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WRC Argentina
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Hanninen finishes the rally. That's about the most positive thing that can be said for his weekend. He'll be seventh but there weren't many stages when that Toyota was 100% healthy, and that's not what he needed given the pressure he is under given his poor start to the season.
Quote
"I don't have luck!" is Sordo's summary. "I got a puncture. I don't know where. It's incredible. I had the speed in the stage. Just fucking unbelievable."
Crash
It's a puncture that Sordo was struggling with.
Latvala is onto the stage. Like pretty much everyone else, he spent some of the rally in second, but he never really regained momentum after a puncture yesterday and looks set for fifth.
Twelve minutes till Neuville hits the stage. Seventeen minutes till Evans blasts off.
Twelve minutes till Neuville hits the stage. Seventeen minutes till Evans blasts off.
Crash
Problems for Sordo at the end of the stage - his Hyundai slows and having been setting the pace on the split he comes in half a minute slower than Breen.
Painful first split for Paddon - he's 40s slower than team-mate Sordo's benchmark there.
Last year's Argentina winner has been reduced to running in rear-wheel-drive all day. And not in a cool old Porsche sort of way.
Last year's Argentina winner has been reduced to running in rear-wheel-drive all day. And not in a cool old Porsche sort of way.
Poor Breen this weekend. He was running a fairly muted eighth on Friday morning, then got stuck in fifth gear and had to retire. Citroen repaired his car so he could get back out for Saturday, but an oil leak meant he never left service.
He did get back under way today to get some more mileage, but seeing a deficit of 1h21m to the front can never be fun even if you're ostensibly just using the remaining stages as a test.
He did get back under way today to get some more mileage, but seeing a deficit of 1h21m to the front can never be fun even if you're ostensibly just using the remaining stages as a test.
Stopwatch
Breen takes over the powerstage top spot by 4.1s from Ostberg.
Sordo is on course to beat both, then next on the road Hanninen looks like his Toyota might be wilting again as he's 9.6s off the pace at the middle split.
Sordo is on course to beat both, then next on the road Hanninen looks like his Toyota might be wilting again as he's 9.6s off the pace at the middle split.
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Ostberg says he has some problems on the car today that he didn't yesterday, but overall he's content enough.
"I'm very proud of the speed we had and I'm sure when we get completely on top of things we can fight for the full duration of a rally."
"I'm very proud of the speed we had and I'm sure when we get completely on top of things we can fight for the full duration of a rally."
Twenty one minutes to go until Neuville starts the stage, 26 minutes till Evans gets going.
Stopwatch
Ostberg sets a World Rally Car benchmark - 13m19.3s.
He'll only have ninth place to show for it after lamping a rock at a suspension-unfriendly angle yesterday afternoon, but Ostberg has a lot to be happy about from only his second WRC appearance of 2017. Running as high as second so early in his privateer programme bodes very well.
He'll only have ninth place to show for it after lamping a rock at a suspension-unfriendly angle yesterday afternoon, but Ostberg has a lot to be happy about from only his second WRC appearance of 2017. Running as high as second so early in his privateer programme bodes very well.
Stopwatch
On the splits so far, Sordo is fastest by 3.8s over Breen and 5.6s over Ostberg.
Stopwatch
Tidemand sets a benchmark of 13m51.8s on the stage. Well, that's not really a benchmark as he's in a WRC2 Skoda and a bunch of people in full-on 2017 World Rally Cars are about to turn up.
But Tidemand's driven well again, his WRC2 opposition was limited and fragile this weekend but that's not his fault.
But Tidemand's driven well again, his WRC2 opposition was limited and fragile this weekend but that's not his fault.
Sordo has started the stage. He's on course for eighth - a decent enough result given he broke a steering arm on Friday morning and lost 11 minutes fixing it. But he was chasing Evans and Meeke in a then-tight lead group at the time so he'll know he could've been in the thick of this not chasing odd points.
There's a championship battle to consider here too.
Ogier leads right now by 13 points over Latvala, and he's set to extend that a bit.
