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Twisty, muddy conditions behind him, Castelsardo's faster flowing roads seem to suit Teemu Suninen. He's 2.3s up on Ogier at the second split, only 2.88 miles in!
While Hyundai will likely have wanted two cars in podium positions, one crumb of comfort comes from the main beneficiary of Mikkelsen's retirement being Neuville, who will inherit second place from him.
Elsewhere in stage, both Lappi and Evans are in, 7s and 10.5s slower than Ogier respectively. Breen and Suninen meanwhile are up on Ogier's early splits but by less than a second.
Elsewhere in stage, both Lappi and Evans are in, 7s and 10.5s slower than Ogier respectively. Breen and Suninen meanwhile are up on Ogier's early splits but by less than a second.
Both Mikkelsen and co-driver Andreas Jaeger are out and walking around, and are not in the slightest hurry. It looks like game over, another disappointing end to a rally which had started so strongly for them.
Mikkelsen spun at a slow right hairpin and couldn't get moving again. That 'light smoke' is now a full on fire, but thankfully it's a hay bale alight, not an i20. It was touched as Mikkelsen rolled his Hyundai slowly backwards into it.
Crash
Mikkelsen's earlier issues aren't resolved after all! He's parked up around 10 kilometres into the test, reversing into a junction well away from the racing line as light smoke pours from his Hyundai. This might be terminal.
Tanak is in, and he's lost a further 6.4s to Ogier here. Neuville can breathe a sigh of relief too, as his 0.1s advantage over Tanak extends to 4.1s.
As was the case in Tula, no-one can tough Ogier's split times. Lappi is slowest of the five to start stage seven so far, the much drier Castelsardo, 5.8s behind Ogier after the fourth split.
Stopwatch
Both Neuville and Ogier are now in. It's a 10m39.1s from Neuville and 10m36.7s from Ogier, so their gap extends to 10.9s.
Tanak's also a little behind new rally leader Ogier at second split, 1s off his former team-mate's pace. Crucially though he's also slower than Neuville. He's 0.1s behind him overall in fourth place, so simply going quicker by any margin would give him third place.
Ogier is 1.8s up on Neuville after the third split. We've got much drier, dustier conditions here, a far cry from only half an hour ago in Tula.
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We've had word in from our secret agent (spoiler alert: it's David Evans) that Mikkelsen's problem - whatever it was - will be sorted before he sets off into this stage. At ease, Hyundai fans.
Green flag
Brief delay out of the way, Neuville and Ogier are into stage seven. Ogier is 8.5s ahead of title rival Neuville now after that muddy stage six shake-up; can he claw any of that lost time back here?
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We've got a brief delay to stage seven, the 9.02 mile Castelsardo test, so let's get a recap on what we can expect for the coming hour or so with co-driver Seb Marshall.
SS3/7 Castelsardo (9.02 miles)
This stage is familiar from before, but there’s a new section at the start and the finish. It’s narrow, but a bit quicker than the first stage. There’s a lot of overhanging branches and tricky places after the start – you have to be quite patient with the car in this early section.
After a short stretch of Tarmac we’re back onto the gravel and the road opens out a little bit through the fields.
This stage will clean quite a lot, a fair bit of gravel has been laid down to repair the road. The last section is uphill, narrow and technical again.
SS3/7 Castelsardo (9.02 miles)
This stage is familiar from before, but there’s a new section at the start and the finish. It’s narrow, but a bit quicker than the first stage. There’s a lot of overhanging branches and tricky places after the start – you have to be quite patient with the car in this early section.
After a short stretch of Tarmac we’re back onto the gravel and the road opens out a little bit through the fields.
This stage will clean quite a lot, a fair bit of gravel has been laid down to repair the road. The last section is uphill, narrow and technical again.
David Evans
World champion Sebastien Ogier remained curiously quiet through lunchtime service in Alghero. The Frenchman drove straight into the control and then settled himself down to lunch in front of the laptop – the assumption is that he was studying onboard footage of this afternoon’s re-run stages and not watching my favourite French film ever le fils à Jo.
So, Seb’s words came secondhand from M-Sport Ford team principal Malcolm Wilson.
“He didn’t say a lot more to me,” smiled the Cumbrian. “I’m not sure there was much to say. He’s happy with everything and we can see that because he hasn’t changed a thing on the car for this afternoon.
“I can’t remember the last time that happened. OK, we’ve changed the dampers, but that’s a precaution thing – the set-up for the car remains the same.
“I’m pleased with the morning, Seb’s what? Ten seconds behind Thierry and Teemu’s right there. It’s good.”
Asked what the plan was for Elfyn Evans, Wilson replied: “There is no plan. There’s nothing for him to do, he can’t do anything to help us except for stay on the road. There’s nothing to test, he can just do his own thing.”
