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WRC - Finland: Kubica's Ford is shown as stopped just under a mile into this nine-mile stage. No news from the M-Sport team or the crews in the stage yet.
Breaking news
WRC - Finland: Robert Kubica has stopped on the stage according to the tracking system.
WRC - Finland: Kris Meeke was the only man who could get close to Latvala and Ogier yesterday and he's started Friday in the same fashion, coming through third fastest for now, despite getting "a little bit lost" with where he was in the pace notes mid-stage.
That time puts him 12.1s behind leader Latvala and 6.4s behind Ogier, with an 18s cushion back to Hirvonen.
That time puts him 12.1s behind leader Latvala and 6.4s behind Ogier, with an 18s cushion back to Hirvonen.
Crash
WRC - Finland: Thierry Neuville completes the stage with damage to the back of his Hyundai, including a missing spoiler. He's only 8s off the pace, though.
"I went slightly wide on a very tight corner and I hit something with the rear," he explains.
"But the car is still driving OK so we're fine. We've lost a bit of downforce but we're going to continue like this."
That shouldn't put his eighth place in any jeopardy.
"I went slightly wide on a very tight corner and I hit something with the rear," he explains.
"But the car is still driving OK so we're fine. We've lost a bit of downforce but we're going to continue like this."
That shouldn't put his eighth place in any jeopardy.
WRC - Finland: Mikko Hirvonen is third fastest so far in our first M-Sport Ford, 4.1s off Latvala.
He's a bit "pissed off" with that, though, as he had been equal with the VWs on the opening splits.
He's a bit "pissed off" with that, though, as he had been equal with the VWs on the opening splits.
WRC - Finland: Mikkelsen lost another 9s to his team-mates, while Mads Ostberg was a further 3s slower.
That prompts more frustration from the Citroen driver. He ended Thursday seventh and very unhappy with his pace, so was banking on major set-up changes. He's made them, he thinks they've worked, but he's still off the pace...
"I need to remember how to drive the car," reckons Ostberg.
That prompts more frustration from the Citroen driver. He ended Thursday seventh and very unhappy with his pace, so was banking on major set-up changes. He's made them, he thinks they've worked, but he's still off the pace...
"I need to remember how to drive the car," reckons Ostberg.
Stopwatch
WRC - Finland: In running order terms, this is still a continuation of day one - which means Sebastien Ogier and his Volkswagen team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Andreas Mikkelsen are first on the road.
Ogier started making inroads into Latvala's lead yesterday evening, but as the Polos complete SS5, it's home hero Latvala who's fastest by 1.2 seconds, bringing his lead back up to 5.7s.
Ogier started making inroads into Latvala's lead yesterday evening, but as the Polos complete SS5, it's home hero Latvala who's fastest by 1.2 seconds, bringing his lead back up to 5.7s.
WRC - Finland: The first two stages of today are new for all the crews. Run out towards Jamsa, south-west of Jyvasklya, the Pihlajakoski and Paijala tests are classic Finland: wide, fast and full of jumps. As SS2 did last night, these two will provide a level playing field for everybody as the crews go through them for the first time.
Pihlajakoski has been used on the 1000 Lakes previously, but not for 27 years.
The last time it was on the schedule was 1987, when Markku Alen won the first pass through the stage and his Lancia team-mate Juha Kankkunen the second. Alen led the rally from start to finish in his Delta in 1987.
Pihlajakoski has been used on the 1000 Lakes previously, but not for 27 years.
The last time it was on the schedule was 1987, when Markku Alen won the first pass through the stage and his Lancia team-mate Juha Kankkunen the second. Alen led the rally from start to finish in his Delta in 1987.
WRC - Finland: Good morning and welcome back to AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live for the second day (and first full one) of Rally Finland.
Beautiful morning in Finland, not a cloud in the sky as the cars headed out of service this morning.
AUTOSPORT's Finnish might not be quite up to scratch but the uniform use of bright yellow on this morning's weather forecast certainly indicated an end to the rain and thunderstorms.
Beautiful morning in Finland, not a cloud in the sky as the cars headed out of service this morning.
AUTOSPORT's Finnish might not be quite up to scratch but the uniform use of bright yellow on this morning's weather forecast certainly indicated an end to the rain and thunderstorms.
That's the lot from day one of Rally Finland, but there is a lot more to come between now and the winner claiming his trophy on Sunday lunchtime.
