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WRC - Finland: Ogier finishes the stage in 5m11.3s, 5.3s quicker than Mikkelsen. We await Latvala...
WRC - Finland: Mikkelsen through the finish with some issues with his brakes too.
Yet to see any splits from Latvala on this stage but Ogier is comfortably faster than everyone else so far.
Yet to see any splits from Latvala on this stage but Ogier is comfortably faster than everyone else so far.
WRC - Finland: Hirvonen completes a cautious end to day three (or two-and-a-half). He's been taking it easy since picking up damper damage at the same spot where Latvala went awry, but says the M-Sport Ford "is driveable".
WRC - Finland: Paddon reacts with Antipodean cool to praise of today's performance. He's a second faster than Hanninen as he makes sixth place a little more secure still.
Definitely Paddon's most convincing day in a top-class car so far.
Definitely Paddon's most convincing day in a top-class car so far.
WRC - Finland: Hanninen is fastest among the first batch again - but again Paddon's splits suggest he'll keep his team-mate at bay.
DTM - Red Bull Ring: And Wickens takes pole – and boy did he leave it late. He pipped Timo Glock after the flag had come out at the end of the session! What a great contest.
So, the top eight looks like this:
1 Wickens (Mercedes)
2 Glock (BMW)
3 Wittmann (BMW)
4 Farfus (BMW)
5 Wehrlein (Mercedes)
6 Green (Audi)
7 Vietoris (Mercedes)
8 Martin (BMW)
So, the top eight looks like this:
1 Wickens (Mercedes)
2 Glock (BMW)
3 Wittmann (BMW)
4 Farfus (BMW)
5 Wehrlein (Mercedes)
6 Green (Audi)
7 Vietoris (Mercedes)
8 Martin (BMW)
Lights out
WRC - Finland: We're already straight onto today's Leustu finale. One more 6.2-mile stage for Latvala to cling on before he can get his VW properly repaired.
Checkered flag
WRC - Finland - SS22 results:
Stage times:
1 Ogier 2m35.4s
2 Mikkelsen +1.0s
3 Meeke +2.7s
4 Latvala +2.9s
5 Hirvonen +4.1s
6 Hanninen +4.8s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Latvala
2 Ogier +9.9s
3 Meeke +34.6s
4 Mikkelsen +1m22.0s
5 Hirvonen +2m13.5s
6 Paddon +3m34.6s
Stage times:
1 Ogier 2m35.4s
2 Mikkelsen +1.0s
3 Meeke +2.7s
4 Latvala +2.9s
5 Hirvonen +4.1s
6 Hanninen +4.8s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Latvala
2 Ogier +9.9s
3 Meeke +34.6s
4 Mikkelsen +1m22.0s
5 Hirvonen +2m13.5s
6 Paddon +3m34.6s
DTM - Red Bull Ring: Five minutes to go, and Wehrlein is quickest. Can he take Mercedes' first non-Norisring pole of the season?
DTM - Red Bull Ring: Q1 is underway, and Robert Wickens has had a decent spin at the last corner! He's going again.
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WRC - Finland: Latvala is in very determined mood after minimising the time loss on that one.
"I have to hold it," he says. "There is no other choice.
"I didn't come here to lose this rally. I've worked too hard."
"I have to hold it," he says. "There is no other choice.
"I didn't come here to lose this rally. I've worked too hard."
WRC - Finland: Latvala's efforts even received some praise from his champion team-mate:
"He's driving very well with three brakes," said Ogier.
"He's driving very well with three brakes," said Ogier.
WRC - Finland: Latvala drops 2.9s to Ogier on this stage. The gap is still 9.9s.
DTM - Red Bull Ring: Pole position will now come down to a scrap between the following drivers:
Wittmann (BMW)
Wickens (Mercedes)
Wehrlein (Mercedes)
Farfus (BMW)
Glock (BMW)
Vietoris (Mercedes)
Martin (BMW)
Green (Audi)
Only one Audi in Q3! For all the talk about Mercedes' crisis this season, Audi is the only make to have not won a race so far in 2014...
Wittmann (BMW)
Wickens (Mercedes)
Wehrlein (Mercedes)
Farfus (BMW)
Glock (BMW)
Vietoris (Mercedes)
Martin (BMW)
Green (Audi)
Only one Audi in Q3! For all the talk about Mercedes' crisis this season, Audi is the only make to have not won a race so far in 2014...
