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SS9
1 Hanninen 7m25.3s
2 Lappi +2.9s
3 Tanak +2.9s
4 Ogier +4s
5 Sordo +4.9s
6 Meeke +5.7s
Overall after SS9
1 Meeke 1h42m48.2s
2 Tanak +13.5s
3 Ogier +13.8s
4 Sordo +14.6s
5 Mikkelsen +20.8s
6 Hanninen +27.6s
1 Hanninen 7m25.3s
2 Lappi +2.9s
3 Tanak +2.9s
4 Ogier +4s
5 Sordo +4.9s
6 Meeke +5.7s
Overall after SS9
1 Meeke 1h42m48.2s
2 Tanak +13.5s
3 Ogier +13.8s
4 Sordo +14.6s
5 Mikkelsen +20.8s
6 Hanninen +27.6s
Stopwatch
Mikkelsen is next in, seventh quickest but he's closer to Hanninen than on the other asphalt stages this morning, 6.5s off the flying Finn. Mikkelsen is fifth and 6.8s ahead of Hanninen.
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Just take a look at the last sentence in this Ogier quote. His rivals should be shaking in their boot-shaped WRC cars.
"I was hoping to be faster," says Ogier. "We have to find out what we can improve. The balance wasn't fantastic on the first stage, on the second stage I wasn't unhappy with the car but I wasn't fast either.
"This afternoon, we will be faster."
Ominous.
"I was hoping to be faster," says Ogier. "We have to find out what we can improve. The balance wasn't fantastic on the first stage, on the second stage I wasn't unhappy with the car but I wasn't fast either.
"This afternoon, we will be faster."
Ominous.
Stopwatch
Ogier is in, Tanak takes second and Meeke's lead is 13.5s in the lead.
"In the first stage we had a really nice push," says Meeke. "Overall it's been a really good morning. There was a bit of pollution on this stage so I erred on the side of caution."
"In the first stage we had a really nice push," says Meeke. "Overall it's been a really good morning. There was a bit of pollution on this stage so I erred on the side of caution."
Ogier is next in...
Crash
Ott Tanak says everything is OK, but then casually announces he may have transmission issues. They're heading to service so as long as he gets there, they can change whatever is needed there.
Stopwatch
Kris Meeke is in, fifth quickest and his lead should stay over 10s, we're just waiting for Ogier's time.
Stopwatch
Tanak has jumped Sordo, so he'll be third at worse here. He could also jump Ogier and go second depending on Ogier's final time which is just about to arrive.
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So Neuville will fall to ninth or lower here after that incident, or chain of incidents. Incredible stuff.
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We'll let Neuville do the talking on this one. Incredible!
"We lost hydraulic pressure on the end of the last stage," he says. "On the way to the next stage the car didn't start. We went very fast to the stage and I went off on the road section because we had no hydraulics."
"We lost hydraulic pressure on the end of the last stage," he says. "On the way to the next stage the car didn't start. We went very fast to the stage and I went off on the road section because we had no hydraulics."
Stopwatch
Sordo is in and drops 4.9s to Hanninen on the stage. Neuville loses 12.4s to Hanninen, which isn't too bad, but the 30s he'll lose for starting late is a double-whammy that will throw him down the order.
Information
There's confirmation that Neuville is in trouble. He's 12s slower than Hanninen at the split. It's not a huge time loss but it's enough.
He started this rally 17 points behind Ogier in the standings. That could take a hit on this event. But it's a long rally.
He started this rally 17 points behind Ogier in the standings. That could take a hit on this event. But it's a long rally.
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Juho Hanninen goes quickest for the second stage in a row but will he stay there?
"I won't change anything for the afternoon," he says. "I'm surprised by the times as it's come quite easy."
"I won't change anything for the afternoon," he says. "I'm surprised by the times as it's come quite easy."
Crash
Reports are of hydraulic damage to the Hyundai of Thierry Neuville.
Crash
BREAKING: Thierry Neuville has started the stage three minutes late and will receive a 30 second penalty as per the regulations.
There are also reports of damage to his car, although nothing was reported at the end of the last stage.
There are also reports of damage to his car, although nothing was reported at the end of the last stage.
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Esapekka Lappi is chasing the balance of his Toyota: "We can be faster in the afternoon."
