WRC Germany, GP2 Spa, IndyCar Pocono

WRC - Germany: Evans also provides an update on Jari-Matti Latvala:

Volkswagen has admitted Latvala’s car did have a problem in Panzerplatte. The diff temperature reading was 172 degrees at the finish and the Finn is believed to have had warning lights in the middle of the stage.

Latvala complained about understeer during the stage, which could be related to a differential issue – the team has worked on a solution to get more air around the transmission for the afternoon.

WRC - Germany: While we wait for comparable splits, we have an update from the AUTOSPORT's man on the ground in Germany, DAVID EVANS:

Following speculation that team orders had been implemented at Volkswagen, AUTOSPORT sought out team principal Jost Capito. He wasted no time in dispelling such talk.
“It’s [rubbish]. If you go 45 kilometres and finish six seconds apart without any split times – how can this be team orders? I told the guys: “You have to bring the car home. Within that, you do what you want.” I told them I don’t care who wins, who is faster, whatever – I just want the cars to come home.”

Capito admitted the weight of expectation was weighing slightly heavier than usual.

“It’s a bit more special than a normal rally, but I don’t feel a lot and I sleep less and worse. It’s a big event for us and after the first two days, a lot more is expected here than anywhere else.”

WRC - Germany: So we immediately launch into the Panzerplatte Long test. Here's Seb Marshall with a preview of the stage, if you missed it earlier:

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: That time from Sordo is exactly the same as Ogier and Meeke, so technically he's equal third fastest.

WRC - Germany: Sordo takes fourth fastest overall and only loses 0.3s on this test to Neuville. Not a bad time by the Spaniard.

WRC - Germany: Another poor stag time from Paddon as he is 2.2s slower than the next worse stage time set by Evans. Paddon is 4s down on Latvala's benchmark through this test.

WRC - Germany: Tanak is next through and slots in fifth, taking some time out of team-mate Evans in the process.

It looked like Tanak was going to breeze back past Evans at one point yesterday but a couple of impressive stages have allowed Evans to build up 13.7s in sixth.

WRC - Germany: Eight minutes to go before Ogier gets SS16 underway. It's that Panzerplatte Long again!

Evans is slowest through SS15 now, 1.8s adrift of Latvala.

WRC - Germany: Kris Meeke matches Ogier's time, 0.2s behind Latvala. Decent time by the Citroen man there.

WRC - Germany: Neuville appears to be back! He's just 0.1s slower than Latvala, second on the stage.

The Belgian is 7.1s behind Sordo in fourth overall.

WRC - Germany: Mikkelsen is slowest through 1.6s behind team-mate Latvala.

WRC - Germany: Ostberg is the next through but he's 1.1s down on Latvala. Mikkelsen will be the next car through.

GP2 - Spa: Here's the finishing order:

1 Vandoorne
2 Pic +9.979s
3 Markolov
4 Leal
5 Evans
6 Rossi

GP2 - Spa: Evans and Rossi make contact at the last corner, Evans stole third but that one could well go on to the stewards.

Markolov takes a first GP2 podium in third.

GP2 - Spa: Leal is very close to Markolov for third, can he make a move on the last lap?

GP2 - Spa: Vandoorne embarks on the last lap.

GP2 - Spa: King takes eighth from Stockinger and that will give King pole for tomorrow's race if he can hold on. Great move by King.

GP2 - Spa: It's looking like Lynn's race has been ruined by taking the harder tyre, rather than the softs, for the second stint. He's currently 12th.

GP2 - Spa: Vandoorne continues to lead ahead of Arthur Pic.

Rossi is up into fifth on lap 23.

GP2 - Spa: Rossi is closing on Berthon for fifth with a couple of laps to go.

GP2 - Spa: Haryanto is the latest to ppit and will take his 10s stop/go penalty. Negrao also has to serve the same penalty.

GP2 - Spa: Rossi passes Negrao for eighth place on his charge towards the front on the soft tyres.

GP2 - Spa: Evans is through at Blanchimont and takes 13th.

Jordan King sets the fastest lap of the race so far.

GP2 - Spa: Sirotkin is told to pit now as the strategy battle intensifies.

GP2 - Spa: After leading early before running wide, Sirotkin retakes the lead as others make their mandatory stops.

GP2 - Spa: Russian time service Evans as Jordan King is also in from fourth.

GP2 - Spa: Evans is told to box this lap and responds to Rossi.

GP2 - Spa: Mitch Evans takes over the lead as Rossi pits. More option tyres for Rossi. Can he make them last?

GP2 - Spa: While the Spa GP2 race rages on, here's an update on De Jong, who was involved in an incident earlier.

De Jong escapes huge crash

Daniel de Jong

GP2 - Spa: Vandoorne is through and takes sixth.

Up front, Rossi leads Evans, Sirotkin, King and Lynn.

GP2 - Spa: Vandoorne is looking very racey and chasing down Marciello in sixth, he's right on Marciello's tail.