WRC Portugal
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Good morning and welcome to AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live’s coverage of the Rally of Portugal 2014.
We will be following every stage live as it happens over the next three days, bringing you all the news, gossip and analysis from the service park too.
The first stage took place in the capital city of Lisbon last night and it was Sebastien Ogier who won the 3.27km street test, beating birthday boy Jari-Matti Latvala by 1.3 seconds, with fellow team-mate Andreas Mikkelsen a further 0.9s back.
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bridge
No journey to Lisbon is complete – or possible – without a trip across the world’s 23rd largest suspension bridge – the 25th Carnival Revolution. Here it is. And yes, it does look like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
While the stage went down well last night, the drivers weren’t so keen on the 170-mile drag back down the road to Faro.
Most plugged in their iPods while some set their sights on the fastest time for the journey set by Henning Solberg a couple of years ago. It’s more than our life’s worth to tell you that time…
Most plugged in their iPods while some set their sights on the fastest time for the journey set by Henning Solberg a couple of years ago. It’s more than our life’s worth to tell you that time…
Good news is, AUTOSPORT was on it and passed a certain world champion not once but twice – before and after a coffee stop.
So it’s back to the Algarve this morning, ahead of three days of tricky gravel stages in the Baixo Alentejo and Serra do Caldeirao hills, north of Faro.
Friday’s route criss-crosses the motorway from Lisbon to the Algarve, containing three morning stages, which are repeated after service at the rally’s Algarve Stadium base - there will be 136km of action today.
It was supposed to be 146km, but the Ourique test has been shortened by 4.83km at the start due to safety reasons. The stage, running as SS3 and SS6, was one of the worst affected during Tuesday’s torrential downpour which disrupted the recce.
Which leads us nicely on to what happened to poor old Bernardo Sousa…
Sousa
The WRC2 driver is returning to the championship for the first time since 2011 this weekend, but his preparations were interrupted when he went off the road during the recce.
"The car slide wide in one corner," said Sousa," and we went into the ditch.
"The back of the car was in a small river, but the water was only covering the rear wheel a little bit."
Sousa then swapped to a spare car and left the ditched recce car where it was.
He continued: "Two hours later I called the mechanics to see if they got the car back, but they told me it was gone and they couldn't find it anywhere.
"The found it this morning (Thursday), about 500 metres down river from the place that I stopped!"
We hope the local favourite keeps his Ford Fiesta RRC well away from any ditches this weekend…
"The found it this morning (Thursday), about 500 metres down river from the place that I stopped!"
We hope the local favourite keeps his Ford Fiesta RRC well away from any ditches this weekend…
Here are the standings after Monte Carlo, Sweden and Mexico:
1 Sebastien Ogier 63
2 Jari-Matti Latvala 60
3 Mads Ostberg 32
4 Andreas Mikkelsen 24
5 Elfyn Evans 20
6 Bryan Bouffier 18
(25 for a win, 3 for powerstage win)
Full season statistics on Forix
1 Sebastien Ogier 63
2 Jari-Matti Latvala 60
3 Mads Ostberg 32
4 Andreas Mikkelsen 24
5 Elfyn Evans 20
6 Bryan Bouffier 18
(25 for a win, 3 for powerstage win)
Full season statistics on Forix
That also means World Rally Championship leader Ogier will be first into the stages today, and we reckon that Latvala may have the edge thanks to starting second in the road order - the position that benefits most from the road sweeper ahead (Ogier), which could give him the advantage today.
Latvala
He’ll be desperate to add a positive chapter to his Rally of Portugal story. His six event starts have been overshadowed by the spectacular crash in 2009 when his car rolled 17 times down a hillside.
He crashed out again the following year, before reaching the podium in 2011, and was leading in 2012 before slipping off the road in difficult conditions.
The Finn claimed his maiden podium with the Polo R in Portugal last year and only missed out on second place because of a broken drive shaft. So 2014 must be the year his luck changes, mustn’t it?
We kick off the day with the 21.50km Silves test, which begins at 10:06 BST. Ourique and Almodovar will then complete the morning at around midday.
Could be tricky conditions within today's trio of stages following the mid-week downpour. It has been dry and breezy recently, but the roads have a clay surface and become very slippery in damp conditions.
One nugget of information we just stumbled upon concerns Volkswagen, who could draw level with Citroen’s record of eight consecutive WRC victories - set in 2011 - should they win this weekend.
Their tally stretches back to Australia last year.
Their tally stretches back to Australia last year.
