WRC Rally Catalunya
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You knew this was coming. In 2002, 15 years ago, Gilles Panizzi produced one of the best pieces of showmanship in WRC history, doing donuts for the crowd, before the event had finished! It even surprised co-driver Herve Panizzi! Thanks to McKlein imagedatabase for the fantastic image.
We're still on three minute intervals between drivers on this stage, so there will be plenty of time between drivers once again. Which means time for more retro...
Green flag
Khalid Al Qassimi powers into SS11, it's underway.
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We're keeping things moving quickly here for Rally Spain, the next stage is just minutes away. El Pont d'Armentera ran earlier today, topped by Juho Hanninen in 10m54.6s.
The 13.23 mile stage is a new stage although it uses the majority of last year's Querol stage, only backwards. It finishes in the village of Pontils after a twisty second half. The first half is smooth and open.
The 13.23 mile stage is a new stage although it uses the majority of last year's Querol stage, only backwards. It finishes in the village of Pontils after a twisty second half. The first half is smooth and open.
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- Kris Meeke maintains exactly the same lead of 13.5s after SS10 El Montmell
- Sebastien Ogier continues to struggle and falls to fourth. Dani Sordo continues his stealth-like rise as he takes second
- Ott Tanak maintains his place ahead of Ogier in third, despite having a gravel-spec gearbox now in his Ford Fiesta
- Thierry Neuville starts his comeback after hydraulic issues by taking seventh from Mads Ostberg. But there's oil coming out of the Hyundai
- Sebastien Ogier continues to struggle and falls to fourth. Dani Sordo continues his stealth-like rise as he takes second
- Ott Tanak maintains his place ahead of Ogier in third, despite having a gravel-spec gearbox now in his Ford Fiesta
- Thierry Neuville starts his comeback after hydraulic issues by taking seventh from Mads Ostberg. But there's oil coming out of the Hyundai
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SS10
1 Neuville 12m25.3s
2 Sordo +0.1s
= Lappi +0.1s
4 Meeke +1.2s
5 Tanak +1.8s
6 Hanninen +2.4s
Overall after SS10
1 Meeke 1h55m14.7s
2 Sordo +13.5s
3 Tanak +14.1s
4 Ogier +16s
5 Mikkelsen +27.7s
6 Hanninen +28.8s
1 Neuville 12m25.3s
2 Sordo +0.1s
= Lappi +0.1s
4 Meeke +1.2s
5 Tanak +1.8s
6 Hanninen +2.4s
Overall after SS10
1 Meeke 1h55m14.7s
2 Sordo +13.5s
3 Tanak +14.1s
4 Ogier +16s
5 Mikkelsen +27.7s
6 Hanninen +28.8s
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SS10: "It's quite difficult as we don't have the perfect set-up for the Tarmac now. But okay, we will keep pushing." #WRC #RallyRACC
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It's a matter of fact Ogier at stage end.
"I tried to push," he says. "I'm not so happy, I struggled with understeer. It's hard to push like that. That's how it is."
"I tried to push," he says. "I'm not so happy, I struggled with understeer. It's hard to push like that. That's how it is."
Stopwatch
Ogier is seventh quickest, 3.4s down on Neuville. Where is that push he promised?
Incredibly, from nowhere, that puts Sordo second, Tanak third and Ogier FOURTH!
Meeke's lead is 13.5s for the second stage in a row.
Incredibly, from nowhere, that puts Sordo second, Tanak third and Ogier FOURTH!
Meeke's lead is 13.5s for the second stage in a row.
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Meeke lost five seconds in the second half of the stage. There's no splits for Ogier yet.
"Really happy," says Meeke. "Good run. It's a long time since I've been in this position so I'm trying to manage it."
"Really happy," says Meeke. "Good run. It's a long time since I've been in this position so I'm trying to manage it."
Stopwatch
Kris Meeke arrives 1.2s slower than Thierry Neuville. We'll wait for Ogier before we declare what his lead is, as Ogier should overtake Tanak here.
Stopwatch
Tanak confirms it's not ideal he has a gravel gearbox in his Fiesta after being forced into a change. But his time loss isn't major.
What is major is the fact that he's only 0.3s ahead of Sebastien Ogier, his title rival and team-mate, currently in third.
What is major is the fact that he's only 0.3s ahead of Sebastien Ogier, his title rival and team-mate, currently in third.
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Stopwatch
Tanak is in and he's only fourth fastest, albeit only 1.8s slower than Neuville. Doesn't seem that gearbox has caused any issues, at least not a major one.
Stopwatch
Ostberg is in and he's lost enough time to Neuville to hand him seventh. But how will that oil issue manifest for Neuville?
Stopwatch
At the second split, Kris Meeke has gone 4.7s quicker than Neuville. We could be on for another Meeke 'banker' here that extends his lead. But keep an eye on that man Ogier behind...
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Neuville is struggling with the car as did Sordo.
"We're still struggling with the understeer," he says. "There's quite a lot of dirt in the road and if you take too many risks you go off so you have to be careful."
BUT...there's oil falling from the i20 Coupe WRC. Could he be in yet more trouble? He's eighth and trails Ostberg by 6.5s.
"We're still struggling with the understeer," he says. "There's quite a lot of dirt in the road and if you take too many risks you go off so you have to be careful."
