WRC Finland, Red Bull Ring DTM and F3
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WRC - Finland: Ogier is proving to be the pacesetter, with Mikkelsen slipping 4s off his pace and Ostberg hanging on eight tenths down (good effort there).
Rally leader Meeke is now on the stage too.
Rally leader Meeke is now on the stage too.
WRC - Finland: Hmmm, not so good for Latvala. He's 1.7s slower than Ogier at split one and that's already more than enough to drop him behind his team-mate overall.
Stopwatch
WRC - Finland: Ostberg's going even better, he's quickest of all by half a second at split one.
WRC - Finland: Better start from Mikkelsen here, he's only two tenths off Ogier's pace at the first split.
SS2 pacesetter Latvala has now left the startline too. It'll be Neuville after that, then leader Meeke.
SS2 pacesetter Latvala has now left the startline too. It'll be Neuville after that, then leader Meeke.
WRC - Finland: Mikkelsen and Ostberg have begun the stage too. Low-key start for both of them this morning, which is fairly standard for the stealthy Ostberg but Mikkelsen has a VW around him so needs to crack on now.
Lights out
WRC - Finland: Back to the front, Ogier has begun the stage that is not called paella.
WRC - Finland: Nikara goes third in WRC2! Told you he was good...
He's in the Autotek Ford usually driven by Jari Ketomaa (another man who's never had a chance to show how good he is).
Ketomaa has been struggling with eye problems triggered by a crash in Portugal a few months ago and is sadly sitting his home rally out to let it recover fully.
Nikara is a heck of a stand-in for Finland, though. We shall continue yelling about him for a few more days yet. And dig out that link to that 2009 (ish) feature in which David Evans hangs out in his bedroom.
He's in the Autotek Ford usually driven by Jari Ketomaa (another man who's never had a chance to show how good he is).
Ketomaa has been struggling with eye problems triggered by a crash in Portugal a few months ago and is sadly sitting his home rally out to let it recover fully.
Nikara is a heck of a stand-in for Finland, though. We shall continue yelling about him for a few more days yet. And dig out that link to that 2009 (ish) feature in which David Evans hangs out in his bedroom.
WRC - Finland: DAVID EVANS snapped this telling pic of Latvala's car in service this morning:
This car contains what it says on the boot. #sisu means inner steel and a resolute determination not to give up. J-ML's going to need a chunk of that stuff over the next few days…
He set the pace first thing this morning and has just Meeke ahead. Is Latvala about to take the lead at home?
This car contains what it says on the boot. #sisu means inner steel and a resolute determination not to give up. J-ML's going to need a chunk of that stuff over the next few days…
He set the pace first thing this morning and has just Meeke ahead. Is Latvala about to take the lead at home?
WRC - Finland: But while we make no apologies for banging on about WRC2 a lot this weekend (as it's full of people who are going to be fighting for WRC podiums in the next decade - or at least who should be), we know the focus is the fight up front, so here's a recap of where they stand:
Meeke leads the rally outright by 0.1s over Latvala and 0.4s over Ogier.
Tanak and Paddon head the chasing pack, Mikkelsen is struggling in seventh, Neuville is struggling even more in 11th and Kubica should be struggling more than ninth given that he has a diff problem that keeps leaving him in front-wheel-drive.
Meeke leads the rally outright by 0.1s over Latvala and 0.4s over Ogier.
Tanak and Paddon head the chasing pack, Mikkelsen is struggling in seventh, Neuville is struggling even more in 11th and Kubica should be struggling more than ninth given that he has a diff problem that keeps leaving him in front-wheel-drive.
WRC - Finland: Tanak isn't the only Estonian rising star in rallying right now - Sander Parn just pinched fourth in WRC2 from Camilli. Parn was last year's champion the DMACK Cup series, so has an R5 Ford as his prize for six rounds this year.
So in WRC2, it's an all-Skoda fight for victory between Lappi and Tidemand right now, but then there's nothing to choose between Lefebvre, Parn, Camilli and Breen in their wake - and Nikara's still to come.
So in WRC2, it's an all-Skoda fight for victory between Lappi and Tidemand right now, but then there's nothing to choose between Lefebvre, Parn, Camilli and Breen in their wake - and Nikara's still to come.