Stopwatch
Lefebvre is also through now and drops 6.6s to Lappi, so Lappi's position which he stole from Lefebvre on the last stage is safe.
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Elfyn Evans completes and loses 10 seconds to Lappi. That's a fair chunk.
"Overall the balance of the car doesn't feel terrible," says Evans. "We're just struggling for overall grip. We were struggling in Germany and we knew this was going to be a struggle. With only one tyre joker a year we knew it would be tough."
"Overall the balance of the car doesn't feel terrible," says Evans. "We're just struggling for overall grip. We were struggling in Germany and we knew this was going to be a struggle. With only one tyre joker a year we knew it would be tough."
Lee Nelson may be about to arrive to deliver my P45 after this stage, as trying to make sense out of who is where in the top six may be more difficult than a Brexit negotiation. Other comedians and negotiations are available.
Stopwatch
Not any relevant splits from SS9 just yet, Lappi is 3.3s up on Elfyn Evans.
Here's a reminder of the front end of the order and the battles we're looking at:
1 Meeke
2 Sordo +15.4s
3 Ogier +15.5s
4 Tanak +16.3s
5 Neuville +16.4s
6 Mikkelsen +20s
That's ONE SECOND splitting Sordo, Ogier, Tanak and Neuville. Incredible stuff.
Here's a reminder of the front end of the order and the battles we're looking at:
1 Meeke
2 Sordo +15.4s
3 Ogier +15.5s
4 Tanak +16.3s
5 Neuville +16.4s
6 Mikkelsen +20s
That's ONE SECOND splitting Sordo, Ogier, Tanak and Neuville. Incredible stuff.
Al Qassimi is into SS9 Savalla, 8.82 miles so a quick fire stage to conclude the morning's action.
Information
Here's the running order for SS9, which gets underway in two minutes:
Al Qassimi
Evans
Lappi
Lefebvre
Hanninen
Neuville
Sordo
Ostberg
Tanak
Meeke
Ogier
Mikkelsen.
Al Qassimi
Evans
Lappi
Lefebvre
Hanninen
Neuville
Sordo
Ostberg
Tanak
Meeke
Ogier
Mikkelsen.
Information
Here's what happened in that frenetic test, SS8 El Pont d'Armentera:
- Kris Meeke extends his lead to 15.4s as his rivals fight for positions behind. He describes his Citroen as "phenomenal"
- Andreas Mikkelsen, yesterday's shock leader on his competitive Hyundai i20 WRC debut, fell from third to sixth as he laments a lack of seat-time in the car
- Dani Sordo sneaks ahead of Sebastien Ogier which became a net second place, by just 0.12s. The Frenchman says he just needs to drive faster
- Ogier's team-mate Ott Tanak is 0.8s behind him in the order in fourth
- Thierry Neuville takes fifth ahead of Mikkelsen as Neuville struggles with understeer
- Mads Ostberg loses seventh to Juho Hanninen, who went fastest on the stage
- Kris Meeke extends his lead to 15.4s as his rivals fight for positions behind. He describes his Citroen as "phenomenal"
- Andreas Mikkelsen, yesterday's shock leader on his competitive Hyundai i20 WRC debut, fell from third to sixth as he laments a lack of seat-time in the car
- Dani Sordo sneaks ahead of Sebastien Ogier which became a net second place, by just 0.12s. The Frenchman says he just needs to drive faster
- Ogier's team-mate Ott Tanak is 0.8s behind him in the order in fourth
- Thierry Neuville takes fifth ahead of Mikkelsen as Neuville struggles with understeer
- Mads Ostberg loses seventh to Juho Hanninen, who went fastest on the stage
Information
SS8
1 Hanninen 10m54.6s
2 Meeke +1.3s
3 Neuville +1.8s
4 Tanak +4s
5 Sordo +5.3s
6 Lappi +5.5s
Overall after SS8
1 Meeke 1h35m17.2s
2 Sordo +15.4s
3 Ogier +15.5s
4 Tanak +16.3s
5 Neuville +16.4s
6 Mikkelsen +20s
1 Hanninen 10m54.6s
2 Meeke +1.3s
3 Neuville +1.8s
4 Tanak +4s
5 Sordo +5.3s
6 Lappi +5.5s
Overall after SS8
1 Meeke 1h35m17.2s
2 Sordo +15.4s
3 Ogier +15.5s
4 Tanak +16.3s
5 Neuville +16.4s
6 Mikkelsen +20s
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"I tried the best I can," says Mikkelsen who lost 11s to Hanninen in that stage. "In these type of stages it's all about knowing what the car will do. I need more time in the car basically. The car is a bit different than what I'm used to, I just need more time."
