Rally Sweden
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Ogier also reports that Bertelli is on a snow bank and "will need a lot of spectators" to get him back on the road.
Inexperienced Italian Bertelli had said earlier that running first on the road wasn't a problem for him because of the amount of loose snow, more because he didn't have the lines of the top drivers to follow.
Inexperienced Italian Bertelli had said earlier that running first on the road wasn't a problem for him because of the amount of loose snow, more because he didn't have the lines of the top drivers to follow.
Mikkelsen is 17.3s down on Ogier at the next split...
And Ogier has just been informed of that at the stage end.
"That's better than I thought, because this was not the stage for me," says Ogier, who says he was "doing snowploughing".
And Ogier has just been informed of that at the stage end.
"That's better than I thought, because this was not the stage for me," says Ogier, who says he was "doing snowploughing".
Stopwatch
Ogier completes the stage with a time of 13m34.1s.
Breaking news
Mikkelsen is 16s slower than Ogier at the splits - that's going to make things very, very close for the lead!
Latvala has got himself out of his second ditch of the weekend and is running again, but now Bertelli has stopped.
That wasn't too costly for Latvala, he's 43s down on Ogier at the next split. Could've been worse, and he's outside the top 15 anyway.
That wasn't too costly for Latvala, he's 43s down on Ogier at the next split. Could've been worse, and he's outside the top 15 anyway.
Crash
More drama for Latvala on this stage - he's spun backwards off the road.
Ogier is comfortably faster, as expected, than first-on-the-road Bertelli, but we haven't got any times in from Mikkelsen yet to see how the battle we're really interested in is unfolding.
This stage includes the famous Colin's Crest jump - named in honour of Colin McRae's high-flying antics at that spot.
There's an extra prize for the driver to leap furthest, and last year that was won by then-Hyundai driver Juho Hanninen's 36-metre effort.
No sign of Hanninen this year - he's lost his Hyundai place and his efforts to raise the budget for a one-off in Sweden didn't succeed.
There's an extra prize for the driver to leap furthest, and last year that was won by then-Hyundai driver Juho Hanninen's 36-metre effort.
No sign of Hanninen this year - he's lost his Hyundai place and his efforts to raise the budget for a one-off in Sweden didn't succeed.
Lights out
Vargasen is beginning now - at 15.3 miles it's the longest of the rally. That's not exactly a Safari-length epic, of course, but there's a lot to be said for Sweden's short, sharp, fast stages and quick-fire itinerary.
Also, we're going to request snow and sunshine icons from our design and tech desk for the next generation of AUTOSPORT Live (some very exciting upgrades in the pipeline for AUTOSPORT.com in the future...)
Rain
Snow
And here's a weather/conditions update from our man in a heap of snow, DAVID EVANS:
In an effort to demonstrate how much snow is out on the stages today, AUTOSPORT has taken the scientific approach by digging a hole down to the grass and putting our foot in it.
It comes up to the knee. Which is about 30cm, or is that 30 inches? It’s about the height of five iPhones. Does that help?
(Endearingly, that image arrived at the newsdesk with the file name 'knee')
Breaking news
It's just passed 9am UK time and it's a weekend, so we suspect a few of you haven't been with us since the very start at 6.45am this morning, so here's a quick recap of the main events on today's first three stages:
* Ogier begins recovery - up from fourth to second and now within 20s of leader Mikkelsen
* Ostberg drops to fourth when he hits a snow bank and gets a puncture
* Frustrated Neuville dropping away from Ogier in third and keen to protect half-minute gap to recovering Ostberg
* Latvala and Kubica setting good times as they make progress from the foot of the top 20
* Ogier begins recovery - up from fourth to second and now within 20s of leader Mikkelsen
* Ostberg drops to fourth when he hits a snow bank and gets a puncture
* Frustrated Neuville dropping away from Ogier in third and keen to protect half-minute gap to recovering Ostberg
* Latvala and Kubica setting good times as they make progress from the foot of the top 20
Checkered flag
SS13 results:
Stage times:
1 Ogier 1m51.2s
2 Latvala +1.6s
3 Mikkelsen +1.9s
4 Neuville +2.5s
5 Ostberg +2.5s
6 Kubica +3.5s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Mikkelsen
2 Ogier +20.8s
3 Neuville +31.2s
4 Ostberg +1m04.0s
5 Tanak +1m29.0s
6 Paddon +2m21.3s
7 Prokop +2m35.4s
8 Evans +3m21.7s
9 Protasov +3m33.9s
10 Meeke +3m51.0s
Stage times:
1 Ogier 1m51.2s
2 Latvala +1.6s
3 Mikkelsen +1.9s
4 Neuville +2.5s
5 Ostberg +2.5s
6 Kubica +3.5s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Mikkelsen
2 Ogier +20.8s
3 Neuville +31.2s
4 Ostberg +1m04.0s
5 Tanak +1m29.0s
6 Paddon +2m21.3s
7 Prokop +2m35.4s
8 Evans +3m21.7s
9 Protasov +3m33.9s
10 Meeke +3m51.0s
This little stage does sometimes get a surprise winner - Martin Prokop has been fastest here before, and Henning Solberg set the pace on the first run last year. But it's a sign of Ogier's determination to get back on Mikkelsen's tail that it looks like Hagfors Sprint 1 will go to the world champion in 2015.