There are nine stages on Friday, starting from 7.18am UK time, and AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live will be running throughout - so you can liven up your Friday morning commute by following the Latvala/Ogier lead battle on your mobile device (if you're bus or train commuting, don't do it when driving...)
The WRC remains our lead feature on Friday, but the rest of the motorsport world will start to ramp up too, so we'll also bring you updates from practice and qualifying for European Formula 3 at the Red Bull Ring, IndyCar practice at Mid-Ohio, and the pre-event World Touring Car Championship test at Argentina's Termas de Rio Hondo.
See you tomorrow morning, we'll leave you with this picture of Thierry Neuville taking a 'selfie' while co-driving for a child.
There are nine stages on Friday, starting from 7.18am UK time, and AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live will be running throughout - so you can liven up your Friday morning commute by following the Latvala/Ogier lead battle on your mobile device (if you're bus or train commuting, don't do it when driving...)
The WRC remains our lead feature on Friday, but the rest of the motorsport world will start to ramp up too, so we'll also bring you updates from practice and qualifying for European Formula 3 at the Red Bull Ring, IndyCar practice at Mid-Ohio, and the pre-event World Touring Car Championship test at Argentina's Termas de Rio Hondo.
See you tomorrow morning, we'll leave you with this picture of Thierry Neuville taking a 'selfie' while co-driving for a child.
Thierry Neuville
Breaking news
WRC - Finland - SS4 summary:
* Ogier trims 0.8s out of Latvala's overall lead. The Finn is 4.5s in front going into Friday
* Hanninen loses fourth to Hirvonen
* Just eight tenths of a second cover Hirvonen, Hanninen and Mikkelsen in fourth to sixth overall
* Ogier trims 0.8s out of Latvala's overall lead. The Finn is 4.5s in front going into Friday
* Hanninen loses fourth to Hirvonen
* Just eight tenths of a second cover Hirvonen, Hanninen and Mikkelsen in fourth to sixth overall
Checkered flag
WRC - Finland - SS4 results:
SS4 times:
1 Ogier 1m46.1s
2 Latvala +0.8s
3 Meeke +1.2s
4 Ostberg +2.0s
5 Mikkelsen +2.2s
6 Neuville +2.3s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Latvala
2 Ogier +4.5s
3 Meeke +9.2s
4 Hirvonen +26.4s
5 Hanninen +27.1s
6 Mikkelsen +27.2s
7 Ostberg +30.9s
8 Neuville +38.8s
9 Kubica +52.1s
10 Paddon +1m06.0s
Solberg, Evans and Breen run 12th, 13th and 14th.
SS4 times:
1 Ogier 1m46.1s
2 Latvala +0.8s
3 Meeke +1.2s
4 Ostberg +2.0s
5 Mikkelsen +2.2s
6 Neuville +2.3s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Latvala
2 Ogier +4.5s
3 Meeke +9.2s
4 Hirvonen +26.4s
5 Hanninen +27.1s
6 Mikkelsen +27.2s
7 Ostberg +30.9s
8 Neuville +38.8s
9 Kubica +52.1s
10 Paddon +1m06.0s
Solberg, Evans and Breen run 12th, 13th and 14th.
WRC - Finland: Kubica completes his first day of Rally Finland in a World Rally Car four seconds off the Harju pace. He reckons his Ford is developing a bit of a misfire.
WRC - Finland: Not a great stage for Hanninen again, and he drops behind Hirvonen to fifth in the overall standings. The Hyundai man's pretty frustrated with that.
WRC - Finland: This short, partly asphalt, stage was a bit of a leveller for Neuville in the Hyundai. The Belgian nipped ahead of Hirvonen on the stage times to sixth quickest, which will keep him in touch with the group fighting for fourth overall.
Midfielders Elfyn Evans and Martin Prokop are also through safely.
Midfielders Elfyn Evans and Martin Prokop are also through safely.
Quote
WRC - Finland: Here's Meeke's summary of his very encouraging first day in Finland, number one of the three rallies on which he and team-mate Ostberg have to prove themselves to Citroen:
"Really good, but I have to keep it at this level. I'm delighted to be here. I've always said you need to get experience to find your feet, and this is my first event that I also did last year.
"But it's only been a short day. There are three long days to go. It's going to be interesting..."
"Really good, but I have to keep it at this level. I'm delighted to be here. I've always said you need to get experience to find your feet, and this is my first event that I also did last year.
"But it's only been a short day. There are three long days to go. It's going to be interesting..."
WRC - Finland: Meeke is third fastest so far, 1.2s behind Ogier, and that cements his overnight third place.
