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WRC - Finland: After that great pace on the splits, Hirvonen is 2s off the VWs at the end of the stage.
That's not the first time this weekend that he's started a stage looking good to win it, then dropped time.
"I don't understand how they find so much time at the end," he ponders.
That's not the first time this weekend that he's started a stage looking good to win it, then dropped time.
"I don't understand how they find so much time at the end," he ponders.
WRC - Finland: Ostberg is third quickest so far, and that's going to pop him ahead of Mikkelsen into fifth overall.
Kris Meeke
WRC - Finland: Third-placed man Kris Meeke told DAVID EVANS he won't be drawn into a fight with the Volkswagen drivers through this afternoon's repeated stages south-west of Jyvaskyla. Going out of service, the Citroen star is just 4.7s behind Sebastien Ogier, but Meeke is focused on the finish.
"I want to just keep the rhythm we have now," he said. "We ran a wee bit wide in one junction at the start of the last stage, but that's the only thing. Otherwise it's been good. This is not my time to go fighting, so why push like hell and take the risk?"
Meeke added that he was a little concerned at the potential appearance of ruts in the re-run stages; history has shown the DS3 WRC is not at its most comfortable when the going gets rough.
WRC - Finland: Hirvonen is fastest of all at the first split at the moment. He's a little too far back to go for a podium in a straight fight right now, but he can pull further clear of Ostberg and Mikkelsen.
WRC - Finland: Mikkelsen completes the stage 5s down on Ogier, but says he's getting into a better rhythm now.
Quote
WRC - Finland: Latvala says he had one little mistake where his car went off-line a little bit.
"It woke me up. We need to keep focus now. This rally is so fast, as soon as you don't keep it on the line, you lose time."
"It woke me up. We need to keep focus now. This rally is so fast, as soon as you don't keep it on the line, you lose time."
WRC - Finland: Latvala is 0.6s slower than Ogier at the finish. His lead is down to 7.8s.
Stopwatch
WRC - Finland: Ogier completes the stage in 6m39.2s.
He says running first on the road isn't great, but reckons it will be those a long way back who benefit, rather than his main rival.
"I'm very happy with my drive, but the road's not in as good a condition as this morning. A lot of loose gravel. The grip will get better for the other cars - though maybe not so much for Jari!"
He says running first on the road isn't great, but reckons it will be those a long way back who benefit, rather than his main rival.
"I'm very happy with my drive, but the road's not in as good a condition as this morning. A lot of loose gravel. The grip will get better for the other cars - though maybe not so much for Jari!"
WRC - Finland: Ogier currently leads Latvala in the championship by an ample 50 points. There are only five rallies left after this one. Two-and-a-half of those are on asphalt.
Add those factors up, and you'd think Ogier can chill and finish second to Latvala here.
But the world champion does not want to be beaten on this absolute classic rally, one that he loves. He's going to give this a proper go - and he's nine tenths faster than Latvala on the first split of this one.
Add those factors up, and you'd think Ogier can chill and finish second to Latvala here.
But the world champion does not want to be beaten on this absolute classic rally, one that he loves. He's going to give this a proper go - and he's nine tenths faster than Latvala on the first split of this one.
WRC - Finland: So with Neuville missing, our WRC field now looks like this:
1 Latvala
2 Ogier +8.4s
3 Meeke +13.1s
4 Hirvonen +39.1s
5 Mikkelsen +50.3s
6 Ostberg +51.1s
7 Paddon +1m30.6s
8 Evans +1m52.8s
9 Prokop +2m16.6s
10 Hanninen +2m23.5s
11 Solberg +2m24.0s
12 Breen +3m45.9s
(18 Solowow +7m42.5s)
Out: Neuville, Kubica, Nikara
Jari Ketomaa leads WRC2 by 39.4s over Karl Kruuda, Martin Koci leads the Juniors by 1m42.4s over Quentin Giordano after championship leader Sebastien Lefebvre crashed out of second.
Up to speed? Excellent. SS9 begins in one minute.
