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Ostberg is only 0.2s behind Ogier at the first split in SS6.
Breaking news
This is definitely breaking news... after an hour chatting with Rally Australia clerk of the course Adrian Stafford, AUTOSPORT is sad to report the demise of the Tuckers Nob stage on Rally Oz.
Part of the most season's most amusingly named test will be used as a back-up plan for shakedown on the September event - but nobody will be fastest on Tuckers Nob this year. Shame.
AUTOSPORT.com will have a detailed outline of Rally Australia's plans later next week. Just thought we should bring you the important stuff first.
Part of the most season's most amusingly named test will be used as a back-up plan for shakedown on the September event - but nobody will be fastest on Tuckers Nob this year. Shame.
AUTOSPORT.com will have a detailed outline of Rally Australia's plans later next week. Just thought we should bring you the important stuff first.
Breaking news
Latvala reports that he ran wide on SS5, hit a rock face, then flipped his Polo R which sent him into a roll.
Quick weather update from the Algarve Stadium... it's cloudy.
Sordo was the quickest through this stage this morning with a time of 12m20.8s.
Lights out
The penultimate stage of the day is underway and it is Ogier leading Ostberg and Mikkelsen following Latvala's roll on SS5.
The second of this afternoon's stages is the shortened Ourique, which gets underway at 15:51. So just under 10 minutes, then.
As we reported earlier, the likes of Hirvonen, Tanak and Neuville are on the soft compound tyre at the moment and they're looking just a little ragged.
Ogier's gamble to go on the harder tyres looks like it will pay dividends this afternoon.
We reckon various WRC teams will soon be participating in a rain dance.
Ogier's gamble to go on the harder tyres looks like it will pay dividends this afternoon.
We reckon various WRC teams will soon be participating in a rain dance.
Henning Solberg currently occupies seventh, being 1m21.5s off the ultimate pace. The popular Norwegian is just 0.8s ahead of Hanninen, so that'll be a battle to watch this afternoon.
Checkered flag
SS5 results: 1 Ogier 11m53.8s; 2 Tanak +0.9s; 3 Hirvonen +2.7s; 4 Sordo +7.2s; 5 Neuville +9.2s; 6 Ostberg +11.6s.
Overall: 1 Ogier 56m22.1s; 2 Hirvonen +5.0s; 3 Tanak +6.4s; 4 Sordo +16.1s; 5 Ostberg +20.6s; 6 Neuville +42.8s.
Overall: 1 Ogier 56m22.1s; 2 Hirvonen +5.0s; 3 Tanak +6.4s; 4 Sordo +16.1s; 5 Ostberg +20.6s; 6 Neuville +42.8s.
...and sure enough, he hasn't. He completes the stage 7.2s behind Ogier to go fourth quickest.
Sordo's splits indicate he won't be repeating his stage winning antics of this morning...
Like Hirvonen, Neuville is running on Michelin's soft compound tyre for this afternoon's loop of stages. But the drying conditions are making that decision look unwisely.
The Belgian finished the stage 9.2s slower than Ogier.
The Belgian finished the stage 9.2s slower than Ogier.
Tanank
A great time by Tanak, who is just 0.9s slower than Ogier and goes into second place! He'll move up to third overall thanks to Latvala's mid-stage mishap.
A cautious Meeke posts a time 20.6s slower than Ogier.
"Grip is incredible on the second pass," says the Citroen driver. "It was okay and I am happy."
"Grip is incredible on the second pass," says the Citroen driver. "It was okay and I am happy."
Next up is Hirvonen, who slots into second place, 2.7s off Ogier.
Breaking news
Confirmation that Latvala and co-driver Miikka Anttila are okay.
Mikkelsen's next through the finishing line. No dramas for the Norwegian today and his confidence seems to be improving. He completes Silves in 12.11.3s.
Still waiting for more information regarding Latvala. In the meantime, Ostberg is the second driver to complete the stage and does so in 12m05.4s.
He gave a brief idea of what happened to the VW driver:
"Maybe not rolled, but he's crashed at least."
He gave a brief idea of what happened to the VW driver:
"Maybe not rolled, but he's crashed at least."
Team-mate Ogier is through to the finish. His time is 11m53.8s.
"It's really different; good grip. I'm happy with that."
"It's really different; good grip. I'm happy with that."
Crash
We're hearing that Latvala may have rolled in the stage. He hasn't reached the third split...
Ostberg is 2.5s quicker than Ogier and Latvala at the first split. The Norwegian is third on the road this afternoon.
For those just joining us, the overall leaderboard looks like this at the moment:
1 Ogier 44m28.3s; 2 Latvala +0.4s; 3 Hirvonen +2.3s; 4 Tanak +5.5s; 5 Sordo +8.9s; 6 Ostberg +9.0s.
1 Ogier 44m28.3s; 2 Latvala +0.4s; 3 Hirvonen +2.3s; 4 Tanak +5.5s; 5 Sordo +8.9s; 6 Ostberg +9.0s.
Times should be quicker this afternoon now that everyone has run through the stages and the loose gravel has been displaced.
Sordo was fastest through the 21.50km Silves test this morning. He completed it in 12m25.5s and gave the Hyundai i20 its first WRC stage victory.
Lights out
Ogier is onto SS5 and we're up and running again in Portugal.
The WRC convey is currently en route to the first of this afternoon's stages. Not too long to go before we get going again - 12 minutes, in fact.
Twitter
Hanninen's co-driver Tomi Tuominen managed to take a quick pic of Kubica's road-blocking Fiesta on the previous stage:
"My view SS4 @rallydeportugal pic.twitter.com/TbcpZ10joy"
"My view SS4 @rallydeportugal pic.twitter.com/TbcpZ10joy"
Meeke
When the crews aren't competing in the stages, driving on the road sections, or eating and sleeping, they can usually be found watching their onboard videos of the stages.
Like Citroen's Kris Meeke.
"It helps to familiarise you with the stages," said the Brit.
"It prompts the memory – you might remember going through this section here or that farm there, but you are absolutely not memorising the stages at all."
Chris wood
Be sure to check out DAVID EVANS'S latest feature while you munch on your lunch today.
It focuses on Chris Wood, who was once one of Britain's top rally co-drivers but was rendered tetraplegic after a cycling accident two years ago.
The motorsport community is now digging deep to help him and his amazing story will undoubtedly inspire you.
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fords
M-Sport’s range of Ford Fiesta rally cars make up 49 per cent of the Rally of Portugal entry this year.
There are six RS WRCs, five RRCs, two S2000s, 14 R5s and 15 R2 cars tackling the stages.
That's 42 Fiestas in total and every one of them built at M-Sport's facility in Cumbria.
Malcolm Wilson is understandably proud at the impact his company was having on the WRC.
"This is the most cars we've had on a WRC round," said the M-Sport head honcho.
"We've had a bigger percentage of the entry – we've had over 50 per cent in the past – but as you imagine I'm very pleased with this.
"This is a fair reflection of the hard work which has gone in by everybody in M-Sport."
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.
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.
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.
Ogier
As promised, here is the full report from the first three (proper) stages of the 2014 Rally or Portugal:
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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.
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.
A full report of this morning's opening loop of stages will shortly be on the AUTOSPORT website.
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.
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.
By: Dan Cross, David Evans, Scott Mitchell, Charles Bradley
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