WRC - Finland: Hirvonen is the slowest of the first five drivers on the stage, though the margins are close and he doesn't lose too much to pursuers Mikkelsen and Ostberg, who end the day 0.8s and 4.5s behind him respectively.
We'll find out exactly where Hirvonen finishes the day when Hanninen comes through later, but he's 26.4s off overall leader Latvala - and that's a bit worse than the M-Sport man expected, though he's still bullish.
"Could be better, but we're still in the game and there are still three days to go," says Hirvonen.
We'll find out exactly where Hirvonen finishes the day when Hanninen comes through later, but he's 26.4s off overall leader Latvala - and that's a bit worse than the M-Sport man expected, though he's still bullish.
"Could be better, but we're still in the game and there are still three days to go," says Hirvonen.
Crash
Latvala damage
WRC - Finland: It was only a little brush with a hay bale, but this is what it did to the front of rally leader Latvala's VW - as photographed by DAVID EVANS.
WRC - Finland: Ostberg, who hasn't been happy with much about his opening day, is third quickest so far, two tenths faster than Mikkelsen.
Quote
WRC - Finland: "A little bit too sideways here and there," reckons Mikkelsen, "not a good stage. Well it's a good stage, but not for me."
WRC - Finland: Mikkelsen completes the stage 2.2s down on Ogier's mark.
WRC - Finland: Latvala loses time to Ogier for the first time on this event, the world champion is 0.8s quicker and Latvala will start day two of his home really with a 4.5s cushion.
There was a little bit of damage to Latvala's VW at the end of Harju from a brush with a hay bale.
There was a little bit of damage to Latvala's VW at the end of Harju from a brush with a hay bale.
Stopwatch
WRC - Finland: Ogier sets the benchmark with a 1m46.1s.
Lights out
WRC - Finland: Ogier is on Harju now. Right in the middle of town, it starts and ends on asphalt, with a bit of a forest blast in between, and a very large crowd on hand.
WRC - Finland: As Harju is just under a mile and a half in length, it's not going to shake things up in the lead battle too much unless someone makes a mistake - but there's potential for change in the fight for fourth, where only 1.8s covers Hanninen, Hirvonen and Mikkelsen at the moment.
Martin Koci
WRC - Finland: The Junior WRC is part of this event too. Stephane Lefebvre - a man aiming to become the first French star not called Sebastien since Didier Auriol (while current WRC3 champion Sebastien Chardonnet aims to keep the Sebs' run up) - has won both rounds so far this season, but Slovakia's Martin Koci is leaving all his rivals standing in Finland at present.
WRC - Finland: We're 20 minutes away from the day's final stage - a short blast around Harju.
To celebrate the return of the Harju stage, AUTOSPORT's Finnish correspondent Esa Illoinen has put together a line-up of classic rally cars to run through the Jyvaskyla city centre test ahead of the main WRC field this evening.
Harju hasn't been used on the Rally Finland route since 1998, but prior to that it had a long history in the event and will feature competitively on Thursday and Friday night this year.
Cars expected on the asphalt stage include a Mitsubishi Galant VR-4, Lancia Delta Integrale, Audi Quattro E2, Sunbeam Lotus, Renault 8 Gordini, Ford Cortina GT, Mini Cooper, Mercedes 220 and a Saab 96 driven by former event winner Simo Lampinen.
To celebrate the return of the Harju stage, AUTOSPORT's Finnish correspondent Esa Illoinen has put together a line-up of classic rally cars to run through the Jyvaskyla city centre test ahead of the main WRC field this evening.
Harju hasn't been used on the Rally Finland route since 1998, but prior to that it had a long history in the event and will feature competitively on Thursday and Friday night this year.
Cars expected on the asphalt stage include a Mitsubishi Galant VR-4, Lancia Delta Integrale, Audi Quattro E2, Sunbeam Lotus, Renault 8 Gordini, Ford Cortina GT, Mini Cooper, Mercedes 220 and a Saab 96 driven by former event winner Simo Lampinen.
WRC - Finland: Tanak lost four minutes on that stage in the end, having damaged his Ford on a rock - initially losing power steering and then eventually stopping to change a wheel.
That puts new WRC2 leader Ketomaa half a minute clear of a battle for second between Karl Kruuda and Eyvind Brynildsen.
That puts new WRC2 leader Ketomaa half a minute clear of a battle for second between Karl Kruuda and Eyvind Brynildsen.