1 Latvala
2 Ogier +8.4s
3 Meeke +13.1s
4 Hirvonen +39.1s
5 Mikkelsen +50.3s
6 Ostberg +51.1s
7 Paddon +1m30.6s
8 Evans +1m52.8s
9 Prokop +2m16.6s
10 Hanninen +2m23.5s
11 Solberg +2m24.0s
12 Breen +3m45.9s
(18 Solowow +7m42.5s)
Out: Neuville, Kubica, Nikara
Jari Ketomaa leads WRC2 by 39.4s over Karl Kruuda, Martin Koci leads the Juniors by 1m42.4s over Quentin Giordano after championship leader Sebastien Lefebvre crashed out of second.
Up to speed? Excellent. SS9 begins in one minute.
Breaking news
WRC - Finland: Looks like we're only going to have two Hyundais this afternoon.
You'd have thought Hanninen's roll would've been the more damaging incident to befall an i20 this morning, but it was the #7 i20 of Neuville stopped by the FIA technical delegate in service due to rollcage damage sustained when the Belgian clouted a large stone this morning.
Neuville's absence is set to bring Hanninen's patched-up car back into the top 10, while impressive rookie Paddon remains Hyundai's top man in seventh.
You'd have thought Hanninen's roll would've been the more damaging incident to befall an i20 this morning, but it was the #7 i20 of Neuville stopped by the FIA technical delegate in service due to rollcage damage sustained when the Belgian clouted a large stone this morning.
Neuville's absence is set to bring Hanninen's patched-up car back into the top 10, while impressive rookie Paddon remains Hyundai's top man in seventh.
WRC - Finland: Welcome back to Rally Finland for the next loop of five stages.
Here's what to watch out for this afternoon...
* Can Latvala pull further away from Ogier?
* Can Meeke keep the VWs under pressure?
* Will Hirvonen, Ostberg or Mikkelsen join the podium battle?
* Can Hanninen mount a recovery charge in his repaired car?
* Will any more secret Toyotas turn up?
Here's what to watch out for this afternoon...
* Can Latvala pull further away from Ogier?
* Can Meeke keep the VWs under pressure?
* Will Hirvonen, Ostberg or Mikkelsen join the podium battle?
* Can Hanninen mount a recovery charge in his repaired car?
* Will any more secret Toyotas turn up?
Breaking news
WRC - Finland: If you want to have a peek at what the Toyota GT86 'WRC project' looks like, here's a big picture and more details about the car courtesy of DAVID EVANS:
Toyota GT86 runs on Rally Finland
Toyota GT86 runs on Rally Finland
WRC - Finland: Time for midday service now, which means lunch for drivers, some massive rebuilds for Hyundai mechanics and another hunt for GT86 pictures, Tommi Makinen or both for DAVID EVANS.
Here's our full round-up of the morning's action.
The next stage commences at 1.56pm UK time, so AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live updates will ease off for a couple of hours now before ramping up again when the Latvala/Ogier/Meeke battle resumes this afternoon.
Here's our full round-up of the morning's action.
The next stage commences at 1.56pm UK time, so AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live updates will ease off for a couple of hours now before ramping up again when the Latvala/Ogier/Meeke battle resumes this afternoon.
Breaking news
WRC - Finland - SS8 summary:
* Ogier fights back and gets Latvala's lead down to 8.4s
* Meeke stays in touch with leaders with third-fastest time
* Ostberg closes to within 0.8s of Mikkelsen in fifth-place battle
* Ogier fights back and gets Latvala's lead down to 8.4s
* Meeke stays in touch with leaders with third-fastest time
* Ostberg closes to within 0.8s of Mikkelsen in fifth-place battle
Checkered flag
WRC - Finland - SS8 results:
Stage times:
1 Ogier 3m51.3s
2 Latvala +0.9s
3 Meeke +1.0s
4 Ostberg +1.3s
5 Hirvonen +2.7s
6 Mikkelsen +2.9s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Latvala
2 Ogier +8.4s
3 Meeke +13.1s
4 Hirvonen +39.1s
5 Mikkelsen +50.3s
6 Ostberg +51.1s
Stage times:
1 Ogier 3m51.3s
2 Latvala +0.9s
3 Meeke +1.0s
4 Ostberg +1.3s
5 Hirvonen +2.7s
6 Mikkelsen +2.9s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Latvala
2 Ogier +8.4s
3 Meeke +13.1s
4 Hirvonen +39.1s
5 Mikkelsen +50.3s
6 Ostberg +51.1s
WRC - Finland: Hanninen completes SS8. He can now go and get a windscreen, some more bodywork etc.