BUT...there's oil falling from the i20 Coupe WRC. Could he be in yet more trouble? He's eighth and trails Ostberg by 6.5s.
Stopwatch
Neuville goes quickest by a tenth, a good time from the Belgian.
He needs to find 6.6s over Ostberg to take seventh overall. Going further than that will be difficult.
He needs to find 6.6s over Ostberg to take seventh overall. Going further than that will be difficult.
Stopwatch
Neuville is next and he was 0.4s quicker than Sordo at the last split. So...
Stopwatch
Sordo is in, and ties Lappi's time at the top of the board. But there's still understeer issues on theme with the other Hyundai drivers.
Ostberg, Tanak and Meeke are into the stage now and that just leaves Ogier who has promised a push this afternoon.
Stopwatch
Neuville has reached the third split now and he's just 0.6s slower than Lappi at that point. He could be on for a challenge at the stage win.
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Hanninen is in. Despite some odd splits, he's still second quickest behind Lappi by 2.3s.
"It was OK, nothing special on that one," says Hanninen. "I'm quite happy for the run. I think Esapekka has made things better from the morning. I tried not to overheat the tyres."
"It was OK, nothing special on that one," says Hanninen. "I'm quite happy for the run. I think Esapekka has made things better from the morning. I tried not to overheat the tyres."
Stopwatch
Neuville – who had hydraulic issues and crashed on the roadsection in a hurry after his problems – has only dropped 0.7s to Hanninen in the first split, so he doesn't appear to have any continued issues so far. The Hyundai team appear to have done a good job in service.
Stopwatch
Lappi is in and that's more like it; it's 14.2s quicker than Evans for that test to go quickest.
He reports a lot of gravel on the road. He's so laid back he may have invented a new driving position in that car. Flat.
He reports a lot of gravel on the road. He's so laid back he may have invented a new driving position in that car. Flat.
We're getting some cars relevant to the frontrunning order starting the stage now. In order of who will complete the stage first, we have Lappi, Lefebvre, Hanninen and Sordo and Neuville.
Hanninen was fastest on the other two stages of the morning loop apart from this one, and will be hoping to keep up his strong run this morning.
Hanninen was fastest on the other two stages of the morning loop apart from this one, and will be hoping to keep up his strong run this morning.
Stopwatch
Evans arrives now and he is 1m14s quicker than Al Qassimi. Still 17s slower than Meeke's morning benchmark.
Stopwatch
Khalid Al Qassimi completes the stage in 13m53.6s.
Lappi and Lefebvre have joined Al Qassimi and Evans in the stage.
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Three minute gaps between the cars in this test for television purposes so we'll have plenty of time between cars.
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A bit of news from the M-Sport camp.
Ott Tanak has changed that troublesome gearbox he was worried about at the end of the last stage of the morning. However, it is the gravel 'box that has gone back in the car. Will the settings be OK with that given it's suited to gravel and not asphalt? Time will tell.
Worth keeping an eye on that as Tanak is second and 0.3s ahead of Ogier.
Ott Tanak has changed that troublesome gearbox he was worried about at the end of the last stage of the morning. However, it is the gravel 'box that has gone back in the car. Will the settings be OK with that given it's suited to gravel and not asphalt? Time will tell.
Worth keeping an eye on that as Tanak is second and 0.3s ahead of Ogier.
Green flag
Khalid Al Qassimi and Elfyn Evans are into our test.
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Up first is the 15.16 mile El Montmell stage, topped earlier this morning by Kris Meeke in 12m22s.
It's a narrow and twisty stage with some big cuts, making this one all about commitment. The cars pass through the Montmell village before engaging in an even twistier descent.
It's a narrow and twisty stage with some big cuts, making this one all about commitment. The cars pass through the Montmell village before engaging in an even twistier descent.
Autosport
Hello and welcome back to the rest of Saturday's WRC action from Rally Spain. It's shaping up to be another 2017-spec corker.
The report of the morning's action is below, and here's the order heading into the stage:
1 Meeke 1h42m48.2s
2 Tanak +13.5s
3 Ogier +13.8s
4 Sordo +14.6s
5 Mikkelsen +20.8s
6 Hanninen +27.6s
The report of the morning's action is below, and here's the order heading into the stage:
1 Meeke 1h42m48.2s
2 Tanak +13.5s
3 Ogier +13.8s
4 Sordo +14.6s
5 Mikkelsen +20.8s
6 Hanninen +27.6s
Autosport
That's the end of Saturday morning's first loop of stages, with Kris Meeke surging into an early lead as the event switches to asphalt.
Here's our comprehensive report and join us just after 1200hrs for the afternoon loop.
Here's our comprehensive report and join us just after 1200hrs for the afternoon loop.
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Young Frenchman Nicolas Ciamin leads the Junior WRC class, ahead of championship leader Nil Solans who is 16s behind but has a 10 second penalty. The fightback could still be on in that class for Solans who has dominated that championship all year.
In WRC2, Teemu Suninen, who really ought to be in a proper 2017 car, is over a minute clear of Jan Kopecky and driving to maintain that lead now.
However, Eric Camili is the first R5 on the road, 40.3s clear of his M-Sport Fiesta team-mate Suninen.
However, Eric Camili is the first R5 on the road, 40.3s clear of his M-Sport Fiesta team-mate Suninen.
By: Matt Beer
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