Breaking news
WRC - Finland - SS3 summary:
* Latvala and Ogier set identical times, sharing the stage win and keeping J-ML 5.3s ahead
* Hanninen struggles in the ruts and falls away from third-placed Meeke towards the clutches of Hirvonen
* Solberg damages a tyre on a big rock and drops from eighth to 12th
* WRC returnee Nikara crashes out of 11th place
One more stage to go tonight before day one is done - Harju starts in half an hour.
* Latvala and Ogier set identical times, sharing the stage win and keeping J-ML 5.3s ahead
* Hanninen struggles in the ruts and falls away from third-placed Meeke towards the clutches of Hirvonen
* Solberg damages a tyre on a big rock and drops from eighth to 12th
* WRC returnee Nikara crashes out of 11th place
One more stage to go tonight before day one is done - Harju starts in half an hour.
Checkered flag
WRC - Finland - SS3 results:
Stage times:
1 Ogier 11m11.2s
= Latvala +0.0s
3 Meeke +1.2s
4 Mikkelsen +7.0s
5 Hirvonen +9.5s
6 Ostberg +10.8s
Leaderboard:
1 Latvala
2 Ogier +5.3s
3 Meeke +8.8s
4 Hanninen +24.0s
5 Hirvonen +24.4s
6 Mikkelsen +25.8s
7 Ostberg +29.7s
8 Neuville +37.3s
9 Kubica +48.4s
10 Paddon +1m00.7s
Stage times:
1 Ogier 11m11.2s
= Latvala +0.0s
3 Meeke +1.2s
4 Mikkelsen +7.0s
5 Hirvonen +9.5s
6 Ostberg +10.8s
Leaderboard:
1 Latvala
2 Ogier +5.3s
3 Meeke +8.8s
4 Hanninen +24.0s
5 Hirvonen +24.4s
6 Mikkelsen +25.8s
7 Ostberg +29.7s
8 Neuville +37.3s
9 Kubica +48.4s
10 Paddon +1m00.7s
WRC - Finland: That will come as a relief to Ketomaa who describes his driving on that one as "absolutely completely flat-out" as he tried to beat his team-mate.
WRC - Finland: Trouble in the WRC2 lead battle too, Tanak has lost over a minute to rival Ketomaa on this stage so far.
Crash
WRC - Finland: M-Sport says Nikara and co-driver Jarkko Kalliolepo are both absolutely fine but their Fiesta can't continue.
That's a sadly early end (Rally2 excepted) to Nikara's WRC return.
That's a sadly early end (Rally2 excepted) to Nikara's WRC return.
Crash
WRC - Finland: Jarkko Nikara has gone off the road on this stage, he's out for the day.
WRC - Finland: Kubica is continuing his quietly consistent run, with another ninth fastest time. He'll gain a place from Solberg's problem too.
WRC - Finland: Big time loss for Hanninen on that stage too - he's fallen 16s behind Meeke and is only just ahead of Hirvonen in fourth now.
The Hyundai driver says the stage is now developing large ruts for those further down the order and he lost confidence in them.
So the overall order remains Latvala-Ogier-Meeke-Hanninen-Hirvonen, but the front pack is now a three-man group rather than four.
The Hyundai driver says the stage is now developing large ruts for those further down the order and he lost confidence in them.
So the overall order remains Latvala-Ogier-Meeke-Hanninen-Hirvonen, but the front pack is now a three-man group rather than four.
WRC - Finland: Henning Solberg had been having a pretty strong run so far, taking eight from Neuville on the last stage. But he struck a rock and wrecked a tyre halfway through this one and that's cost him a fair chunk of time.
WRC - Finland: Meeke is still hanging in with the lead battle, his time on this stage keeping him within 3s of second-placed Ogier.
Hanninen's split times don't look so great, so Meeke could come out of this one with a more comfortable gap behind him.
Hanninen's split times don't look so great, so Meeke could come out of this one with a more comfortable gap behind him.
WRC - Finland: Hirvonen completes the stage fourth quickest, two seconds down on Mikkelsen and 9.5s off pacesetters Ogier and Latvala.
Hirvonen admits that he thought he'd be closer to the VWs than this. That time should keep him fifth overall at present if Meeke and Hanninen continue to fly.
Hirvonen admits that he thought he'd be closer to the VWs than this. That time should keep him fifth overall at present if Meeke and Hanninen continue to fly.
By: Matt Beer, David Evans, Marcus Simmons, Mark Glendenning, Dan Cross, Andrew van Leeuwen, Kevin Turner, Peter Mills
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