Tanak comes through still in fifth overall. Being so far down the running order (due to his lowly finish in Monte Carlo) means he's finding stages that are "messed up" by the cars ahead, and he's just trying to keep it tidy.
Crash
That cost Protasov about half a minute, and means he loses eighth place to Evans.
Crash
Problem for Protasov, who's spun his Ford on the stage. He's got out of the snow bank and got going again, but that was a scare for the man currently holding eighth overall.
Neuville matches Ostberg on this short stage, so they stay 32.8s apart.
The Hyundai driver is the only frontrunner carrying two spare wheels this morning. He's now regretting that choice, given how much time he feels the extra weight has cost him in faster sections.
But the pay-off could come on the final stage of the loop - Vargasen, which is about half an hour away - where Neuville can have two fresh tyres to play with while rivals only get one.
The Hyundai driver is the only frontrunner carrying two spare wheels this morning. He's now regretting that choice, given how much time he feels the extra weight has cost him in faster sections.
But the pay-off could come on the final stage of the loop - Vargasen, which is about half an hour away - where Neuville can have two fresh tyres to play with while rivals only get one.
Ostberg is our slowest man through Hagfors so far, 2.5s off pacesetter Ogier.
But the battle for Ostberg is still with Neuville. He's just over half a minute behind the Hyundai following his mistake on today's opener, but very positive about his chances of getting third place back.
But the battle for Ostberg is still with Neuville. He's just over half a minute behind the Hyundai following his mistake on today's opener, but very positive about his chances of getting third place back.
Quote
He's yet to win in the WRC, he's got his double world champion team-mate chasing him and closing, but Mikkelsen is pretty calm:
"It's been an OK start to the morning. The first stage was good, the second stage I did a mistake.
"We will try to fight as hard as we can, keep the gap and keep the first place.
"I'm trying not to think too much about it - just do the best job I can stage by stage, and then we'll see at the end of the day and the end of rally."
"It's been an OK start to the morning. The first stage was good, the second stage I did a mistake.
"We will try to fight as hard as we can, keep the gap and keep the first place.
"I'm trying not to think too much about it - just do the best job I can stage by stage, and then we'll see at the end of the day and the end of rally."
Mikkelsen is through, and he loses another 1.9s to Ogier even on this short stage - the overall gap is down to 20.8s.
Ogier stays fastest as Latvala comes in 1.6s slower.
Latvala is now back up to 19th overall and closing on fellow delayed frontrunner Kubica for 18th.
The Finn puts the deficit to Ogier on Hagfors down to a wrong gear choice at an early corner.
Latvala is now back up to 19th overall and closing on fellow delayed frontrunner Kubica for 18th.
The Finn puts the deficit to Ogier on Hagfors down to a wrong gear choice at an early corner.
Stopwatch
Ogier swiftly topples Bertelli with a time 4.1s faster.
After gaining 8s on his ditch-visiting, rally-leading VW team-mate Mikkelsen on Rammen and moving up to second overall, Ogier is in a determined mood, immediately answering "yes!" when asked if he still thinks victory is in.
"We know that we are not in the best position, but you never know."
After gaining 8s on his ditch-visiting, rally-leading VW team-mate Mikkelsen on Rammen and moving up to second overall, Ogier is in a determined mood, immediately answering "yes!" when asked if he still thinks victory is in.
"We know that we are not in the best position, but you never know."
Lights out
Just a quick stadium stage next up - the 1.2 miles of the Hagfors Sprint. Bertelli is already onto it.
Twitter
Good morning to us from a WRC legend, thanks Petter Solberg!
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"Good morning to my friends @autosport and @mattofautosport - great Race Centre Live coverage on autosport.com!"
Kubica is our next car. After the propshaft problem that delayed him yesterday, he's 21st overall and eight minutes off the lead.
But Rally Sweden does tend to see a bit of attrition, and in three of the last four years it's been possible to still score points with an eight-minute deficit.
He's sixth fastest, which is a good effort, and says it was like doing this stage for the first time as he was far too slow and cautious on it in 2014.
As he said in his AUTOSPORT column earlier this week, Kubica is adamant that flat-out is the only way to learn.
But Rally Sweden does tend to see a bit of attrition, and in three of the last four years it's been possible to still score points with an eight-minute deficit.
He's sixth fastest, which is a good effort, and says it was like doing this stage for the first time as he was far too slow and cautious on it in 2014.