Busy service ahead for Hyundai when both Neuville and Hanninen deliver mangled cars back to the mechanics.
Hanninen admits this won't be much fun for the crew...
Busy service ahead for Hyundai when both Neuville and Hanninen deliver mangled cars back to the mechanics.
Hanninen admits this won't be much fun for the crew...
WRC - Finland: No repeat of the SS7 stage win for Meeke, and he's slightly frustrated with that. But he only loses a second to Ogier so remains within 5s of the second-placed world champion.
WRC - Finland: Ogier's looking good for the stage win on this one. Both Mikkelsen and Hirvonen are 3s slower, while the improving Ostberg slots into third on the stage, just behind Latvala.
WRC - Finland: Latvala says he was a bit over-ambitious with a corner or two on that stage, but he knows where he went wrong and can sort it for this afternoon's repeat run.
WRC - Finland: Latvala loses 0.9s to Ogier, so he'll head for service with an 8.4s overall lead.
Quote
WRC - Finland: Ogier's big time loss to Latvala today came on the previous stage, and he puts it down to running first on the road... and J-ML being quick...
"At the beginning of the day the conditions were OK, but on the third stag the conditions were impossible and we had no chance. This one was not so bad.
"Tomorrow, if we can stay in the battle, we'll have the same conditions.
"But he's also doing a really good job, I don't want to take anything from that. But sometimes it's frustrating when you can't do anything."
"At the beginning of the day the conditions were OK, but on the third stag the conditions were impossible and we had no chance. This one was not so bad.
"Tomorrow, if we can stay in the battle, we'll have the same conditions.
"But he's also doing a really good job, I don't want to take anything from that. But sometimes it's frustrating when you can't do anything."
Stopwatch
WRC - Finland: Ogier was faster than Latvala on the mid-stage split, and he completes Painaa in 3m51.3s.
WRC - Finland: Just over five minutes until we begin the final stage of the morning loop - the 4.785 miles of Painaa.
Breaking news
WRC - Finland: The Tommi Makinen Racing-built four-wheel drive Toyota GT86 that AUTOSPORT revealed the existence of yesterday has made its first public appearance today.
The car was driven through the first half of the seventh stage of the event, Kakaristo.
Dispensation was given by the rally organisers and the FIA for the car to drive at competitive speeds before the course cars.
The car passed a hospitality area where Toyota guests were waiting and is reported to have pulled off the road at a junction soon after.
The car was driven through the first half of the seventh stage of the event, Kakaristo.
Dispensation was given by the rally organisers and the FIA for the car to drive at competitive speeds before the course cars.
The car passed a hospitality area where Toyota guests were waiting and is reported to have pulled off the road at a junction soon after.
Breaking news
WRC - Finland - SS7 summary:
* Meeke takes first non-VW stage win of the rally and closes to within 3.7s of Ogier for second
* Latvala extends lead to 9.3s
* Paddon takes seventh from Neuville
* Hanninen struggles through with no windscreen and falls to 11th
* Meeke takes first non-VW stage win of the rally and closes to within 3.7s of Ogier for second
* Latvala extends lead to 9.3s
* Paddon takes seventh from Neuville
* Hanninen struggles through with no windscreen and falls to 11th
Checkered flag
WRC - Finland - SS7 results:
Stage times:
1 Meeke 10m37.0s
2 Hirvonen +0.9s
3 Latvala +1.2s
4 Mikkelsen +3.0s
5 Ostberg +3.4s
6 Ogier +4.4s
Leaderboard:
1 Latvala
2 Ogier +9.3s
3 Meeke +13.0s
4 Hirvonen +37.3s
5 Mikkelsen +48.3s
6 Ostberg +50.7s
7 Paddon +1m25.3s
8 Neuville +1m26.5s
9 Evans +1m47.4s
10 Prokop +2m09.6s
Hanninen now 11th, 10.4s behind Prokop
Stage times:
1 Meeke 10m37.0s
2 Hirvonen +0.9s
3 Latvala +1.2s
4 Mikkelsen +3.0s
5 Ostberg +3.4s
6 Ogier +4.4s
Leaderboard:
1 Latvala
2 Ogier +9.3s
3 Meeke +13.0s
4 Hirvonen +37.3s
5 Mikkelsen +48.3s
6 Ostberg +50.7s
7 Paddon +1m25.3s
8 Neuville +1m26.5s
9 Evans +1m47.4s
10 Prokop +2m09.6s
Hanninen now 11th, 10.4s behind Prokop
Craig Breen
WRC - Finland: Breen completes the stage. He's running 13th overall on his WRC return and admits to "really, really struggling". It's not clicking for the ERC title contender in Finland so far.
