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Lights out
SS3 is live and VW team-mates Ogier and Latvala are heading towards the first split. Hopefully the live timing facility will play ball this time around...
Impressive performance by Elfyn Evans in the previous stage, by the way. The Welshman was 10th quickest, ahead of the likes of Neuville and Meeke. He currently lies in 11th place overall, 12.2s behind current leader Ogier.
Speaking of people with the surname Evans... Mitch Evans topped the first GP2 Series practice session of the year in Bahrain this morning.
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Split times are filtering through. Latvala is 3.0s slower than Ogier through the first one, but Ostberg is 0.1s up on the reigning champion.
Ogier has just completed the stage in 12m27.3s.
"It was incredibly tough." he admits. "Some places are muddy and some are dry. I'm not so happy with the car."
"It was incredibly tough." he admits. "Some places are muddy and some are dry. I'm not so happy with the car."
Next up is Latvala, who is 3.5s slower than his team-mate.
"I don't have the confidence to go in the slippery places and I lack the confidence," says the rather downhearted Finn.
"I don't have the confidence to go in the slippery places and I lack the confidence," says the rather downhearted Finn.
Good run by Ostberg through SS3, who completes the stage 1.4s behind Ogier.
"It's not so easy to drive," says Ostberg at the finish. "We are enjoying it and we just need to drive the correct way."
"It's not so easy to drive," says Ostberg at the finish. "We are enjoying it and we just need to drive the correct way."
Mikkelsen is the third and final VW to complete the stage. The Norwegian lost bags of time through the final two splits and finished 22.7s behind Ogier. He currently lies in 13th overall.
Stopwatch
Hirvonen arrives at the finish and slots into first place with a time of 12m25.8s - 1.5s quicker than Ogier.
"It's going well and I have a good feeling with the car," said the Finn. "But you know, there are other cars behind who will be going better."
"It's going well and I have a good feeling with the car," said the Finn. "But you know, there are other cars behind who will be going better."
Next up is Nevuille, fresh from a maiden podium finish for Hyundai in Mexico last month. The Belgian's time is 12.32.1s, which is currently the fifth quickest.
Stopwatch
Tanak finishes the stage with the fastest time so far - 12m24.8s. But all eyes are now on Sordo, who is going like the clappers at the moment...
Crash
Henning Solberg is competing in his second WRC event this weekend. The popular Norweigan driver finished seventh in a Ford Fiesta RS in Sweden, but that might be difficult to top in Portugal, especially since he suffered a left-rear puncture in SS3.
"I don't know what happened!" he said at the end.
"I don't know what happened!" he said at the end.
Stopwatch
No problems for Sordo, however, who is 4.0s quicker than Tanak through SS3 and has taken the lead of the rally. He now leads Ogier by 2.8s overall.
Checkered flag
SS3 results: 1 Sordo 12m20.8s; 2 Tanak +4.0s; 3 Hirvonen +5.0s; 4 Ogier +6.5s; 5 Ostberg +7.9s; 6 Latvala +10.0s.
Overall: 1 Sordo 27m46.0s; 2 Tanak +2.8s; 3 Ogier +3.4s; 4 Hirvonen +5.3s; 5 Ostberg +10.4s; 6 Latvala +10.9s.
Overall: 1 Sordo 27m46.0s; 2 Tanak +2.8s; 3 Ogier +3.4s; 4 Hirvonen +5.3s; 5 Ostberg +10.4s; 6 Latvala +10.9s.
Lights out
Ostberg
SS4 is already up and running. Ogier, Latvala and Ostberg are currently tackling the 26.48km Almodovar test.
Ogier completes the fourth stage in 16.39.9s.
"Not too bad, but the guys behind are going much faster," he admits. "We'll have to try and go better this afternoon."
"Not too bad, but the guys behind are going much faster," he admits. "We'll have to try and go better this afternoon."
Stopwatch
Team-mate Latvala is next through the finish line. A good run by the Finn, who is 7.1s quicker than Ogier!
Crash
Looks like Elfyn Evans has stopped within the stage...