WRC - Finland: While the WRC2 runners are completing Pihlajakoski, the WRC field is lining up ready to start the next stage.
Meeke's co-driver Nagle tells us about it:
SS3 Paijala (14.64 miles)
"I'm not sure how to pronounce this one without making it sound like a Spanish seafood dish…
"This one's faster than the first one this morning. There are more blind crests in here and it's generally building towards the Ouninpohja stage which comes next.
"The last section of this one is downhill and quite narrow in parts – it could get quite rutted down there."
Just under 10 minutes before Ogier launches his VW onto that one.
Meeke's co-driver Nagle tells us about it:
SS3 Paijala (14.64 miles)
"I'm not sure how to pronounce this one without making it sound like a Spanish seafood dish…
"This one's faster than the first one this morning. There are more blind crests in here and it's generally building towards the Ouninpohja stage which comes next.
"The last section of this one is downhill and quite narrow in parts – it could get quite rutted down there."
Just under 10 minutes before Ogier launches his VW onto that one.
WRC - Finland: Eric Camilli slips ahead of Breen for fourth in WRC2. Not sure who Camilli is? You might know him in years to come - the young Frenchman has been taken under Toyota's wing and is testing in preparation for its WRC return.
No Toyota for him yet, he's in a Ford Fiesta for now, but it's run by the illustrious ORECA.
No Toyota for him yet, he's in a Ford Fiesta for now, but it's run by the illustrious ORECA.
WRC - Finland: The Skodas are taking control in WRC2 so far. After SS2, Lappi and Tidemand are 1.7s apart up front, and 6.5s ahead of Citroen protege Stephane Lefebvre.
Breen has just slotted into fourth in class. He rolled on shakedown yesterday and a huge effort was required from Peugeot to get the car back in one piece for the start.
Breen has just slotted into fourth in class. He rolled on shakedown yesterday and a huge effort was required from Peugeot to get the car back in one piece for the start.
Breaking news
WRC - Finland - SS2 summary:
* Latvala sets the pace...
* ...but Meeke is only nine tenths slower and coupled with his great superspecial time last night, that puts the Brit in the rally lead by just one tenth...
* ...BUT Ogier is in the thick of it too, with 0.4s covering the top three overall
* Tanak is third quickest and fourth overall
* Kubica limps through with differential trouble, though he holds ninth
* Neuville struggles with over-cautious pace notes and is outside the top 10
* So is his Hyundai team-mate Sordo, who had a quick trip off the road
* Latvala sets the pace...
* ...but Meeke is only nine tenths slower and coupled with his great superspecial time last night, that puts the Brit in the rally lead by just one tenth...
* ...BUT Ogier is in the thick of it too, with 0.4s covering the top three overall
* Tanak is third quickest and fourth overall
* Kubica limps through with differential trouble, though he holds ninth
* Neuville struggles with over-cautious pace notes and is outside the top 10
* So is his Hyundai team-mate Sordo, who had a quick trip off the road
WRC - Finland: We'll also keep you up to date with WRC2 a bit over the weekend as, typically for Finland, the entry is awesome.
Esapekki Lappi and Pontus Tidemand in the works Skodas take on the likes of Craig Breen, Eyvind Brynildsen and (wasted talent) Jarkko Nikara. They'll be coming through shortly.
That also gives us an excuse to dig up DAVID EVANS's feature about Nikara from the archive at some point before Sunday. It's a cracker. Though its predictions proved a bit inaccurate...
Esapekki Lappi and Pontus Tidemand in the works Skodas take on the likes of Craig Breen, Eyvind Brynildsen and (wasted talent) Jarkko Nikara. They'll be coming through shortly.
That also gives us an excuse to dig up DAVID EVANS's feature about Nikara from the archive at some point before Sunday. It's a cracker. Though its predictions proved a bit inaccurate...
