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Hello and welcome to AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live, where today we will be bringing you live updates from the latest round of the World Rally Championship in Finland.
While we're only in Finland at the moment, today is the start of a busy weekend's racing on Race Centre Live. Tomorrow evening we'll be bringing you updates from WTCC testing at Termas; IndyCar Mid-Ohio practice and NASCAR Pocono qualifying.
This weekend also sees us travel as far as Moscow, Los Angeles and Snetterton - so that's your DTM, X-Games and BTCC updates sorted as well.
For now, though, we'll focus on the WRC. Here's what you need to know...
WRC - Finland: SS1 begins at 09:15 (GMT) - that's 10:15 in Britain - and there will be little respite for the teams and drivers with real break in the schedule before the end of SS6 this evening.
Mikko Hirvonen made the perfect start to his home round of the championship with the fastest time in yesterday evening's qualifying session.
Mikko Hirvonen made the perfect start to his home round of the championship with the fastest time in yesterday evening's qualifying session.
WRC - Finland: As a result, Hirvonen will run 14th on the road. This is the running order for today:
1 Tahko; 2 Prokop; 3 Andersson; 4 Nikara; 5 Sordo; 6 Meeke; 7 Hanninen; 8 Ostberg; 9 Mikkelsen; 10 Latvala; 11 Novikov; 12 Neuville; 13 Ogier; 14 Hirvonen.
1 Tahko; 2 Prokop; 3 Andersson; 4 Nikara; 5 Sordo; 6 Meeke; 7 Hanninen; 8 Ostberg; 9 Mikkelsen; 10 Latvala; 11 Novikov; 12 Neuville; 13 Ogier; 14 Hirvonen.
WRC - Finland: Sebastien Ogier was not overly happy with his setup in qualifying - though that's not likely to deter the runaway points leader too much today.
Besides, he was already boosted last weekend by the news that regular co-driver Julien Ingrassia would indeed be fit to partner him on the rally. And he can't have it all his own way.
WRC - Finland: Riko Tahko begins SS1 - the first, 4.45km Himos leg - and the second half of the season is now underway.
WRC - Finland: 2m50.0s for Tahko to kick off the day's running. We'll have a bit of road clearing from the next two or three cars before the serious times start, though.
WRC - Finland: Prokop is now atop the times - 2m47.9s his effort. Andersson comes through 3.6s down after a spin, and then the Mini of Nikara 0.2s further back - and complaining of a lack of power.
WRC - Finland: The first of the expected front-runners comes through, with Dani Sordo clocking in at 2m43.4s.
WRC - Finland: Meeke's is next over the line, and goes a tenth faster than Citroen regular Sordo.
It's the first appearance for Meeke in the Abu Dhabi team - competing in place of Khalid Al Qassimi. He wasn't too unhappy with that run, despite it not being the cleanest.
"Down the hill is really bumpy," he says. "A corner up the hill tightened up on me and a lost a second or two."
It's the first appearance for Meeke in the Abu Dhabi team - competing in place of Khalid Al Qassimi. He wasn't too unhappy with that run, despite it not being the cleanest.
"Down the hill is really bumpy," he says. "A corner up the hill tightened up on me and a lost a second or two."
WRC - Finland: Hanninen spins on his way to the third fastest time thus far - 1.2s behind Meeke, 2m44.6s is his time.
WRC - Finland: Incidentally, Sebastien Loeb reckons Meeke will struggle this weekend. Very, very early stages so far, but the stand-in has already outpaced one regular.
Loeb warns Citroen's Meeke facing tough Rally Finland
WRC - Finland: Meeke, though, is not a fan of Himos and he's not wrong. It's not the best stage in Finland. Running out of the car park for a ski slope, the route weaves its way around some cones before going up and down a nursery slope.
WRC - Finland: However, Meeke's been deposed of top spot now. Mads Ostberg comes through in 2m40.9s to go 2.4s clear.
WRC - Finland: We have another new stage leader. First, Mikkelsen slots in 0.6s behind Ostberg. But a wild Latvala is next up, and he puts his VW quickest - 2m40.3s the new benchmark.
WRC - Finland: Next up, it's Novikov, but he can't quite beat his Ford team-mate. It's third place for Evegeny with a 2m41.2s.
WRC -Finland: Feeling a bit bad about having a go at the Himos stage... Typically with Finland, fever is not far away. Torittu is the next stage and that hasn't been used since 1985, when Timo Salonen (pictured on the rally) went fastest in a Peugeot 205 T16. Salonen completed the 4.83-mile stage in 4m18s.
Twenty-eight years on, the stage is a little longer (5.15 miles). It will be fascinating to see what the times are like.
WRC - Finland: ...and we have a trio of Fords in a row. Thierry Neuvilles slots into fourth place, 0.1s behind Novikov.
WRC - Finland: Ogier comes through and knocks his team-mate from the top of the times. "It's a little bit slippy," says the championship leader. "You have to be in the perfect position from the beginning," he adds.
Well, 2m39.1s on the opening stages has him in exactly that position with Hirvonen left to run.
Well, 2m39.1s on the opening stages has him in exactly that position with Hirvonen left to run.
WRC - Finland: And Hirvonen cannot deny Ogier his "perfect position". 2m40.5s for the qualifying topper puts him third in SS1.
Checkered flag
WRC - Finland - SS1 results: 1 Ogier; 2 Latvala +1.2s; 3 Hirvonen +1.4s; 4 Ostberg +1.8s; 5 Novikov +2.1s.