So, Seb’s words came secondhand from M-Sport Ford team principal Malcolm Wilson.
“He didn’t say a lot more to me,” smiled the Cumbrian. “I’m not sure there was much to say. He’s happy with everything and we can see that because he hasn’t changed a thing on the car for this afternoon.
“I can’t remember the last time that happened. OK, we’ve changed the dampers, but that’s a precaution thing – the set-up for the car remains the same.
“I’m pleased with the morning, Seb’s what? Ten seconds behind Thierry and Teemu’s right there. It’s good.”
Asked what the plan was for Elfyn Evans, Wilson replied: “There is no plan. There’s nothing for him to do, he can’t do anything to help us except for stay on the road. There’s nothing to test, he can just do his own thing.”
In terms of good news stories so far this afternoon, look no further than new rally leader Ogier. Is it down to a change of approach? David Evans tried to speak to the Frenchman at service, but got his team principal Malcolm Wilson instead.
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More news on Mikkelsen's time loss in stage six, this time from Hyundai team boss Michel Nandan. His suggestion is all remains well with Mikkelsen's i20, and it was nothing more than tricky conditions to blame.
"You have seen he went straight in the corner and lost a lot of time. After it was really slippery and he struggled, and everyone was struggling with that," he told television crews.
"In the end it seems everything is working. We'll need to see in the other stages. Yes, he lost his first place but it's just through the conditions."
Let's see what happens in stage seven, which kicks off shortly.
"You have seen he went straight in the corner and lost a lot of time. After it was really slippery and he struggled, and everyone was struggling with that," he told television crews.
"In the end it seems everything is working. We'll need to see in the other stages. Yes, he lost his first place but it's just through the conditions."
Let's see what happens in stage seven, which kicks off shortly.
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It seems our earlier Veiby alert didn't go out - his time loss was caused by steering issues, suspected to be a broken steering arm. His arm muscles will have gotten a decent work out in the latter part of that stage!
Veiby had a slender 4.5s lead over former Citroen WRC factory driver Stephane Lefebvre in WRC2 before this stage. That's been obliterated now, dropping around a minute and allowing Lefebvre moving into first. Veiby's team-mate Jan Kopecky is fastest so far, and takes second place to boot.
Lukasz Pieniaszek has also encountered trouble around halfway through Tula, finishing 3m42.7s slower than Kopecky.
Lukasz Pieniaszek has also encountered trouble around halfway through Tula, finishing 3m42.7s slower than Kopecky.
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Compare these standings to before midday service (by scrolling down a bit!), and it looks a fair bit different now. Ogier storms to first place, while Breen's handbrake issue sends him way out of the mix.
1. Ogier 1h08m18s
2. Mikkelsen +3.5s
3. Neuville +8.5s
4. Tanak +8.6s
5. Latvala +29.8s
6. Lappi +30.5s
7. Suninen +34.0s
8. Paddon +36.0s
9. Ostberg +37.2s
10. Breen +59.7s
1. Ogier 1h08m18s
2. Mikkelsen +3.5s
3. Neuville +8.5s
4. Tanak +8.6s
5. Latvala +29.8s
6. Lappi +30.5s
7. Suninen +34.0s
8. Paddon +36.0s
9. Ostberg +37.2s
10. Breen +59.7s
Information
Who knew 13.66 miles of Sardinian road could be so enthralling? Those mudbath conditions have shaken up the overall classification almost unrecognisably. First of all, let's take a moment to review times through stage six, before assessing the ramifications.
1 Ogier 19m24s
2 Lappi +12.2s
3 Tanak +15.2s
4 Neuville +17.5s
5 Paddon +22.6s
6 Mikkelsen +26.5s
7 Latvala +26.8s
8 Ostberg +31.6s
9 Suninen 34.1s
10 Evans +35.6s
1 Ogier 19m24s
2 Lappi +12.2s
3 Tanak +15.2s
4 Neuville +17.5s
5 Paddon +22.6s
6 Mikkelsen +26.5s
7 Latvala +26.8s
8 Ostberg +31.6s
9 Suninen 34.1s
10 Evans +35.6s
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"I'm just happy to finish the stage, irrelevant to what the time is!" remarks a relieved Paddon.
"I lost a bit too much time. I stalled at one junction and went straight up an escape road. I think we lost about 20-25 seconds," he says.
"I lost a bit too much time. I stalled at one junction and went straight up an escape road. I think we lost about 20-25 seconds," he says.
Paddon's our last WRC car through with a reasonable time of 19m46.6s, good enough for fifth quickest, 22.6s off Ogier.
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"I don't think it's helping to be at the back!" says Ostberg at stage end.
"I don't know what to say, it's very tricky conditions, it's impossible to judge the speed."