Checkered flag
WRC - Finland: As it's early, let's have a full WRC field rundown at the end of SS2:
Stage times:
1 Latvala 6m36.4s
2 Meeke +0.9s
3 Tanak +1.1s
4 Ogier +1.9s
5 Paddon +2.5s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Meeke
2 Latvala +0.1s
3 Ogier +0.4s
4 Tanak +3.5s
5 Paddon +5.0s
6 Evans +8.3s
7 Mikkelsen +8.5s
8 Ostberg +8.8s
9 Kubica +17.7s
10 Hanninen +18.1s
11 Neuville +18.2s
12 Prokop +21.4s
13 Sordo +23.9s
14 Bertelli +27.6s
15 Al Qassimi +59.1s
Stage times:
1 Latvala 6m36.4s
2 Meeke +0.9s
3 Tanak +1.1s
4 Ogier +1.9s
5 Paddon +2.5s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Meeke
2 Latvala +0.1s
3 Ogier +0.4s
4 Tanak +3.5s
5 Paddon +5.0s
6 Evans +8.3s
7 Mikkelsen +8.5s
8 Ostberg +8.8s
9 Kubica +17.7s
10 Hanninen +18.1s
11 Neuville +18.2s
12 Prokop +21.4s
13 Sordo +23.9s
14 Bertelli +27.6s
15 Al Qassimi +59.1s
WRC - Finland: Next in is a WRC returnee. Former factory Hyundai driver Juho Hanninen has got himself a slightly older spec M-Sport Ford for his home rally. He's still acclimatising to it but 10th place for now is a solid start.
Juho Hanninen, M-Sport Ford, WRC Finland 2015
WRC - Finland: Kubica lost a lot late on the stage, so he's down to ninth overall between Ostberg and Neuville.
But there's a good reason for that:
"We have a diff problem," he explains. "Sometimes we have only a two-wheel-drive car.
"I have front-wheel-drive and the rear is going everywhere. I drove very slowly."
The really, really bad news is that there's no midday service today, just a tyre change zone. He's going to have to grapple with that until tonight.
But there's a good reason for that:
"We have a diff problem," he explains. "Sometimes we have only a two-wheel-drive car.
"I have front-wheel-drive and the rear is going everywhere. I drove very slowly."
The really, really bad news is that there's no midday service today, just a tyre change zone. He's going to have to grapple with that until tonight.
WRC - Finland: Kubica drops a couple of seconds on the next part of the stage, which leaves him more around the Elfyn Evans zone on the edge of the top six.
WRC - Finland: Kubica is 1.9s off the pace at split one, which is going to put him in the Tanak/Neuville region and potentially in the top five hunt.
WRC - Finland: Sordo is even slower than Hyundai team-mate Neuville. He's 10th on the stage and overall right now.
WRC - Finland: Good morning again split system. Dani Sordo (a little way off the pace), Martin Prokop, Khalid Al-Qassimi and Robert Kubica are the men on the stage now.
Kubica looked good on both the shakedown and superspecial yesterday.
Kubica looked good on both the shakedown and superspecial yesterday.
WRC - Finland: During the week Markko Martin (winner here in 2003) said his fellow Estonian Ott Tanak would need to find another step up in Finland to repeat his Poland podium.
Martin looks correct so far, with Tanak a couple of seconds off the pace at split one. Then the split system goes to sleep so we can't tell you more...
But Tanak clearly picks it up later in the stage and is third fastest on the stage, slotting ahead of Paddon in fourth overall.
Martin looks correct so far, with Tanak a couple of seconds off the pace at split one. Then the split system goes to sleep so we can't tell you more...
But Tanak clearly picks it up later in the stage and is third fastest on the stage, slotting ahead of Paddon in fourth overall.
WRC - Finland: Hayden Paddon and Elfyn Evans are through with solid fourth and fifth fastest times, which put them in the same positions overall for now, behind Meeke, Latvala and Ogier.
WRC - Finland: Meeke is nine tenths slower than Latvala on SS2, but thanks to his time on the superspecial last night that puts him in the rally lead by a tenth of a second overall!
He calmly describes it as a "really nice run".
He calmly describes it as a "really nice run".
WRC - Finland: No big drama behind Neuville's slow time, he just felt his pace notes were too slow and that other drivers cutting corners ahead were putting stones and plastic marker bollards onto the line.
WRC - Finland: Neuville is a massive 17s off the pace as he completes the stage.
Kris Meeke has started very well - he's two tenths faster than Ogier, four tenths off Latvala, at split two.
Kris Meeke has started very well - he's two tenths faster than Ogier, four tenths off Latvala, at split two.