DTM - Red Bull Ring: And that's that. Here's positions 9-18:
9 Hand (BMW)
10 Spengler (BMW)
11 Tomczyk (BMW)
12 Juncadella (Mercedes)
13 Da Costa (BMW)
14 Rockenfeller (Audi)
15 Scheider (Audi)
16 Ekstrom (Audi)
17 Molina (Audi)
18 Muller (Audi)
Joey Hand was oh-so-close to a Q1 spot there. He missed out on eighth by 0.017s.
9 Hand (BMW)
10 Spengler (BMW)
11 Tomczyk (BMW)
12 Juncadella (Mercedes)
13 Da Costa (BMW)
14 Rockenfeller (Audi)
15 Scheider (Audi)
16 Ekstrom (Audi)
17 Molina (Audi)
18 Muller (Audi)
Joey Hand was oh-so-close to a Q1 spot there. He missed out on eighth by 0.017s.
WRC - Finland: After a run of stages slower than his team-mate, Hanninen was 1.7s quicker than Paddon on Himos. But the gap from sixth to seventh is now 28s and it's very hard to see that being closed over the final four stages.
"We'll just look after the last stage and that should give us a good margin for tomorrow," says Paddon.
"We'll just look after the last stage and that should give us a good margin for tomorrow," says Paddon.
DTM - Red Bull Ring: We have one position decided already; Nico Muller will start 18th, thanks to a power steering issue. He won't be setting a time.
WRC - Finland: Hanninen and Kubica lead the early stage times on Himos. Paddon is going to be next through.
NASCAR - Pocono: The final Sprint Cup practice session of the weekend and is done, and Brad Keselowski led the way.
1 Brad Keselowski
2 Jeff Gordon
3 Kyle Busch
4 Kevin Harvick
5 Dale Earnhardt Jr
6 Kyle Larson
7 Jimmie Johnson
8 Kurt Busch
9 Denny Hamlin
10 Clint Bowyer
Non-stop for the NASCAR pack today - Larson and Austin Dillon are now hopping into their Trucks as they share the front row for the main support race, which starts shortly. Bowyer's in that one too - he qualified 10th.
1 Brad Keselowski
2 Jeff Gordon
3 Kyle Busch
4 Kevin Harvick
5 Dale Earnhardt Jr
6 Kyle Larson
7 Jimmie Johnson
8 Kurt Busch
9 Denny Hamlin
10 Clint Bowyer
Non-stop for the NASCAR pack today - Larson and Austin Dillon are now hopping into their Trucks as they share the front row for the main support race, which starts shortly. Bowyer's in that one too - he qualified 10th.
DTM - Red Bull Ring: The clock is running for Q2. The next 11 minutes will determine positions 9-18, and decide which eight drivers will fight it out for pole in Q3.
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BTCC - Snetterton: A few comments from the paddock. Gordon Shedden confirmed Matt Neal was giving him some assistance in qualifying.
"He's just trying to help me out," said Shedden, who could only qualify 11th. "The pace just isn't in the car with the ballast and no boost."
Meanwhile, Motorbase confirmed that they were saving tyres on Fabrizio Giovanardi's Ford Focus as he has to start from the back anyway thanks to a penalty.
Rob Collard was hampered by traffic and a spin during his qualifying efforts, while Marc Hynes lost his best lap thanks to a track limits transgression.
"He's just trying to help me out," said Shedden, who could only qualify 11th. "The pace just isn't in the car with the ballast and no boost."
Meanwhile, Motorbase confirmed that they were saving tyres on Fabrizio Giovanardi's Ford Focus as he has to start from the back anyway thanks to a penalty.
Rob Collard was hampered by traffic and a spin during his qualifying efforts, while Marc Hynes lost his best lap thanks to a track limits transgression.
DTM - Red Bull Ring: Q1 is done, and the back of the grid will look like this tomorrow:
19 Paffett (Mercedes)
20 Tambay (Audi)
21 Mortara (Audi)
22 Petrov (Mercedes)
23 Di Resta (Mercedes)
Tough session for two of the Brits. Gary Paffett was hugely unlucky – he actually set exactly the same time as Timo Scheider, who snuck into Q2 by one position. Obviously Scheider set his time first.
