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WTCC - Slovakia: Entering the final 10 minutes of Q1, Gabriele Tarquini has moved into fourth.
The session will determine the top 12 fastest drivers to progress into Q2. Tarquini's fellow Honda driver Mehdi Bennani, who would be expected to make the cut, is down in 18th.
The session will determine the top 12 fastest drivers to progress into Q2. Tarquini's fellow Honda driver Mehdi Bennani, who would be expected to make the cut, is down in 18th.
WRC - Argentina: Kubica completes the first stage of the day with a time of 23m19.7s. Just 0.2s separated him and Evans for fourth overnight, so it'll be interesting to see what the Welshman can muster.
WTCC - Slovakia: Rene Munnich's Cruze is being carefully looked over by his team. The Munnich team boss has returned to the pits after spearing off the road on a flying lap.
Stopwatch
WRC - Argentina: Good run from Mikkelsen through the opening stage. He beats Neuville's provisional quickest time by 15.7 seconds with a 22m34.9s.
WTCC - Slovakia: A strong contingent of Hungarian fans traditionally make the short trip to the Slovakia-Ring to support 'Norbi' Michelisz.
After his disappointment at suffering a suspension breakage in qualifying at his home round last weekend, Michelisz is keen to show well. The Zengo driver is currently P1.
After his disappointment at suffering a suspension breakage in qualifying at his home round last weekend, Michelisz is keen to show well. The Zengo driver is currently P1.
Green flag
WTCC - Slovakia: James Thompson's Lada remains being worked on in the pits as cars take to the track for the 20 minute Q1 session.
WRC - Argentina: A steady start by Ostberg, who finishes 4.9 seconds ahead of Hirvonen.
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WRC - Argentina: Hirvonen suggests he's not in the best form this morning: "Car feels OK, there's no problem with it. I'm not so OK, however."
WTCC - Slovakia: Qualifying at the Slovakia-Ring is about to begin, and Citroen's championship leader Jose Maria Lopez upstaged team-mate and title favourite Yvan Muller again in practice.
WTCC Slovakia practice report
WTCC Slovakia practice report
WRC - Argentina: First car is through and it's Hirvonen who posts a time of 23m02.3s.
WRC - Argentina: Mikkelsen is currently quickest so far after the third split. He's seventh overall at the moment having rejoined under Rally 2 rules.
WRC - Argentina: Sordo on the move. Again...
WRC - Argentina: No further split times from Sordo and Prokop has passed him in the stage.
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WRC - Argentina: Third-placed driver Meeke has just started the San Agustini stage.
He ranked today’s super-quick southern-most stages as the ones he will find most challenging.
Meeke said: "I found it quite difficult to make the notes for today's stages.
"Some of the straights are 500 or 600 metres long, where you're on the limiter in sixth gear and then the road just disappears around with trees and bushes either side of the road – it's really hard to judge those places."
He ranked today’s super-quick southern-most stages as the ones he will find most challenging.
Meeke said: "I found it quite difficult to make the notes for today's stages.
"Some of the straights are 500 or 600 metres long, where you're on the limiter in sixth gear and then the road just disappears around with trees and bushes either side of the road – it's really hard to judge those places."
WRC - Argentina: Neuville has passed Sordo in the stage, so the Belgian isn't being hindered by mechanical issues as was originally reported.
Massive disappointment for Sordo, however.
Massive disappointment for Sordo, however.
WRC - Argentina: And just as we say that, Neuville appears to have an issue already this morning and is coming to a halt...
...and so is Sordo, too!
...and so is Sordo, too!
WRC - Argentina: Hyundai team principal Michel Nandan starts the second day of Rally Argentina on just two hours sleep after Thierry Neuville’s i20 WRC was delayed coming back from the final stage last night.
The high numbers of spectators in the second running of Ascochinga meant the Belgian’s broken Hyundai didn’t arrive back in Villa Carlos Paz until almost midnight.
The high numbers of spectators in the second running of Ascochinga meant the Belgian’s broken Hyundai didn’t arrive back in Villa Carlos Paz until almost midnight.
Green flag
WRC - Argentina: SS6 is underway. It's a 39.99-kilometre test with two fast zones at the beginning ahead of a new section which has plenty of high speed corners.
WRC - Argentina: The pre-dawn drizzle has departed, but there are still plenty of clouds above the service park as the cars ready themselves for the first stage.
SS6 goes goes live in just a couple of minutes.
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WRC - Argentina: Sebastien Ogier has warned his Volkswagen team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala he’s not scared of the Finn’s 17-second Rally Argentina lead and he’ll be hunting him down.
The Polo pair traded places throughout yesterday, but it was Latvala who came out on top with a 17.7s advantage after Ogier struggled for grip in the final Friday test.