For the record, Lancia and Mitsubishi both won six WRC events in a row, while Citroen have achieved that twice.
Lights out
Ogier
Ogier is onto SS2 and we're up and running in Portugal.
It shouldn't take the reigning champion much more than 12 minutes to reach the end. Bar any catastrophes, of course...
Live timing clearly hasn't had its Weetabix this morning - other whole grain wheat breakfast cereals are available - as we're not seeing any split times yet.
Ostberg appears to be setting the pace in the early portion of the stage. He's the quickest through the first split, 0.2s up on Ogier.
Mikkelsen is 2.8s down on Ostberg at 4.70km. Ogier through the third 18.20km split in 10m52.7s.
Latvala is at least 1.5s behind his VW team-mate through the first two splits.
Latvala is at least 1.5s behind his VW team-mate through the first two splits.
Ogier completes the stage in 12m29.4s.
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Next up is Latvala, who reaches the end in 12m32.1s
"It was difficult to get the right rhythm on the stage." says the Finn. "It was very slippery in stages. It's not a bad time."
"It was difficult to get the right rhythm on the stage." says the Finn. "It was very slippery in stages. It's not a bad time."
A decent time by Ostberg who completes the stage 0.8s slower than Ogier. He admits he struggled through the final split.
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Mikkelsen admits he is taking a cautious approach this morning, having posted a time 18.9s slower than Ogier.
"I drove very safely because I want to build up my confidence after what happened in Mexico."
"I drove very safely because I want to build up my confidence after what happened in Mexico."
Stopwatch
And Hirvonen completes the stage 0.9s quicker than Ogier.
"It's tricky as the grip level is changing all the time. The line is so slippery, I've tried to go off it to find traction somewhere else."
"It's tricky as the grip level is changing all the time. The line is so slippery, I've tried to go off it to find traction somewhere else."
Meeke will be looking for an untroubled finish on the Rally of Portugal following a season littered with problems.
His time of 12m43.6s is a decent start on what is his event debut.
His time of 12m43.6s is a decent start on what is his event debut.
Stopwatch
Great start by Ott Tanak who goes quickest so far on SS2! He set a time of 12m26.8s.
"I was being careful in the beginning. I was not confident at all, but it got better throughout the stage."
"I was being careful in the beginning. I was not confident at all, but it got better throughout the stage."
Tanak
Tanak is back for the second of three scheduled drives in a Fiesta RS after his R5 outing in Mexico.
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Sordo has been flying through the first three split and looks on course to topple Tanak from the top of the timesheet...
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...and he has, 1.9s quicker than Tanak.
One of his rear windows is missing as he reaches the end of the stage, which the Spaniard says he knows nothing about!
One of his rear windows is missing as he reaches the end of the stage, which the Spaniard says he knows nothing about!
Robert Kubica is the next driver through the finish line. He's eighth quickest with a time of 12m35.2s.
"It's not easy, but it's a lot drier than I was expecting," said the former Formula 1 driver.
"It's not easy, but it's a lot drier than I was expecting," said the former Formula 1 driver.
This week's Algarve-based event is the Pole's first attempt at a rally in which he has competed before. Although, despite having been on the rally last year, half of the route has been altered from 2013.
Checkered flag
SS2 results: 1 Sordo 12m25.5s; 2 Tanak +1.3s; 3 Hirvonen +3.0s; 4 Ogier +3.9s; 5 Ostberg +4.7s; 6 Latvala +6.6s.
Overall: 1 Ogier 15m22.1s; 2 Tanak +1.9s; 3 Sordo +3.1s; 4 Hirvonen +3.4s; 5 Latvala +4.0s; 6 Ostberg +5.6s
Overall: 1 Ogier 15m22.1s; 2 Tanak +1.9s; 3 Sordo +3.1s; 4 Hirvonen +3.4s; 5 Latvala +4.0s; 6 Ostberg +5.6s
Breaking news
So, Sordo has given the Hyundai i20 its first ever WRC stage win this morning!
The second stage of the morning gets underway at Ourique in just under 10 minutes. It's been shortened by 4.83km as a result of the rain that hit the area earlier this week.
rain
And what rain. Almost 60mm of the stuff deluged the Algarve region and brought with it the cancellation of the recce of the Ourique and Santana de Serra stages on Tuesday.
Recce cars had to be towed out of flash floods and, as rain continued to fall, organisers cancelled practice in those two tests.
By: Dan Cross, David Evans, Scott Mitchell, Charles Bradley
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