WRC Germany, GP2 Spa, IndyCar Pocono

WRC - Germany: Second split for Latvala is 2.1s adrift of Ogier, and it looks like the German has turned up the wick this afternoon.

WRC - Germany: First comparative split is in and Latvala is 0.6s down on Ogier. Ostberg follows 2.6s down, and Mikkelsen is 1.6s adrift.

WRC - Germany: Excellent update to bring you from SS12. While we turned our attention to the next stage, Stephane Lefebvre popped up into second, 0.5s off Ogier's benchmark!

The French youngster is making his debut in a WRC car here this weekend.

WRC - Germany: Sordo's second fastest time on SS12 brought the gap to Neuville in fourth to 1s. Game on.

WRC - Germany: Sordo manages second again on SS12, 0.9s down on Ogier.

Now we wait for SS13 split times to come in with Ogier first.

WRC - Germany: Sordo is likely the last threat to Ogier's quickest time on SS12.

The Frenchman gets going into the gruelling Panzerplatte Long test. We've drafted in Seb Marshall to give us the low-down with a stage description as long as the stage itself. Bravo Seb.

SS13/15 Panzerplatte Long (28.34 miles)

"It’s a bit of a monster really, isn’t it? Having said that, it’s not actually as many pages of notes as you might thing – it’s 44 pages for me, which correlates to a page per kilometre. And there are a couple of places in there where I’ll be able to sneak a drink; a 400-metre straight gives you around three seconds to have a pull on the drinking tube before it’s time to call the next note.

"There are some famous parts of this stage, like the big jump and all the junctions around that place, but the roads which have been used to link this stage up and make it the long one are not really what people might associate with Panzerplatte.

"There are a lot of sections in the forests which are a bit more flowing, but it still comes with this strange surface which is hard on the tyres. The tyres are definitely going to be well used by the end of this one."

WRC - Germany: Paddon really struggled on those two Arena Panzerplatte runs, 3.1s down on Ogier in the second.

Can Sordo rescue the honours for Hyundai?

WRC - Germany: Tanak manages sixth quickest, as we eagerly await Sordo to come through. However, we have to wait for the man who is replacing him in Australia - Hayden Paddon - to come through first.

WRC - Germany: Neuville could be in trouble here as he holds fourth overall, but only by 1.5s over Sordo.

That lead could be coming down drastically if Sordo improves on his second place stage time on the previous run.

WRC - Germany: Meeke is another driver to really improve on the second run of that stage, he manages the fourth fastest time so far, and jumps Neuville in the process.

WRC - Germany: Mikkelsen and Latvala both improved there Arena Panzerplatte times in SS12, more so than Neuville.

He goes 0.2s quicker than his previous time but sits fourth, instead of second where he eneded the previou run.

WRC - Germany: Just to keep everything in perspective, the Panzerplatte long test - SS13 - begins in 10 minutes.

We'll keep you abreast of the splits as well as SS11 and 12 times as RCL pushes the overdrive button.

WRC - Germany: Mikkelsen goes second quickest through SS12 as we turn our attention to this running of the stage now.

The Norwegian is 0.9s slower than Ogier through that run.

WRC - Germany: It's like a yo-yo here with WRC drivers still completing SS11, with the early starters completing SS12.

Sordo has just jumped into second on SS11, only 0.4s off Ogier's quickest time.

WRC - Germany: In SS12, Latvala is in and 1.1s lost to Ogier. That's another bitter blow over a short test, that's a total of 2.7s lost in the two 1.78 mile tests.

WRC - Germany: Tanak comes through SS11 sixth, but more importantly takes 0.5s out of team-mate Evans who sits just ahead in fifth.

WRC - Germany: Some crossover now as the times for the early runners on SS11 begin to come in for SS12.

Ogier has improved on his SS11 time, 1m45.6s.

WRC - Germany: Evans is 2.3s down on Ogier's benchmark and slowest through so far. Not how the Welshman wanted to build on his morning form.

WRC - Germany: Next up: Evans, Tanak, Paddon and Sordo.

WRC - Germany: Neuville and Meeke are in. Neuville goes second 0.7s behind Ogier, Meeke is some way down, 1.7s behind Ogier and fifth.

WRC - Germany: Just to reiterate the importance of Ogier's time compared to Latvala on this stage, the Frenchman extends his lead from 9s to 10.6s. Not bad going over a 1.78 mile test!

If Ogier can average a second a mile over this afternoon's 28 mile Panzerplatte Long, he'll be doing alright.

WRC - Germany: Mikkelsen is the next man through the short test, he completes in 1m47.7s.

That's 1.2s behind Ogier and second overall.

WRC - Germany: Ostberg is through now, and he's 1.8s down on Ogier.

Perhaps we've been quick to judge Latvala and instead, it's a rapid time from Ogier. Only time will tell.