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WRC - Finland: A bit of a scare for our rally leader, described in typical Latvala style:
"It's good. A good start. We had a small moment on the first crest/left corner on the stage. I think I went wide there last year and I looked at it and thought 'I don't know what's wrong with this' and didn't change the notes. Now I know what I did wrong last year..."
"It's good. A good start. We had a small moment on the first crest/left corner on the stage. I think I went wide there last year and I looked at it and thought 'I don't know what's wrong with this' and didn't change the notes. Now I know what I did wrong last year..."
WRC - Finland: With that sort of margin, Latvala probably regrets shipping 1.6s to Ogier on the underwhelming superspecial last night...
Stopwatch
WRC - Finland: Latvala is in and he's beaten Ogier by 1.9s - which gives him the overall rally lead by three tenths.
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WRC - Finland: Here's Ostberg's summary:
"Quite an OK rhythm. A tricky start to the rally, the road is so wide and sometimes we struggle a bit to place the car. It's very slippery on some of the [corner] entries."
"Quite an OK rhythm. A tricky start to the rally, the road is so wide and sometimes we struggle a bit to place the car. It's very slippery on some of the [corner] entries."
Stopwatch
WRC - Finland: Latvala is still six tenths up on Ogier at the second split.
Ostberg is 6s slower than Ogier so slots in just ahead of Mikkelsen.
Thierry Neuville is on the stage now too but is slowest so far - 5s down at the first split.
Ostberg is 6s slower than Ogier so slots in just ahead of Mikkelsen.
Thierry Neuville is on the stage now too but is slowest so far - 5s down at the first split.
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WRC - Finland: While Ogier reports that there wasn't much grip, Mikkelsen declares there was way more than he expected and that was his problem:
"It was for me a bit careful everywhere. When I did my test it was fully wet, but now the grip was very, very good so I was very surprised. I was way too careful."
"It was for me a bit careful everywhere. When I did my test it was fully wet, but now the grip was very, very good so I was very surprised. I was way too careful."
WRC - Finland: Mikkelsen is through and he's already lost 7.3s to team-mate Ogier.
Stopwatch
WRC - Finland: Now here's a challenge for Ogier, though - Latvala is eight tenths faster than him at split one.
Amid a pretty terrible season, Latvala does not want to lose at home...
Amid a pretty terrible season, Latvala does not want to lose at home...
Stopwatch
WRC - Finland: A 6m38.3s time from Ogier, who then reports that there's very little grip.
"The ground is so compact that there's no loose gravel at all, but still the tyre is struggling to bite a bit."
He's finding more bite than the rest, both Mikkelsen and Ostberg are 5s slower than him at the last split.
"The ground is so compact that there's no loose gravel at all, but still the tyre is struggling to bite a bit."
He's finding more bite than the rest, both Mikkelsen and Ostberg are 5s slower than him at the last split.
By the way, alongside the WRC this weekend, we'll also be bringing you live coverage of all three European Formula 3 races at the Red Bull Ring, the first DTM race in Austria and updates from IndyCar at Mid-Ohio and NASCAR at Pocono.
WRC - Finland: By split two, Mikkelsen's deficit is up to 5s.
Mads Ostberg and Jari-Matti Latvala are on the road now too.
Mads Ostberg and Jari-Matti Latvala are on the road now too.
Stopwatch
WRC - Finland: Ogier's pace is searing so far - he's 3.1s quicker than Mikkelsen at the first split.
Times tend to be pretty close here, unless something goes wrong.
Times tend to be pretty close here, unless something goes wrong.
Lights out
WRC - Finland: Friday morning means the field starting in championship order, so Sebastien Ogier is first onto the stage and potentially - unless it rains - tackling the worst of the dust on the surface.
Both Ogier and Volkswagen team-mate Andreas Mikkelsen have begun Pihlajakoski.
The rain we've already had has been sufficient to take the edge off the usual dust level so this might be a straight fight.
Both Ogier and Volkswagen team-mate Andreas Mikkelsen have begun Pihlajakoski.
The rain we've already had has been sufficient to take the edge off the usual dust level so this might be a straight fight.
By: AUTOSPORT staff, Mitchell Adam, Mark Glendenning, Jack Benyon
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