Neuville is the one to watch - he should've won Monte Carlo and Sweden but messed up, he did win Corsica and he may yet win Argentina. He's 34 points off Ogier right now and as they stand he's on course to trim just six points out of that.
Turning second place into a win and smashing some powerstage bonuses in too would help Neuville's cause a lot.
Ogier leads right now by 13 points over Latvala, and he's set to extend that a bit.
Neuville is the one to watch - he should've won Monte Carlo and Sweden but messed up, he did win Corsica and he may yet win Argentina. He's 34 points off Ogier right now and as they stand he's on course to trim just six points out of that.
Turning second place into a win and smashing some powerstage bonuses in too would help Neuville's cause a lot.
Right now we're warming up with runaway WRC2 leader Tidemand then Rally2 runners Ostberg and Breen.
Then it'll be recovery charge man Sordo, the wonky cars of Hanninen and Paddon, then the top five in reverse order: Latvala, Ogier, Tanak, Neuville... and finally, Evans - facing the biggest 10 miles of his rallying career so far. Not just his career actually, his legendary Welsh rallying family's career. For all his domestic success, Elfyn's father Gwyndaf's brief WRC chances didn't do him justice.
Then it'll be recovery charge man Sordo, the wonky cars of Hanninen and Paddon, then the top five in reverse order: Latvala, Ogier, Tanak, Neuville... and finally, Evans - facing the biggest 10 miles of his rallying career so far. Not just his career actually, his legendary Welsh rallying family's career. For all his domestic success, Elfyn's father Gwyndaf's brief WRC chances didn't do him justice.
The final stage has begun, but we have half an hour for the tension to build yet as Neuville and Evans won't hit the road until 12.57pm and 1.02pm local time respectively (longer gap on this stage for TV needs).
And will it be a horrible taste of deja vu or redemption for DMACK? It led nearly to the finish in Poland last year, then Tanak made enough of an error to damage a tyre and let Mikkelsen beat him back to second place.
This time DMACK is even closer to a win. Its founder Dick Cormack is watching on anxiously from Carlisle, where his rubber has just taken Ahlin and Pryce to first and second in this weekend's BRC round.
That's a great result. A WRC win would be so, so much greater.
This time DMACK is even closer to a win. Its founder Dick Cormack is watching on anxiously from Carlisle, where his rubber has just taken Ahlin and Pryce to first and second in this weekend's BRC round.
That's a great result. A WRC win would be so, so much greater.
In Corsica a year and a half ago, Evans was fighting for his WRC career and led for a long time before being defeated by Latvala. That wasn't enough to keep his seat in M-Sport's main squad, he had to step back and win the BRC (and a lot of WRC2 rounds last year).
He earned his second chance. He's proved he can lead and dominate a WRC rally.
But can he win one?
We're about to find out.
He earned his second chance. He's proved he can lead and dominate a WRC rally.
But can he win one?
We're about to find out.
Then the problems began to mount: minor errors, a slow puncture, a proper full-on puncture, a brake worry, a handling issue, a spin, glazed brakes, an overheating engine. Nothing enormous, but enough to add up to a confidence-denting drip-drip-drip.
Yesterday morning Evans was a minute clear. He and DMACK were untouchable.
Meeke had given chase and crashed. Sordo had given chase and broken his steering on a rock.
Neuville, Latvala, Ogier, Tanak, Ostberg... they were all busy squabbling over second (and a great squabble it was too). Evans was out on his own.
Meeke had given chase and crashed. Sordo had given chase and broken his steering on a rock.
Neuville, Latvala, Ogier, Tanak, Ostberg... they were all busy squabbling over second (and a great squabble it was too). Evans was out on his own.
Information
SS18 El Condor-Copina (10.14 miles)
The jewel in Rally Argentina's crown. Starts up at around 2200 metres and drops 746 of those in the next 10 miles. Begins among the rocks up at the top, where patience is evcerything for the crews as they twist and turn through every agonising turn.