As he said in his AUTOSPORT column earlier this week, Kubica is adamant that flat-out is the only way to learn.
Tanak is the next frontrunner through, he's sixth fastest and loses 9s to Ostberg - who had dropped in just in front of him in fourth overall after his earlier puncture. Doesn't look like the M-Sport Ford will be starting a battle with the Citroen on that pace.
Tanak's happy enough, though. A solid fifth place would be a very respectable result for him early in his return to the WRC's top level.
Tanak's happy enough, though. A solid fifth place would be a very respectable result for him early in his return to the WRC's top level.
Meeke says being in his position on the running order is tricky today as by the time he comes through, a lot of the fresh snow from the banks has been brushed back onto the road by drivers ahead.
The Citroen driver is now pursuing Evans for ninth, but he's 1.4s slower than the Welshman here so the gap remains half a minute.
The Citroen driver is now pursuing Evans for ninth, but he's 1.4s slower than the Welshman here so the gap remains half a minute.
Elfyn Evans
Elfyn Evans is next in, and after an SS11 run that he describes as "fairly horrendous", he's a bit happier with his performance on Rammen.
After a trip off the road yesterday, the M-Sport driver's current mission is to chase down the half-minute gap to stablemate Yuriy Protasov in eighth.
Neuville is now 7.9s behind Ogier in third place, while Ogier has got Mikkelsen's lead down to 22.7s. Neuville still has a 32.8s cushion back to fourth-placed Ostberg for now.
It's a pretty unhappy Belgian talking at the end of the stage now, but his grimace is basically down to the fact he's in a Hyundai not a VW:
"I'm flat-out everywhere and when I see the time it's just frustrating," says Neuville.
"I'm over the limit everywhere. I'm in a good position and I want to fight... I honestly couldn't do more."
"I'm flat-out everywhere and when I see the time it's just frustrating," says Neuville.
"I'm over the limit everywhere. I'm in a good position and I want to fight... I honestly couldn't do more."
Neuville is in and he's 11s slower than Ogier, so he's fallen from second to third overall.
Stopwatch
DAVID EVANS: Small snippet about Rammen - it was the fastest stage of last year's rally, with an average of 77mph!
Ostberg comes through and confirms that his Citroen has no further damage from his brush with a snow bank on the previous stage. He's back on the pace, but the podium is now some distance away.
Ogier is likely to move up to second on this stage, he's comfortably faster than Neuville on the splits so far.
Crash
Mikkelsen admits he made a small mistake near the end of that stage. That brings the gap back to Ogier down to 22s.
"Not such a good stage. We were in a ditch a bit and we filled the front with snow, just near the end. We'll try to attack hard on the stages that are coming up now."
"Not such a good stage. We were in a ditch a bit and we filled the front with snow, just near the end. We'll try to attack hard on the stages that are coming up now."
Latvala comes in 1.3s slower than Ogier, but the time we want to see is Mikkelsen and he's lost 8s to his chasing team-mate!
Quote
Ogier is in now with an 11m36.5s, and a more upbeat mood than earlier this morning:
"This one was better. On the first one there was a lot of fresh snow. This one was more flat. Less snow on the surface, better for us. I guess that we're going to lose less."
"This one was better. On the first one there was a lot of fresh snow. This one was more flat. Less snow on the surface, better for us. I guess that we're going to lose less."
Quote
DAVID EVANS has been hearing from the VW drivers already this morning:
Spoke to Andreas at first service this morning and he said: "We have to push hard, we have to be on it from the first stage this morning.
"We can't give Seb anything; we can't give him four seconds here or five seconds there - that only gives him fuel. We need to stop him!"
Ogier's primary concern centred on the warming conditions and what that would do to the surface of the road. The only man ahead of him is Lorenzo Bertelli - and it's fair to say the Italian's lines are a little different to those followed by the world champion.
Team principal Jost Capito was as excited as anybody about the day ahead. "Anything can happen today..."
Spoke to Andreas at first service this morning and he said: "We have to push hard, we have to be on it from the first stage this morning.
"We can't give Seb anything; we can't give him four seconds here or five seconds there - that only gives him fuel. We need to stop him!"
Ogier's primary concern centred on the warming conditions and what that would do to the surface of the road. The only man ahead of him is Lorenzo Bertelli - and it's fair to say the Italian's lines are a little different to those followed by the world champion.
Team principal Jost Capito was as excited as anybody about the day ahead. "Anything can happen today..."
Lights out
We're onto the 14-mile Rammen stage now. With the start order being Bertelli-Ogier-Latvala-Mikkelsen, it takes a little while for any truly informative splits to come through as Bertelli and Latvala aren't relevant to the overall fight. But for the record, Ogier is faster than Bertelli.
By: Jamie Klein, AUTOSPORT staff
Published:
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