Stopwatch
Mikkelsen is in and remarkably he's only eighth quickest, he falls from THIRD to SIXTH! Incredibly tight in keeping with the 2017 season here.
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Ogier is in, Dani Sordo pinches third from the Frenchman and he falls to fourth.
"Not quite on the pace," says Ogier. "I probably need to push more. The car is OK."
Amazing when a four-time champion and title leader speaks so matter of factly.
"Not quite on the pace," says Ogier. "I probably need to push more. The car is OK."
Amazing when a four-time champion and title leader speaks so matter of factly.
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Meeke is full of praise for the Citroen at stage end, and no wonder, Ogier and Mikkelsen are both slower on the splits.
"The car feels phenomenal," says Meeke. "Really nice to drive, I'm going to try and enjoy it today. We took the lead in the last one, now we have to concentrate on managing that."
"The car feels phenomenal," says Meeke. "Really nice to drive, I'm going to try and enjoy it today. We took the lead in the last one, now we have to concentrate on managing that."
Stopwatch
Meeke is in and he's slower than Hanninen by 1.3s. But that's not a major issue for the Northern Irishman who, looking at the splits, is unlikely to lose much of his nine second lead.
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Tanak goes third quickest and is just 0.9s behind Sordo in the order now, Sordo has just held fourth by a hair.
"We made a lot of changes in between and the car felt much better," says Tanak. "The balance is much better now."
"We made a lot of changes in between and the car felt much better," says Tanak. "The balance is much better now."
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Ostberg is next in, his confidence knocked slightly by an off this morning. He's sixth quickest, 17.7s slower than Hanninen and that drops him behind Hanninen in the classification for what will be seventh overall.
"That was better," says Ostberg. "It's my first time in the car on Tarmac so I need to be a little bit patient. It's so fast with the aero it will take time to get used to it," he adds of the new Fiesta.
"That was better," says Ostberg. "It's my first time in the car on Tarmac so I need to be a little bit patient. It's so fast with the aero it will take time to get used to it," he adds of the new Fiesta.
Stopwatch
Sordo has reached the end of the stage and he's 3.5s slower than Neuville. Sordo is fourth but that time could put him into Tanak's grasp, who started the stage just 2.2s at the start of the stage.
Stopwatch
Championship contender Thierry Neuville lost time this morning with understeer.
"It was a little better but still not like I want," he says. "At the beginning of the stage the pacenotes were far to slow. We need to improve our times."
He's 1.8s slower than Hanninen but he isn't fighting him. He's 2.3s behind Tanak and 12.4s ahead of Ostberg. He currently sits sixth.
"It was a little better but still not like I want," he says. "At the beginning of the stage the pacenotes were far to slow. We need to improve our times."
He's 1.8s slower than Hanninen but he isn't fighting him. He's 2.3s behind Tanak and 12.4s ahead of Ostberg. He currently sits sixth.
Stopwatch
At the first split, Kris Meeke is the fastest man so far by 0.2s over Hanninen, the pace setter. GAME ON!
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Stopwatch
Hanninen is in and 5.5s quicker than Lappi.
In the grand scheme of things he's 6.3s behind Ostberg heading into this stage, so we await Ostberg to see how he got on.
He has grass on his splitter and reports the car is "nice" compared to yesterday. He's enjoying himself.
In the grand scheme of things he's 6.3s behind Ostberg heading into this stage, so we await Ostberg to see how he got on.
He has grass on his splitter and reports the car is "nice" compared to yesterday. He's enjoying himself.
Stopwatch
At the third split Hanninen is 1.3s ahead of current fastest man and team-mate Lappi.
Stopwatch
No mistakes for Lappi, he's through and takes ninth against Lefebvre. Lappi reported a clean stage.
By: Matt Beer
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