WRC - Finland: Meanwhile in the only Hyundai still in one piece, the team's rookie driver Paddon has just taken team-mate Neuville's seventh place thanks to another decent time on this stage.
WRC - Finland: Hanninen's co-driver Tomi Tuominen admits it was tricky turning the pages on the pace notes with the wind from the lack of windscreen...
They've got one more stage to get through without anything else falling off the car before they can get some repairs at service.
They've got one more stage to get through without anything else falling off the car before they can get some repairs at service.
WRC - Finland: Hanninen loses another 40s on that stage, which is going to drop him outside the top 10 now.
They're wearing sunglasses in their open-face helmets as they've had to completely remove the smashed windscreen following that crash.
And the dashboard fell off on that stage too...
"I think it's a little bit broken now... but it was not that bad," says Hanninen.
If you're just joining us, Hanninen flew this morning in both a time sense and a rolling-his-car sense.
They're wearing sunglasses in their open-face helmets as they've had to completely remove the smashed windscreen following that crash.
And the dashboard fell off on that stage too...
"I think it's a little bit broken now... but it was not that bad," says Hanninen.
If you're just joining us, Hanninen flew this morning in both a time sense and a rolling-his-car sense.
WRC - Finland: Smooth runs through for Evans and Prokop, but a puncture costs Solberg a few more seconds.
Hanninen is, unsurprisingly, losing a lot of time in a car mangled by his SS6 roll.
Hanninen is, unsurprisingly, losing a lot of time in a car mangled by his SS6 roll.
Stopwatch
WRC - Finland: Meeke does indeed take the stage win - 0.9s faster than Hirvonen and a second up on rally leader Latvala.
"OK this was the stage on the rally up to now with the most amount of cleaning and the hardest for the guys at the top of the standings," Meeke admits.
"I just want to keep progressing, but I'm comfortable where I am."
That's also brought his gap to second-placed Ogier down to 3.7s.
"OK this was the stage on the rally up to now with the most amount of cleaning and the hardest for the guys at the top of the standings," Meeke admits.
"I just want to keep progressing, but I'm comfortable where I am."
That's also brought his gap to second-placed Ogier down to 3.7s.
WRC - Finland: Meeke might spoil Hirvonen's party yet, there's not a lot behind them on the closing splits.
Neuville has just limped through in the slightly less battered of the two battered Hyundais running this morning. He says it's "undriveable" after his impact on today's opener.
Neuville has just limped through in the slightly less battered of the two battered Hyundais running this morning. He says it's "undriveable" after his impact on today's opener.
Stopwatch
WRC - Finland: Hirvonen comes through fastest!
That's the first non-VW stage win of the rally so far.
That's the first non-VW stage win of the rally so far.
WRC - Finland: Ostberg matches Mikkelsen's pace, pushing Ogier down another spot in the stage rankings.
Hirvonen was fastest of all at the first split but isn't quite on Latvala's pace further on.
Hirvonen was fastest of all at the first split but isn't quite on Latvala's pace further on.
WRC - Finland: Mikkelsen is still relatively inexperienced, and VW doesn't want him to be rolling too many cars taking unnecessary risks, but even so the pace gap to his rally-leading team-mates had been a bit too much early on, so that's an encouraging time from the Norwegian.
WRC - Finland: A better time from Mikkelsen - he's 1.8s slower than Latvala and therefore faster than Ogier.
Stopwatch
WRC - Finland: Ogier got a little time back, but overall Latvala is 3.2s faster on that stage.
"Yeah, it was a good stage," says Latvala. "We were 4s faster and I started to attack even more, but then I started to lose some time. I'm happy overall."
"Yeah, it was a good stage," says Latvala. "We were 4s faster and I started to attack even more, but then I started to lose some time. I'm happy overall."
Stopwatch
WRC - Finland: Ogier says he had no problems, he's through in 10m41.4s.
By: Matt Beer, David Evans, Marcus Simmons, Mark Glendenning, Dan Cross, Andrew van Leeuwen, Kevin Turner, Peter Mills
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