Mid-way through the road gets a bit quicker before crossing three rope bridges, which are narrow and will require an absolutely square entry. This year, Condor is looking rougher than it has in years with huge rocks uncovered in particular nasty places – like downhill sections, where the car's going to be loaded up on the brakes when it hits them.
The jewel in Rally Argentina's crown. Starts up at around 2200 metres and drops 746 of those in the next 10 miles. Begins among the rocks up at the top, where patience is evcerything for the crews as they twist and turn through every agonising turn.
Mid-way through the road gets a bit quicker before crossing three rope bridges, which are narrow and will require an absolutely square entry. This year, Condor is looking rougher than it has in years with huge rocks uncovered in particular nasty places – like downhill sections, where the car's going to be loaded up on the brakes when it hits them.
So this is it. One stage left.
Suggestions that Evans's worry on that stage might have been overheating. He's continued onto the regroup without obvious trouble.
The deciding stage is just over 20 minutes away.
The deciding stage is just over 20 minutes away.
Incidentally, DMACK took a 1-2 on the British Rally Championship's Pirelli (ironically) Rally earlier today with Fredrik Ahlin and Osian Pryce.
Information
SS17 summary:
NEUVILLE REDUCED EVANS'S LEAD TO 0.6S
That is all
NEUVILLE REDUCED EVANS'S LEAD TO 0.6S
That is all
Information
SS17 RESULTS
Stage times:
1 Neuville 18m05.0s
2 Evans +8.4s
3 Breen +11.7s
4 Tanak +13.2s
5 Latvala +17.6s
6 Ostberg +23.8s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Evans
2 Neuville +0.6s
3 Tanak +27.8s
4 Ogier +1m21.1s
5 Latvala +1m40.3s
6 Paddon +5m17.1s
Stage times:
1 Neuville 18m05.0s
2 Evans +8.4s
3 Breen +11.7s
4 Tanak +13.2s
5 Latvala +17.6s
6 Ostberg +23.8s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Evans
2 Neuville +0.6s
3 Tanak +27.8s
4 Ogier +1m21.1s
5 Latvala +1m40.3s
6 Paddon +5m17.1s
Quote
Evans hinted at "problems" as he drove off.
Evans didn't stop to talk to reporters at the stage end, just pointed forwards and drove off.
Six tenths of a second.
One stage to go.
Wow.
Six tenths of a second.
One stage to go.
Wow.
Neuville outpaced Evans by 8.4s on that stage, there will be just six tenths between them on the final stage.
EVANS'S LEAD IS DOWN TO JUST 0.6S!!
Stopwatch
Neuville is past the finish but his time has yet to drop in. Timing system you tease...
...there it is: he's 13.2s faster than Tanak.
That's huge. And Neuville is very, very happy. He suspects a higher temperature will be required to put Evans's DMACKs under pressure on the final stage, though.
...there it is: he's 13.2s faster than Tanak.
That's huge. And Neuville is very, very happy. He suspects a higher temperature will be required to put Evans's DMACKs under pressure on the final stage, though.
Stopwatch
Tanak finishes the stage fastest so far by 4.4s over Latvala. He's solidly on course for third.
Evans's second split is in - he's 2.6s slower than Neuville.
That would bring his outright lead down to 6.4s with a stage and a half to go.
That would bring his outright lead down to 6.4s with a stage and a half to go.
Quote
A gloomy-sounding Ogier suggests he was just taking it very, very easy in there to save tyres to try to salvage something from his weekend with a powerstage push.
Stopwatch
Stunning second split from Neuville, fastest there by 8.2s over Tanak. How will Evans compare...?
Here's Ogier - he's lost 18.7s to Latvala so that gap is down to 19.2s from fourth to fifth with one stage to go.
Stopwatch
Here's Latvala at the stage finish, he's fastest so far by 16.9s. But we need to know if Ogier is just taking it very easy or is in trouble.
Tanak is on the same pace as Latvala at split two, which suggests Ogier's relative lack of speed may be due to a problem.
Crash
Paddon reports his Hyundai is running in rear-wheel-drive only. Last year's winner will just have to limp that to the finish for sixth.
By: Matt Beer
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