19 Paffett (Mercedes)
20 Tambay (Audi)
21 Mortara (Audi)
22 Petrov (Mercedes)
23 Di Resta (Mercedes)
Tough session for two of the Brits. Gary Paffett was hugely unlucky – he actually set exactly the same time as Timo Scheider, who snuck into Q2 by one position. Obviously Scheider set his time first.
European F3 - Red Bull Ring: We caught up with Tom Blomqvist in the paddock after the first race earlier today. F3 followers will know he was dropped as a Red Bull junior at the end of last season. So guess who stepped up to present Tom's trophy after the race on the company's own track... Yep, Dr Helmut Marko. Tom DEFINITELY saw the funny side!
WRC - Finland: Enough of tractors and secret Toyotas, back to right now, and the challenge ahead for Latvala.
He's got two more stages to go tonight with three brakes on his VW and a flying Ogier charging after him: the 2.765 miles of Himos and the 6.220 miles of Leustu.
If he can get through that still in the lead, then get his brakes fixed in service, then there are 22.744 more miles across three stages tomorrow morning to conclude the rally.
On the road section before Himos, Latvala and co-driver Miikka Antilla are working on more brake repairs right now.
He's got two more stages to go tonight with three brakes on his VW and a flying Ogier charging after him: the 2.765 miles of Himos and the 6.220 miles of Leustu.
If he can get through that still in the lead, then get his brakes fixed in service, then there are 22.744 more miles across three stages tomorrow morning to conclude the rally.
On the road section before Himos, Latvala and co-driver Miikka Antilla are working on more brake repairs right now.
Rob Huff
WTCC - Termas de Rio Hondo: Lada is understood to have revised the front suspension geometry and shed 20kg from its Granta 1.6T cars over the summer break.
Rob Huff was the highest-placed Lada driver this morning, in the top 10 in both free practice sessions.
European F3 - Red Bull Ring: A lot of speculation on Max Verstappen's future flying around in Austria, and we've had a cosy chat with his old man about things. You'll be able to catch up with what Jos - who's been having a few sleepless nights! - thinks in the coming days...
WRC - Finland: We've also just remembered that we haven't mentioned Tommi Makinen and secret Toyota WRC projects yet today...
Toyota GT86 'WRC project' runs on Rally Finland
Toyota GT86 'WRC project' runs on Rally Finland
DTM - Red Bull Ring: Augusto Farfus is the first man into the 24s for the weekend. Five mins of Q1 to go.
Crash
WRC - Finland: Incidentally the WRC's formerly-tractor-sponsored driver's return to the series didn't go well.
Jarkko Nikara (whose Mini outings took place with John Deere backing) rolled his M-Sport Ford in highly destructive style on Thursday afternoon, ending one of the AUTOSPORT newsdesk's enormous optimism that the rarely-seen Finn would do something like Tommi Makinen did here in a private Ford in 1994 and transform his career.
Jarkko Nikara (whose Mini outings took place with John Deere backing) rolled his M-Sport Ford in highly destructive style on Thursday afternoon, ending one of the AUTOSPORT newsdesk's enormous optimism that the rarely-seen Finn would do something like Tommi Makinen did here in a private Ford in 1994 and transform his career.
DTM - Red Bull Ring: The times have jumped straight into the mid-to-low 1m25s here. Wickens currently quickest.
WTCC - Termas de Rio Hondo: Argentina's home hero Jose Maria Lopez has been handed an award by his country's Minister of Tourism Sr. Enrique Meyer in front of a packed press conference half-an-hour ago.
Lopez was honoured for arriving at the Argentinean round in the lead of the drivers' standings and, after being mentioned in the same sentence as football star Lionel Messi, representing his country with distinction on the world stage.
Lopez was honoured for arriving at the Argentinean round in the lead of the drivers' standings and, after being mentioned in the same sentence as football star Lionel Messi, representing his country with distinction on the world stage.
Green flag
DTM - Red Bull Ring: In a smidge under 13 minutes we'll know who will occupy the last five places on the grid.