WRC - Germany: That's a very significant drop from Latvala, he loses 1.6s to Ogier there.

That may sound pedantic, but over a short test like that, 1.6s is a huge drop in terms of the lead battle. 1m48.1s is the Finn's time.

WRC - Germany: Ogier is the first man through the stage, prepare for updates to come thick and fast here.

The Frenchman managed the test in just 1m46.5s.

WRC - Germany: The reason we refer to Arena Panzerplatte as a warm-up, is because of the monster that follows.

SS13 and 15 – Panzerplatte Long – is a shade over 28 miles and a gruelling test for the crews. Junctions, jumps and a forest section (still on asphalt) make this a very easy place to lose time, and your rally.

WRC - Germany: We start our coverage this morning in a couple of minutes with what is essentially a warm-up for the afternoon.

It’s two runs through the 1.78 mile Arena Panzerplatte. British co-driver Seb Marshall – who sits alongside Hyundai driver Kevin Abbring – takes us through the test.

"This is really just the warm up for the monster that follows. It’s really for the spectators, but it’s got a lot of junctions on an incredibly hard, rough, concrete surface.

"It’s not long, but it gets you into the swing of things and shouldn’t really provide too many problems."

Carefull Seb, those are famous last words!

WRC - Germany: In WRC2, Jan Kopecky has won every single stage so far in a truly dominant return after a very short absence from the WRC.

His last round was Sardinia in the Skoda Fabia R5 and yesterday he did a brilliant job of beating hot property Esapekka Lappi before he went off and ended his rally prematurely.

There’s plenty to get excited about behind Kopecky, as the ever improving Peugeot works driver Craig Breen continues to impress in second.

The Irishman hasn’t visited the German round of the WRC since 2011 in a Ford Fiesta R2.

Kopecky/Rally Germany/2015

WRC - Germany: Ogier and Latvala took a stage a piece this morning with Latvala reducing the gap to leader Ogier on the second Bosenborg test.

The surprise of the first stage – with no disrespect intended - was Elfyn Evans, who was only 0.7s slower than Ogier’s fastest stage time.

Being unfamiliar with Bosenborg, the M-Sport driver was a little more cautious on the second test managing sixth.

Evans/Rally Germany/2015

WRC - Germany The battle for Rally Germany honours is well on the way. After two stages this morning, here’s the overall order:

1 Ogier 1h39m15.3s
2 Latvala +9s
3 Mikkelsen +44.9s
4 Neuville +1m16.2s
5 Sordo +1m18s
6 Evans +1m26.9s
7 Tanak +1m41.5s
8 Paddon +1m46.6s
9 Ostberg +1m50.1s
10 Lefebvre +2m57.1s

Ogier/Rally Germany/2015

Good morning and welcome to AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live in what promises to be a fantastic day of action.

We’ll be bringing you updates from Rally Germany, GP2 at Spa and IndyCar from the ‘tricky triangle’ (Pocono, in English) as well as BTCC Knockhill updates and much, much more.

That rounds off AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live's Rally Germany coverage for today.

Keep an eye on our news section in the morning for any major updates out of SS9 and SS10, and join us for full live coverage again from SS11 at 9.30am UK time.

We'll also have all you need to know about GP2 and GP3 at Spa, plus updates from NASCAR at Bristol, IndyCar at Pocono and World Rallycross at Hell.

WRC - Germany - SS8 summary:

* Latvala only a tenth slower than Ogier, but the gap is now 9.5s

* Meeke limps through but is now 10 minutes off the lead

* Sordo gets back ahead of Neuville for fourth

* Evans fends off Tanak for sixth

NASCAR - Bristol: First practice for the Bristol Motor Speedway NASCAR Sprint Cup round has just finished, with Kyle Larson fastest for Ganassi.

Qualifying is later tonight UK time, with the race overnight on Saturday into Sunday. Keep an eye on our news section for full reports.

WRC - Germany: We're down to one R-GT car for now as Delecour's Porsche has stopped before today's final stage with a water leak, but he'll be back out to at least challenge Dumas for pace tomorrow.

In WRC2, Kopecky continues to hold a comfortable 1m22s lead over Breen, with ORECA Ford-driving Toyota protege Eric Camilli close to Breen's tail in third.

WRC - Germany: The Hyundai battle swings again - Sordo outpaces not only Neuville, but pinches that third spot in the stage results from Evans. That means he edges ahead of Neuville for fourth overall by 1.9s.

WRC - Germany: While one Brit flies, the other is sadly limping. Meeke's final time loss on SS8 was three minutes and that puts him 10 minutes off the lead overnight.

WRC - Germany: Great time from Evans to end his day, he breaks the VW symmetry and goes third quickest. That helps him fend off team-mate Tanak in the M-Sport battle for sixth too.