"It' feels like you're walking through the stage, and it's a long walk," he says, a good summary of the treacherous stage conditions, littered with standing water and slippery mud.
"I don't know what to say, it's very tricky conditions, it's impossible to judge the speed."
"It' feels like you're walking through the stage, and it's a long walk," he says, a good summary of the treacherous stage conditions, littered with standing water and slippery mud.
Mads Ostberg finished the stage, 31.6s slower than Ogier. He dropped most of his time in the slow twisty section near the end too.
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"Downhill slow section in the mud I was struggling so much," mentions Suninen.
It's the same late section again which cost him so much time this morning, lacking pace through the slow first and second gear turns.
It's the same late section again which cost him so much time this morning, lacking pace through the slow first and second gear turns.
Suninen is through, but a shake of the head shows he's not happy either. His time's okay though, a 19m58.1s, seventh quickest.
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Scott Martin mentions a stall while chatting to Craig. But what does Breen have to say?
"Three times it stalled. I pulled the f***ing handbrake and it stalled every time, and you need the handbrake in every corner," says an exasperated Breen.
"It's frustrating, it's happened so many times," he adds, referring to a similar problem in yesterday's superspecial in which he stalled at the start line.
"Three times it stalled. I pulled the f***ing handbrake and it stalled every time, and you need the handbrake in every corner," says an exasperated Breen.
"It's frustrating, it's happened so many times," he adds, referring to a similar problem in yesterday's superspecial in which he stalled at the start line.
Citroen's Craig Breen appears to have been in the wars too. He comes in 43.7s slower than Ogier, with a 20m07.7s.
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Latvala had been reasonably rapid in the opening splits, but dropped a chunk of time in the final split, just like fellow Toyota drivers Tanak and Lappi.
"It was so so slippy at the end. I lost the confidence, a couple of very nasty brakings, completely lost confidence in the mud," he explains.
"It was so so slippy at the end. I lost the confidence, a couple of very nasty brakings, completely lost confidence in the mud," he explains.
Jari-Matti Latvala is in, with a 19m50.9s, sixth quickest so far.
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Evans opens his door, revealing a muddied interior. Some water leaking through is an understatement,
"No idea," he responds when asked how it happened.
"We've had a few baths in there, that's for sure!
"[We've had] one mistake already on the board today. We need to get through and in conditions like this, if you want to get through safely, you have to drive slowly."
"No idea," he responds when asked how it happened.
"We've had a few baths in there, that's for sure!
"[We've had] one mistake already on the board today. We need to get through and in conditions like this, if you want to get through safely, you have to drive slowly."
Elfyn Evans is in, and he's even slower than the hamstrung Mikkelsen, setting a 19m59.6s stage time. That's 35.6s off Ogier. He mentions water leaking into his cockpit to co-driver Dan Barritt.
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A coy Mikkelsen pulls up at stage end, not willing to give up any information. That gearbox definitely didn't sound healthy, though.
"Yeah, not easy at the moment. We'll see what we can do," he says, before ignoring stage reporter and Motorsport News columnist Colin Clark's request to confirm a potential issue.
"Yeah, not easy at the moment. We'll see what we can do," he says, before ignoring stage reporter and Motorsport News columnist Colin Clark's request to confirm a potential issue.
All is not well in camp Mikkelsen however. His i20's gearbox does not sound particularly healthy, over-revving on gearchanges. He drops 26.5s to Ogier, and drops behind Ogier, Lappi, Tanak and even Neuville in the overall classification.
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"It's crazy. So muddy, the tyres are blocked many times, they're full of mud, so lot's of sailing," says Lappi, inventing a fun new way to describe aquaplaning.
After being closest to Ogier's pace early in this stage, Lappi has dropped off in the final section, just like his Toyota team-mate Tanak, 12.2s off the pace. Perhaps the Yaris WRC not suited to such tight and twisty roads?
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A somewhat dejected Tanak pulls into the finish line, 15.2s slower than Ogier after a poor final split time.
"That's how it is," he says at stage end.
When asked if he encountered any late issues, he replies, "No no no, all good."
"That's how it is," he says at stage end.
When asked if he encountered any late issues, he replies, "No no no, all good."
Dipping back into split times, Lappi is next quickest after Ogier, 2.9s slower after the third split. Evans meanwhile is well off the pace, 17s behind his M-Sport team-mate Ogier after the second split.
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"Yeah, I did no mistakes, but it's not possible to push," explains Ogier.
"It's super tricky. I see the line of Neuville, he went big time into a bank," referring to the Belgian's earlier spin.
"It's super tricky. I see the line of Neuville, he went big time into a bank," referring to the Belgian's earlier spin.
Ogier has rocked up at stage end, eating 17.5s out of Neuville's compromised stage time. That puts him 8.5s ahead of Neuville in the overall classification!
By: Matt Beer
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