The good news for British race fans is that Paul di Resta is out on track! Seems the Mercedes crew got his car fixed after that FP2 crash.
The good news for British race fans is that Paul di Resta is out on track! Seems the Mercedes crew got his car fixed after that FP2 crash.
Tractor
WRC - Finland: Let's catch our breath before resuming the Latvala/Ogier fight... DAVID EVANS has been spotting farmyard machinery.
Finland's famous for lots of things including rallying, drinking and tractors. This is one of the most impressive units (I think that's what they call them) we've seen in a long time. And, courtesy of a young son and Tractor Ted, AUTOSPORT has seen a lot of tractors.
And still to come before we close up for the night...
Two more Rally Finland stages - 5.23pm and 5.56pm UK
DTM qualifying from the Red Bull Ring - starting now
IndyCar qualifying from Mid-Ohio - 7pm UK
WTCC qualifying from Termas de Rio Hondo - 7pm UK
Two more Rally Finland stages - 5.23pm and 5.56pm UK
DTM qualifying from the Red Bull Ring - starting now
IndyCar qualifying from Mid-Ohio - 7pm UK
WTCC qualifying from Termas de Rio Hondo - 7pm UK
It's been a pretty frantic few hours, and we're here on AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live for another three hours today yet.
Here are some things that have just happened...
* Ducati announces it's releasing Cal Crutchlow from his MotoGP contract, he'll join LCR Honda for 2015
* Jari-Matti Latvala's Rally Finland lead dropped from 31s to 12s as he damaged a brake. Sebastien Ogier is closing in...
* Jason Plato dominated a Snetterton BTCC qualifying session that was missing champion Andrew Jordan after his practice crash
* Jose Maria Lopez led the way in practice for his home WTCC round
* Jack Harvey claimed his first Indy Lights pole
* AUTOSPORT asks Juan Pablo Montoya if he fancies doing the Indianapolis 500/NASCAR Charlotte 600 double in 2015 and he basically says "yes"
Here are some things that have just happened...
* Ducati announces it's releasing Cal Crutchlow from his MotoGP contract, he'll join LCR Honda for 2015
* Jari-Matti Latvala's Rally Finland lead dropped from 31s to 12s as he damaged a brake. Sebastien Ogier is closing in...
* Jason Plato dominated a Snetterton BTCC qualifying session that was missing champion Andrew Jordan after his practice crash
* Jose Maria Lopez led the way in practice for his home WTCC round
* Jack Harvey claimed his first Indy Lights pole
* AUTOSPORT asks Juan Pablo Montoya if he fancies doing the Indianapolis 500/NASCAR Charlotte 600 double in 2015 and he basically says "yes"
WTCC - Termas de Rio Hondo: Honda motorsport manager William de Braeckeleer is believed to hold the unofficial record for journey time at 72 hours...
European F3 - Red Bull Ring: Another dramatic qualifying session has resulted in a double pole for spectacular Italian Antonio Giovinazzi. We'll bring you a full report as soon as we can!
WTCC - Termas de Rio Hondo: After travel delays, AUTOSPORT has finally arrived at Termas de Rio Hondo in north west Argentina.
Zengo Honda racer Norbert Michelisz also had an unanticipated extension to his summer break and missed Friday's test after suffering similar issues.
Zengo Honda racer Norbert Michelisz also had an unanticipated extension to his summer break and missed Friday's test after suffering similar issues.
DTM - Red Bull Ring: After what seems like an eternity, we're about to see DTM cars back on track. Qualifying is just 10 minutes away.
It should be a very interesting session, particularly focusing on Mercedes. The C-Coupes looked stronger than they have all season in practice (Norisring excluded), and a good result on a circuit like this might indicate that Mercedes has finally turned a corner.
It should be a very interesting session, particularly focusing on Mercedes. The C-Coupes looked stronger than they have all season in practice (Norisring excluded), and a good result on a circuit like this might indicate that Mercedes has finally turned a corner.
European F3 - Red Bull Ring: So, it's a double pole for Antonio Giovinazzi, with Tom Blomqvist also starting second for race three. Antonio Fuoco will start third.
By: Matt Beer, David Evans, Marcus Simmons, Mark Glendenning, Dan Cross, Andrew van Leeuwen, Kevin Turner, Peter Mills
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