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Hello and welcome to the Friday's coverage on AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live. Much of today centres around the second day of Rally Finland running, but there's more action to come later on...
We'll be bringing you live updates from Argentina WTCC testing before the official stuff starts tomorrow, as well as IndyCar practice from Mid-Ohio and NASCAR qualifying from Pocono.
WRC - Finland: That's a matter for much later in the day, though. You're joining us now because you're eager for the resumption of what could potentially be a fantastic scrap for Rally Finland honours. AUTOSPORT applauds your commitment to the early start - we'll be your guides for the next 12 hours of running.
WRC - Finland: SS7 kicks off in 10 minutes time. But, just to refresh you, here's what happened yesterday.
In the morning, points leader Sebastien Ogier and Thierry Neuville held a shared lead after SS3, the former winning the first and third stages.
His VW team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala hit early troubles, while the M-Sport Fords and the Citroens of Mikko Hirvonen and Kris Meeke (making his debut in the works DS3) excelled.
Thursday report - SS1, SS2 & SS3
WRC - Finland: There was no service between SS3 and SS4, just a slight gap. When the stage started, victory for Hirvonen moved him into a joint-lead with Neuville, in place of Ogier.
The points leader went on to lose more time on SS5 and the Super Special, SS6. However, disaster for Hirvonen on the penultimate stage of the day cost him even dearer.
Victory on the Super Special helped cement Neuville's position at the top - but it's far from comfortable. With nine stages today, we'll get a much better idea as to whether the young Belgian can hold on.
Thurday report - SS4, SS5 & SS6
The points leader went on to lose more time on SS5 and the Super Special, SS6. However, disaster for Hirvonen on the penultimate stage of the day cost him even dearer.
Victory on the Super Special helped cement Neuville's position at the top - but it's far from comfortable. With nine stages today, we'll get a much better idea as to whether the young Belgian can hold on.
Thurday report - SS4, SS5 & SS6
WRC - Finland: All in all, a good day's work from the Belgian. But he'll need to be even sharper today. Here's the running order, with SS7 kicking off at 06:48 GMT on the nose:
Latvala; Tahko; Prokop; Andersson; Nikara; Sordo; Mikkelsen; Novikov; Meeke; Hirvonen; Hanninen; Ogier; Ostberg; Neuville.
WRC - Finland: Rarely seen Mikko Hirvonen as wound up as he was at the start of the Killeri stage last night. Both he and Jarmo Lehtinen were raging about the decision to send them into Himos later than expected.
WRC - Finland: The organisers did point out that regulations allow for them to make alterations to the running order. Mikko needs to put all of that behind him and get on with making up the time lost in SS5 today.
WRC - Finland: And here's a question for you as day two of Rally Finland gets underway… when was the last time there wasn't a Finn on the provisional podium at the end of a leg?
There's no doubt, it's the first time Belgium, France and Norway have been in that order on this event. Realistically, all hopes of a successful defence of Finnish honour depend on Hirvonen – or a big and sustained charge from Hyundai’s test driver in a Fiesta Juho Hanninen.
There's no doubt, it's the first time Belgium, France and Norway have been in that order on this event. Realistically, all hopes of a successful defence of Finnish honour depend on Hirvonen – or a big and sustained charge from Hyundai’s test driver in a Fiesta Juho Hanninen.
WRC - Finland: Latvala is coming to the end of his SS7 run and with Tahko, Prokop and Andersson also on the stage, and slower through the splits. We should have the day's first time any minute now.
WRC - Finland: 10m28.6s for Latvala. So what's the stage looking like? "Everything is OK," he says. "It's a really, really long stage. Sometimes it was a bit slippy, but I don't know, it was OK."
PG, meanwhile, has a disastrous first split - coming through some 35.5s slower than JML. Andersson had a rather spin-happy first day, so we wonder whether that's another error...
PG, meanwhile, has a disastrous first split - coming through some 35.5s slower than JML. Andersson had a rather spin-happy first day, so we wonder whether that's another error...
WRC - Finland: Three times on the board - Latvala; Tahko and Prokop. We'd expected Andersson through but he's 1m32s down after three splits so PG's difficult start to the rally continues into today.
Further behind, Sordo and Mikkelsen have started their runs. They are both slower than JML's first and second split times.
Further behind, Sordo and Mikkelsen have started their runs. They are both slower than JML's first and second split times.
WRC - Finland: Andersson says a broken differential is to blame - and he's struggling through with front-wheel drive at the moment. Nikara, Sordo, Mikkelsen and Meeke will be the next times we see, and they're all looking slower than JML. Impressive effort from the stage-opening Polo man.