"I wasn’t surprised to see the time in that last stage yesterday," Ogier told AUTOSPORT, "I couldn’t find any grip with the rear.
"When you have the national rallies passing after us then you have guys on completely the wrong line and this puts a lot of loose gravel on the line.
"It’s almost always like this on the second pass of stages – the second car [Latvala] gets an immediate advantage.
"Today, I don’t open the road and the lead is nothing impossible. I’m really not afraid of this 17 seconds and, for sure, I’m going to push for this.”
The Polo pair traded places throughout yesterday, but it was Latvala who came out on top with a 17.7s advantage after Ogier struggled for grip in the final Friday test.
"I wasn’t surprised to see the time in that last stage yesterday," Ogier told AUTOSPORT, "I couldn’t find any grip with the rear.
"When you have the national rallies passing after us then you have guys on completely the wrong line and this puts a lot of loose gravel on the line.
"It’s almost always like this on the second pass of stages – the second car [Latvala] gets an immediate advantage.
"Today, I don’t open the road and the lead is nothing impossible. I’m really not afraid of this 17 seconds and, for sure, I’m going to push for this.”
WRC - Argentina: Villa Carlos Paz's dog population was up early this morning - this fella was keeping an eye on Mads Ostberg's return to action at first service.
WRC - Argentina: Today is the longest day of the event with 164km of action packed into just four stages south of Villa Carlos Paz, which is in the countryside around the village of Santa Rosa de Calamuchita.
No reports of fog or mist, yet...
No reports of fog or mist, yet...
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WRC - Argentina: Volkswagen team principal Jost Capito has reiterated to AUTOSPORT this morning that there will be no team orders for Rally Argentina leader Jari-Matti Latvala and team-mate Sebastien Ogier – even though their nearest rival Kris Meeke is more than a minute off the lead.
Capito said: "There are no team orders whatsoever. I just told the boys to go for it.
"They are professionals. If Jari-Matti goes off, he knows the points gap to Seb will be more than 50 points and his championship is most likely gone.
"He knows he has to stay on the road. If Seb goes off and Jari-Matti gets 28 points then they are equal, so he can't afford to go off either.
"For both of them it's better to stay on the road and take second – it's not all or nothing for these guys. We're in for a great fight today – it's going to be very interesting!”
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WRC - Argentina: Robert Kubica says his change of driving style is working as the Polish star starts day two of Rally Argentina in fourth place.
Kubica has dramatically slowed his pace in an effort to stop crashing and find some confidence in his maiden World Rally Championship season at the highest level.
The RK M-Sport driver was encouraged to have made it though day one without any problems given the twisty nature of the stages.
Kubica told AUTOSPORT: “I am happy with the changes I did with the pace notes in the low-speed parts of the stage. I have been trying to cheat my brain and force myself to drive differently in the narrow sections and slower corners.
"Maybe I lose some time in the wide parts of the stage where it’s faster, but at least I’m in less difficulty in the narrow places.
"The priority is the finish for us.”
WRC - Argentina: And where is everyone else? Well…
On the opening stage Hirvonen misjudged a pace note and crashed into a wall, while Ostberg hit a rock and damaged his front left wheel so badly he was unable to continue.
A turbo pipe came loose in Sordo’s Hyundai i20 which cost him 12 minutes, before he suffered engine problems on the final stage and was forced to retire.
Team-mate Neuville experienced a similar issue and was asked to pull over, rather than risk any further damage.
Mikkelsen had a suspected alternator problem before the day ended and parked up.
On the opening stage Hirvonen misjudged a pace note and crashed into a wall, while Ostberg hit a rock and damaged his front left wheel so badly he was unable to continue.
A turbo pipe came loose in Sordo’s Hyundai i20 which cost him 12 minutes, before he suffered engine problems on the final stage and was forced to retire.
Team-mate Neuville experienced a similar issue and was asked to pull over, rather than risk any further damage.
Mikkelsen had a suspected alternator problem before the day ended and parked up.
WRC - Argentina: Here are the leading positions after the first leg:
1 Latvala 1h57m36.3s
2 Ogier +17.7s
3 Meeke +1m07.4s
4 Evans +3m48.1s
5 Kubica +3m48.3s
6 Prokop +4m12.2s
1 Latvala 1h57m36.3s
2 Ogier +17.7s
3 Meeke +1m07.4s
4 Evans +3m48.1s
5 Kubica +3m48.3s
6 Prokop +4m12.2s
Latvala
WRC - Argentina: Latvala currently leads VW team-mate Ogier after an action-packed first leg.
The lead changed hands three times yesterday before the Finn trounced his rival in the final stage and begins today with a 17.7s advantage.
Meeke’s more cautious approach is currently paying dividends as he currently sits a comfortable third in the overall classification, ahead of Evans on his Argentine debut.
