16.8s slower than Latvala. The Norwegian is in jovial spirits as ever, saying: "If you don't have a moment on Rally Sweden, you can go home!"
"He had a big moment, and he was stuck in the snow bank. I just avoided him, we lost a bit of time there."
Solberg is also through, 16.8s slower than Latvala. The Norwegian is in jovial spirits as ever, saying: "If you don't have a moment on Rally Sweden, you can go home!"
Crash
Reports coming in that Solowow has stopped in the stage...
Kubica is 9.1s slower than Latvala through this one.
The Pole was slapped with a five minute penalty last night as punishment for his RK Ford Fiesta exceeding the maximum permissible boost level, something the ex-Formula 1 star claims his team was powerless to prevent.
The Pole was slapped with a five minute penalty last night as punishment for his RK Ford Fiesta exceeding the maximum permissible boost level, something the ex-Formula 1 star claims his team was powerless to prevent.
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Latvala is 15.6s quicker than Bertelli, and he's kindly decided to share some more details about his epiphany on the previous stage:
"I should have realised it," he says. "I've been playing around with some things. The way I set up the old car doesn't work in the new car - I should be much better on the gravel."
"I should have realised it," he says. "I've been playing around with some things. The way I set up the old car doesn't work in the new car - I should be much better on the gravel."
Quote
Bertelli's already navigated the 9.9 mile test in 8m29.9s - let's hear what he has to say about the conditions:
"The previous stage was nice, but this one had better grip," is the Italian's summary.
"The previous stage was nice, but this one had better grip," is the Italian's summary.
Lights out
Mikkelsen
The Varmullsasen stage is now live, and Bertelli is first up again - don't forget, this one will be repeated later on as the points-paying power stage.
Less than seven seconds separating the top three now - can Mikkelsen hang on, or will Neuville find a way to fight back? Or will Ogier trump the pair of them? Make sure you're sitting comfortably!
A quick WRC-2 update before the penultimate stage of the rally begins:
Fredrik Ahlin was quickest on that stage, seven tenths from Pontus Tidemand, but it's still Jari Ketomaa who leads overall, by 29s from Eyvind Brynildsen.
Fredrik Ahlin was quickest on that stage, seven tenths from Pontus Tidemand, but it's still Jari Ketomaa who leads overall, by 29s from Eyvind Brynildsen.
Checkered flag
SS19 results:
1) Ogier 9m05.8s
2) Mikkelsen +1.3s
3) Neuville +6.6s
4) Latvala +9.8s
5) Evans +13.0s
6) Meeke +14.9s
Overall leaderboard:
1) Mikkelsen 2h39m03.1s
2) Neuville +3.8s
3) Ogier +6.8s
4) Tanak +1m47.1s
5) Paddon +2m58.0s
6) Prokop +3m26.6s
7) Evans +3m32.3s
8) Meeke +3m34.6s
10) Ostberg +6m27.6s
16) Latvala +8m20.9s
18) Kubica +14m11.5s
1) Ogier 9m05.8s
2) Mikkelsen +1.3s
3) Neuville +6.6s
4) Latvala +9.8s
5) Evans +13.0s
6) Meeke +14.9s
Overall leaderboard:
1) Mikkelsen 2h39m03.1s
2) Neuville +3.8s
3) Ogier +6.8s
4) Tanak +1m47.1s
5) Paddon +2m58.0s
6) Prokop +3m26.6s
7) Evans +3m32.3s
8) Meeke +3m34.6s
10) Ostberg +6m27.6s
16) Latvala +8m20.9s
18) Kubica +14m11.5s
Twitter
That intercom problem of Neuville's caused him to hit a snow bank, as this tweet from the official WRC account shows.
Ostberg is now down to 10th in the standings, which promotes Tanak to fourth and Paddon to fifth, while the battle between Prokop, Evans and Meeke, which is separated by just 8s now, is now for sixth place.
So, here's how the top three of the rally looks after that:
1) Mikkelsen
2) Neuville +3.8s
3) Ogier +6.8s
Just two stages to go, and things are hotting up nicely!
1) Mikkelsen
2) Neuville +3.8s
3) Ogier +6.8s
Just two stages to go, and things are hotting up nicely!
Breaking news
Mikkelsen is back in the lead - Neuville loses 6.6s to Ogier on the stage, and 5.3s to Mikkelsen.
The Belgian reported an intercom problem that was preventing him from communicating properly with co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul - that's not going to help on the next stage, either.
The Belgian reported an intercom problem that was preventing him from communicating properly with co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul - that's not going to help on the next stage, either.
Quote
Ostberg has made it through, losing around 5m33s to Ogier.
"I had a problem with my handbrake. I tried to save myself, but it locked all four wheels," is his brief explanation of his earlier excursion.
"I had a problem with my handbrake. I tried to save myself, but it locked all four wheels," is his brief explanation of his earlier excursion.
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Here's Mikkelsen, and he's 1.3s down on Ogier in this one - but set to retake the lead nonetheless.
"I lost a little in the fast sections. Maybe I was being too careful, but I've never seen the stages in this condition before," he says.
"I lost a little in the fast sections. Maybe I was being too careful, but I've never seen the stages in this condition before," he says.
Stopwatch
Ogier is through in a time of 9m05.8s, 9.8s quicker than Latvala. Referring to Ostberg's off, he says:
"I slowed down because he was in the road, I hoped the others slowed down as much as me!"
Neuville is 3.7s down on Mikkelsen at the final split, so it's looking very much as if the Norwegian is set to retake the lead.
"I slowed down because he was in the road, I hoped the others slowed down as much as me!"
Neuville is 3.7s down on Mikkelsen at the final split, so it's looking very much as if the Norwegian is set to retake the lead.
Amid all that drama, Tanak has set the fourth quickest time, 10.9s slower than Latvala.
Ostberg is back on track now, losing around five minutes with that mishap. That will drop him down to around the Abbring/Solowow region of the leaderboard.
Breaking news
Mikkelsen is up by 0.7s on Ogier and Neuville by 2.2s at the first split - could we be on for a change of lead here?
Crash
Ostberg is in a snow bank, and Mikkelsen has passed him on the stage as well now.
Latvala lost eight minutes when he suffered that fate on Friday, so it looks as if Ostberg's hopes of staying the top 10 are quickly evaporating.
Latvala lost eight minutes when he suffered that fate on Friday, so it looks as if Ostberg's hopes of staying the top 10 are quickly evaporating.
Crash
Reports coming in that our fourth place man Ostberg has stopped on the stage...
The Citroen driver has a 36 second buffer to Tanak, but we're hearing he's been passed on the stage by Ogier, implying a time loss of two minutes.
The Citroen driver has a 36 second buffer to Tanak, but we're hearing he's been passed on the stage by Ogier, implying a time loss of two minutes.
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Evans comes through second quickest, 3.2s shy of Latvala's time but 1.9s ahead of fellow Briton Meeke.
"Definitely a much better feeling than yesterday. We made some small changes overnight, but nothing major," explains Evans.
Meanwhile, Ogier is now on the stage, meaning Mikkelsen and Neuville won't be far behind.
"Definitely a much better feeling than yesterday. We made some small changes overnight, but nothing major," explains Evans.
Meanwhile, Ogier is now on the stage, meaning Mikkelsen and Neuville won't be far behind.
By: Jamie Klein, AUTOSPORT staff
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