WRC - Finland: More problems for Sordo...he comes through fourth fastest, 23.7s down on Latvala. He sounds dejected, and with good reason. That SS6 victory over Meeke aside, it's been a massively underwhelming start to the rally.
WRC - Finland: And as if to compound Sordo's misery, his new team-mate is about to come through significantly faster. First, though, Novikov pops in behind the two VWs, 16.3s down.
And Meeke's in. It's the second fastest time so far, 10m33.7s. His impressive start to Rally Finland continues.
WRC - Finland: We said before the start of SS7 that Mikko needed to get his head down and deliver after that setback yesterday. Well, he's done just that. 10m26.2s - the fastest time so far.
The battle for fifth rages after Meeke's run, which was 0.3s slower than Hanninen. 0.8s behind them now.
The battle for fifth rages after Meeke's run, which was 0.3s slower than Hanninen. 0.8s behind them now.
WRC - Finland: And if anything else could turn Hirvonen's frown into something more pleasant, it's Ogier coming through 4.9s slower - which means Hirvonen is just 3.7s behind the championship leader now.
Ostberg comes through in 10m26.6s - so he will nip ahead of Ogier on the overall rally standings.
Ostberg comes through in 10m26.6s - so he will nip ahead of Ogier on the overall rally standings.
WRC - Finland: Big change at the top - that run from Ostberg was very good, it turns out. Erstwhile rally leader Neuville completes the stages in a rather tardy 10m37.4s. That's bad enough to drop him to third overall, 1.9s off the lead.
Checkered flag
WRC - Finland - SS7 results: 1 Hirvonen; 2 Ostberg +0.4s; 3 Latvala +2.4s; 4 Ogier +4.9s; 5 Hanninen +7.2s.
Overall: 1 Ostberg; 2 Ogier +0.8s; 3 Neuville +1.9s; 4 Hirvonen +4.5s; 5 Hanninen +14.9s.
Overall: 1 Ostberg; 2 Ogier +0.8s; 3 Neuville +1.9s; 4 Hirvonen +4.5s; 5 Hanninen +14.9s.
WRC - Finland: The WRC2 guys are running in lead order - so Ketomaa was first through in 11m02.7s. That's added 16.6s to his advantage over Robert Kubica, who is now just one second ahead of Hayden Paddon. Elfyn Evans drops to fourth with a very slow SS7, 46.3s slower than Ketomaa.
WRC - Finland: If you were wondering what Latvala can do if he replicates that kind of pace for the rest of the rally...probably not a great deal.
He's 20m35.6s off the lead after his SS2 problem, late arrival for SS3 and day one withdrawal after SS4. Jari-Matti will open the Palsankyla stage at 07:56 GMT - SS8 is a shorter, 8.6-mile route (13.92km).
WRC - Finland: Yesterday's roads south of Jyvaskyla were great, but it's the stages today and tomorrow that have really got the drivers excited.
The Jukojarvi, Palsankyla, Mokkipera and Lankamaa quartet are immense this morning. And AUTOSPORT is heading for the big jump in the middle of SS8…
The Jukojarvi, Palsankyla, Mokkipera and Lankamaa quartet are immense this morning. And AUTOSPORT is heading for the big jump in the middle of SS8…
Breaking news
IndyCar - Mid-Ohio: Some news to bring you from Mid-Ohio. 2007 McLaren AUTOSPORT BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award winner Stefan Wilson will make his IndyCar debut next month.
Wilson, who finished third in Indy Lights in 2011, will run with Dale Coyne Racing alongside brother Justin in Baltimore.
Stefan Wilson set for IndyCar debut
Wilson, who finished third in Indy Lights in 2011, will run with Dale Coyne Racing alongside brother Justin in Baltimore.
Stefan Wilson set for IndyCar debut
WRC - Finland: Latvala's completed SS8, in 7m08.6s. We'll see if that's going to get him anywhere near to the top three, as his early SS7 did.
WRC - Finland: Prokop comes through 15.7s slower than the Finn. Andersson, continuing with that broken diff, is naturally considerably off the pace - the next represenative time will be Nikara.
WRC - Finland: Nikara slots in 5.2s behind Latvala. Sordo is 10.8s down on the Polo after the second split...and finishes 13s behind. 7m21.3s, and this is what he has to say: "To be honest this stage I feel good but the times are really fast...so maybe it was not so good."
WRC - Finland: A rapid first split time for Meeke, but he's lost a lot of time in the second...
WRC - Finland: It's a result of an off for Novikov - ahead of him in the order, who lost 2m13.3s in the middle split, hitting some logs. Meeke's got caught behind him, and the Citroen driver is fuming.