Kubica has been tiptoeing his way through the event and lies in fifth position, with Prokop rounding off the top six in another Fiesta RS.
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WRC - Argentina: Hello and welcome back to AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live where we begin a busy afternoon of motorsport with another dose of Rally Argentina.
That's it for AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live tonight now that IndyCar and the WRC are done for the day.
Check our news section later tonight for reports from the first Indianapolis Indy Lights race and NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying from Kansas.
F1 Live resumes at 9.30am UK time tomorrow ahead of final practice in Spain, while Race Centre Live returns at 12.15pm ready for more from Argentina, plus World Touring Car Championship qualifying in Slovakia, European F3 from Pau, GP2 and GP3 racing on the F1 support bill and IndyCar's first Indianapolis road course race. See you then.
Check our news section later tonight for reports from the first Indianapolis Indy Lights race and NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying from Kansas.
F1 Live resumes at 9.30am UK time tomorrow ahead of final practice in Spain, while Race Centre Live returns at 12.15pm ready for more from Argentina, plus World Touring Car Championship qualifying in Slovakia, European F3 from Pau, GP2 and GP3 racing on the F1 support bill and IndyCar's first Indianapolis road course race. See you then.
Checkered flag
WRC - Argentina - SS5 results:
Stage:
1 Latvala 37m57.3s
2 Ogier +18.2s
3 Meeke +19.7s
4 Kubica 47.9s
5 Evans +56.1s
6 Prokop +1m04.9s
Overall:
1 Latvala
2 Ogier +17.7s
3 Meeke +1m07.4s
4 Evans +3m48.1s
5 Kubica +3m48.3s
6 Prokop +4m12.2s
Rally Argentina Friday afternoon report
Stage:
1 Latvala 37m57.3s
2 Ogier +18.2s
3 Meeke +19.7s
4 Kubica 47.9s
5 Evans +56.1s
6 Prokop +1m04.9s
Overall:
1 Latvala
2 Ogier +17.7s
3 Meeke +1m07.4s
4 Evans +3m48.1s
5 Kubica +3m48.3s
6 Prokop +4m12.2s
Rally Argentina Friday afternoon report
WRC - Argentina: Yep, Kubica slots in just 0.2s behind Evans in fifth place overall.
Checkered flag
IndyCar - Indianapolis: And there's the chequered flag, which means that your front row tomorrow will be Sebastian Saavedra and Jack Hawksworth. Didn't see that coming.
Hunter-Reay had actually topped the times just before his accident but loses his two fastest laps for causing the red. He'll still start from third, with Pagenaud on the front row alongside him. Power and Dixon will start from row three.
Hunter-Reay had actually topped the times just before his accident but loses his two fastest laps for causing the red. He'll still start from third, with Pagenaud on the front row alongside him. Power and Dixon will start from row three.
WRC - Argentina: Kubica completes the day safely and looks like he'll be very close to team-mate Evans for fourth...
WRC - Argentina: Meeke comes through just 1.5s slower than Ogier, third-fastest on the stage and now third overall.
Co-driver Paul Nagle says they took it easy once they saw Mikkelsen's VW parked too.
Co-driver Paul Nagle says they took it easy once they saw Mikkelsen's VW parked too.
Red flag
IndyCar - Indianapolis: Hunter-Reay is out of his car and looks fine, and we're under reds while the track workers mop up his car. If this session isn't restarted, Saavedra will start from pole. Wonder what sort of odds you'd have got on that a few days ago?
Crash
IndyCar - Indianapolis: Big hit for Ryan Hunter-Reay, who loses the rear coming out of the final corner and backs it heavily into the wall.
WRC - Argentina: VW hasn't revealed Mikkelsen's problem, but says he'll be able to rejoin tomorrow.
Now with only a five-minute penalty and such high attrition, that means the Norwegian still has a good chance of big points.
Now with only a five-minute penalty and such high attrition, that means the Norwegian still has a good chance of big points.
IndyCar - Indianapolis: Three minutes to run, and positions are changing constantly. Currently on provisional pole: Sebastian Saavedra(!).
WRC - Argentina: Evans is through safely, and he's now going to be in a battle for fourth with Kubica and Prokop.
"It's a tough rally and we have to keep that in mind," says M-Sport's sensible rookie.
"It's a tough rally and we have to keep that in mind," says M-Sport's sensible rookie.
WRC - Argentina: Bit of a gap now as we've lost so many cars already. Technical problems for both Mikkelsen, Neuville and Sordo on this stage add to the shunts for Hirvonen and Ostberg earlier.
By: Matt Beer, David Evans, Mark Glendenning, Dan Cross, Marcus Simmons, Peter Mills, Scott Mitchell
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