Ostberg slots into third place, 9.1s behind Latvala.
"We have a very soft car for the mud," he says. "I chickened out in many, many places."
"We have a very soft car for the mud," he says. "I chickened out in many, many places."
Slow time for Mikkelsen, who comes home in 17.17.3s. A long way off what the frontrunners will be setting.
No news on Evans yet. His Ford Fiesta is still stopped 17km away from the start.
Hirvonen is unable to remove Latvala from the top of the SS4 timesheets. His time is 16.39.3s - 7.5s slower than the VW driver.
Looks like Hanninen has also stopped in the stage. No word on what the cause is yet.
Not a great time by Meeke who reaches the finish in 17m26.4s.
"My notes in there... I nearly stopped listening to them at one point as they were putting me off."
"My notes in there... I nearly stopped listening to them at one point as they were putting me off."
Not to rub salt in Meeke's wound, but his time is 54.6s slower than Latvala's.
Breaking news
Looks like Hanninen is back up and running. Early reports suggest he suffered a puncture. The Finn has lost the best part of two minutes as a result.
Crash
Sounds like Kubica has stopped mid-way through this stage as well.
Top three for now is Latvala, Ogier and Hirvonen. Rally leader Sordo doesn't look to have had the advantage on this stage as he just about reaches the finish...
Sordo's time is 19.4s slower than Latvala! He drops to fifth overall as a result.
"Now we need a little bit more power, a bit more traction," said the Spaniard. "I think we're back to normal now."
"Now we need a little bit more power, a bit more traction," said the Spaniard. "I think we're back to normal now."
Word has it that Kubica has created a chicane of sorts as he is blocking the road in SS4.
Kubica's car has finally been moved after a good 10 minutes of pushing and shoving, much to the WRC2 runner's dismay we would guess.
Checkered flag
SS4 results: 1 Latvala 16m31.8s; 2 Ogier +7.1s; 3 Hirvonen +7.5s; 4 Ostberg +9.1s; 5 Tanak +13.2s; 6 Sordo +19.4s.
Overall: 1 Ogier 44m28.3s; 2 Latvala +0.4s; 3 Hirvonen +2.3s; 4 Tanak +5.5s; 5 Sordo +8.9s; 6 Ostberg +9.0s.
Overall: 1 Ogier 44m28.3s; 2 Latvala +0.4s; 3 Hirvonen +2.3s; 4 Tanak +5.5s; 5 Sordo +8.9s; 6 Ostberg +9.0s.
Breaking news
We understand that Kubica clipped a rock 10km before the end of the stage and took a wheel off. He and co-driver Maciej Szczepaniak are said to be ok.
A full report of this morning's opening loop of stages will shortly be on the AUTOSPORT website.
But it's normal service resumed as Ogier leads the Rally of Portugal ahead of VW team-mate Latvala, with Hirvonen rounding off the top three.
Sordo was unable to match his stage winning pace in the final test of the morning and dropped to fifth overall.
Sordo was unable to match his stage winning pace in the final test of the morning and dropped to fifth overall.
Breaking news
Evans news! The Welshman is said to have rolled three or four times in the last stage. His Fiesta is apparently stuck at the bottom of a steep bank and will need to be winched out.
Ogier
As promised, here is the full report from the first three (proper) stages of the 2014 Rally or Portugal:
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After the action-packed SS4, the WRC drivers and crew are on their way to the rally's Algarve Stadium base for a 30-minute service.
Action resumes this afternoon 14:51, so we'll be slowing the pace with the updates until then.
Action resumes this afternoon 14:51, so we'll be slowing the pace with the updates until then.
We are in a bit of a lull now while everyone takes a breather before the second loop of the day gets underway, so what better excuse than to dip into the wondrous archival paradise that is YouTube and enjoy Ogier’s winning run over the Fafe stage last weekend.
Run for the last three years, the Fafe Rally Sprint takes place on a six-kilometre section of the iconic Fafe-Lameimha stage near Porto in the north of Portugal and, as you can see, it is very much a fan favourite.
By: Dan Cross, David Evans, Scott Mitchell, Charles Bradley
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