"Some guys need to learn some lessons. We have a broken windscreen and a puncture because Novikov wouldn't move out of the way. Jesus, you've only got to look in the mirror and get out of the way."
"Some guys need to learn some lessons. We have a broken windscreen and a puncture because Novikov wouldn't move out of the way. Jesus, you've only got to look in the mirror and get out of the way."
WRC - Finland: That really, really hurt Meeke. He dropped 15s alone in the second split, and eventually lost 24.7s to Latvala.
WRC - Finland: As that pair flashed past AUTOSPORT on SS8, Novikov's bonnet was up - but the M-Sport man was still absolutely on it.
WRC - Finland: Hirvonen, meanwhile, has come through 1.4s slower than JML but five seconds quicker than Hanninen.
Ogier, Ostberg and Neuville start rapidly but lose time in the second part of the stage. Ogier, though, matches his team-mate's time and, probably by virtue of tenths/hundreds, is atop the timing screens.
That's enough to put the championship on top of the overall standings, too, as Ostberg comes in a second down - and loses the lead by 0.2s. Fantastically close!
Ogier, Ostberg and Neuville start rapidly but lose time in the second part of the stage. Ogier, though, matches his team-mate's time and, probably by virtue of tenths/hundreds, is atop the timing screens.
That's enough to put the championship on top of the overall standings, too, as Ostberg comes in a second down - and loses the lead by 0.2s. Fantastically close!
Checkered flag
WRC - Finland: Neuville completes the main SS8 running 2.2s in arrears to the Polos: "No risk, clean run. I could have gone a bit better but it's a stage everybody knows from the past but I don't know so well, so I had to be careful."
SS8 results:1 Ogier; 2 Latvala +0.0s; 3 Ostberg +1.0s; 4 Hirvonen +1.4s; 5 Neuville +2.2s.
Overall: 1 Ogier; 2 Ostberg +0.2s; 3 Neuville; +3.3s; 4 Hirvonen +5.1s; 5 Hanninen +19.3s.
SS8 results:1 Ogier; 2 Latvala +0.0s; 3 Ostberg +1.0s; 4 Hirvonen +1.4s; 5 Neuville +2.2s.
Overall: 1 Ogier; 2 Ostberg +0.2s; 3 Neuville; +3.3s; 4 Hirvonen +5.1s; 5 Hanninen +19.3s.
WRC - Finland: This has been AUTOSPORT's vantage point for SS8. That should show why Novikov's effort with an errant bonnet was so entertaining!
Meanwhile, the WRC2 guys have flashed past us - and finished their runs. Jari Ketomaa nudges his lead up to 40.8s, beating Kubica by 0.2s on that stage. Evans takes 2.4s out of Paddon in the battle for third, but there is still 28.3s between them.
WRC - Finland: And from one stage, straight to another. SS9 is imminent. Another 8.6-mile route (13.74km) on the Mokkipera.
WRC - Finland: By the way, legend-watch is a bit quieter this morning. Did spot Ilkka 'Kiki' Kivimaki in the toilets at Paviljonki earlier, but given that he was, er, busy, we thought a picture might not be the best idea...
WRC - Finland: Latvala is through, and it appears to be a clean run. "It's getting better. It's a shame what happened yesterday but I went out there to push for it and it didn't work out this time."
Meanwhile, Citroen Top Driver update. Brit Alistair Fisher, who was having a storming run in the lead, has apparently stopped on SS8.
Meanwhile, Citroen Top Driver update. Brit Alistair Fisher, who was having a storming run in the lead, has apparently stopped on SS8.
WRC - Finland: Apologies for a bit of a delay, there. We're struggling to get times through here. As soon as we've got them, you'll have them.
WRC - Finland: We've had six drivers complete SS9 now - Latvala; Prokop; Andersson; Tahko; Nikara and Sordo. But still no times!
What we can tell you, though, is Fisher rolled in SS8 - he's OK, but has retired from the lead of the Citroen Top Driver Academy.
What we can tell you, though, is Fisher rolled in SS8 - he's OK, but has retired from the lead of the Citroen Top Driver Academy.
WRC - Finland: Novikov brings his Ford in. "The car is OK but the windscreen is broken so it's hard to see," he says. 7m29.5s for him - and we know he's well of the pace, we just don't know what the pace is!
WRC - Finland: Aha! We have times to bring you. Just to bring you up-to-date, here is the top three: 1 JML 6m49.8s; 2 Nikara +3.5s; 3 Meeke +4.4s.
By: Scott Mitchell, David Evans, Mark Glendenning, Sam Tremayne, Matt Beer, Jamie O'Leary, Kevin Turner
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