WRC - Finland: Robert Kubica was leading WRC2 having completed the first stage in 2m52.1s, but he's been knocked off top spot by Esapekka Lappi, who has gone 1.1s quicker.
WRC - Finland: World Rally Championship history is made! Tunnocks-backed Irishman Robert Barrable is the first driver to complete a WRC stage in an R5 category car. He's in one of M-Sport's finest Fiestas.
WRC - Finland: In other WRC2 news, Elfyn Evans is 0.3s behind Kubica, while a rather agitated Eyvind Brynildsen has gone joint quickest at 2m51.0s.
WRC - Finland: And if you're wondering at the inclusion of Tunnocks in that other post, it's because Tunnocks PR genius Paul Evans has carpet-bombed the media centre with milk/dark chocolate tea cakes and caramel wafers.
Personal favourite, however, is the all-new caramel and coconut wafer. Tunnocks fact number one: more than five million are eaten every week. This week, most of those will be consumed in Jyvaskyla by AUTOSPORT.
WRC - Finland: Back to WRC2, though, and another new leader - Jari Ketomaa. 2m48.5s his time, and our attentions now starts to shift towards the return of that classic second stage.
WRC - Finland: Between those teacakes, and the upcoming return of the 4.3-mile Torittu stage, AUTOSPORT's David Evans is a happy man in Finland.
Sadly, unlike in 1985, the stage will not feature the pace-setting Peugeot 205 T16. But we'll find out how the current crop of machines get on after the first cars hit the road at 10:40 GMT.
Sadly, unlike in 1985, the stage will not feature the pace-setting Peugeot 205 T16. But we'll find out how the current crop of machines get on after the first cars hit the road at 10:40 GMT.
WRC - Finland: Rain! We have rain in Jyvasklya. The cars are down at the rally's most southerly stage now (about 50 miles south of rally HQ) - but this weather's chasing them...
WRC - Finland: SS2 is underway, with Tahko and Prokop leading the cars onto the stage.
WRC - Finland: Tahko's time is 4m37.9s - that's some way off Salonen's '85 time of 4m18s (though comparison is both futile and rather unfair). Prokop is right on the limit chasing him, and is faster through the first two splits...and goes 1.8s faster. Andersson is on stage and going even faster - while Nikara and Sordo have also started their runs.
WRC - Finland: Andersson sounds dejected after throwing away a strong run. "I don't know, I don't know," he says. He was almost two seconds faster than Prokop at the second split but a second spin in two stages leaves him seven seconds down at the line.
WRC - Finland: Nikara is the new name at the top of the SS2 times having completed his run in 4m33.2s. That's 0.5s faster than Sordo's since managed, and Kris Meeke is also faster than the Spaniard through the first split...but loses time with a puncture in the final half. He estimates it costs him 7/8 seconds, and comes through third fastest.
WRC - Finland: The times are flying in now. Hanninen goes quickest with a stage time of 4m30.8s. But Ostberg is absolutely flying, and topples Hanninen. A 4m26.6s for Ford man Mads.
WRC - Finland: Mikkelsen is quite a bit down on Ostberg through the first split - and almost five seconds behind after the second. He comes through only 3.9s down, though.
Latvala, meanwhile, is quicker than Ostberg through the first split. But in the second split, he's significantly slower...
Latvala, meanwhile, is quicker than Ostberg through the first split. But in the second split, he's significantly slower...
WRC - Finland: Problems for JML, then. The left-rear suspension arm has broken and the wheel is damaged...a problem, given the lack of a service. He came through almost 40s down on Ostberg.
"The car went a little bit wide and I hit a stone and it broke the suspension," he explains. "I don't know what we have to fix it but we will see."
"The car went a little bit wide and I hit a stone and it broke the suspension," he explains. "I don't know what we have to fix it but we will see."
WRC - Finland: No such issues for Novikov, who comes in just behind his Ford team-mate with a time of 4m27.8s.
WRC - Finland: A fantastic run for Neuville puts him first of the Fords and the new man on top of the times. 4m26.1s for him.
WRC - Finland: Ogier through now. 4m29.0s, so the VW man loses time on the lead Fords there. Hirvonen then comes through with 4m26.9s: "It was really slippery," he notes. A few problems, but he adds: "I'm happy with that."
Checkered flag
WRC - Finland - SS2 results: This is the top five through the stage, then. A win for Thierry Neuville!
1 Neuville; 2 Ostberg +0.5s; 3 Hirvonen +0.8s; 4 Novikov +1.7s; 5 Ogier +2.9s.
1 Neuville; 2 Ostberg +0.5s; 3 Hirvonen +0.8s; 4 Novikov +1.7s; 5 Ogier +2.9s.
WRC - Finland: A little bit of a problem with the WRC timing - Ogier's time was 4m29.2s, and he drops back to fourth overall. This is what that stage win for Neuville means for the overall leaderboard, which is very, very close.
1 Neuville; 2 Hirvonen +0.0s; 3 Ostberg +0.1s; 4 Ogier +0.9s; 5 Novikov +1.6s.
1 Neuville; 2 Hirvonen +0.0s; 3 Ostberg +0.1s; 4 Ogier +0.9s; 5 Novikov +1.6s.
By: Scott Mitchell, David Evans, Mark Glendenning, Sam Tremayne, Matt Beer, Jamie O'Leary, Kevin Turner
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