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Mixed Brit splits: Meeke fastest at first split -1.9s but Evans is +35.5s just over halfway through.
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Tanak's afternoon has ended as it started: "Not so good. We had an impact on the car and I lost the brakes for five kilometres, this was quite strange. I knew this one would be tough and it was."
The drivers can scroll through differential maps, using a dial on the steering wheel. They usually get confirmation of a new map on a screen - but if they turn the dial the wrong way they can soon lose themselves and there's not exactly time to check the screens.
Stopwatch
Tanak +3.5s to team-mate Ogier.
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Neuville is ready to explain away the three-second loss to Ogier, saying: "I took two spare wheels and then I changed the diff map in the stage and I got confused. I went out of the map. I wanted to go back to the initial map, but I couldn't do it."
Stopwatch
Neuville +3.0s to Ogier
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Ogier is delighted with his day, regardless of the times to come.
"It's only the last time counts," said Ogier after a reference to split times. "Whatever happens I can be happy with my day. I expected to lose more, but the main guy to watch is Thierry and I don't think we will be so much separated tonight. We will have the battle on Tarmac to the finish.
"I had to push hard on the Tarmac sections today - this was the only place [I could make time]."
"It's only the last time counts," said Ogier after a reference to split times. "Whatever happens I can be happy with my day. I expected to lose more, but the main guy to watch is Thierry and I don't think we will be so much separated tonight. We will have the battle on Tarmac to the finish.
"I had to push hard on the Tarmac sections today - this was the only place [I could make time]."
Stopwatch
Evans +12.7s at split 2
Ogier's through. He's out of the car and inspecting the tyres.
Sun
For those wondering... it's 27C in the stage. That's toasty.
Neuville has narrowed the gap at the penultimate split, he trails Ogier by 2.9s going into the final few miles of the day.
Looks like the Ogier effect could be happening in one of the champ's favourite stages of the season.
Terra Alta has always favoured a driver who can look after their tyres and tread that fine line between performance and durability. There's nobody better on this sort of road in these sort of conditions.
Terra Alta has always favoured a driver who can look after their tyres and tread that fine line between performance and durability. There's nobody better on this sort of road in these sort of conditions.
Stopwatch
Neuville +3.7s to Ogier at split 3.
Stopwatch
Sordo +1.6s to Ogier at split 1, SS6.
Crash
Latvala has retired from the day. He won't start SS6.
Stopwatch
Tanak -2.8s at split 2, SS6. Looks like he's found the feeling...
Crash
Latvala has not started SS6. He was due into the arrival control at 1628 and due to start the stage at 1637. He hasn't gone into the control and it's 1638 now.
Don't forget, his Yaris dropped a reasonable pool of oil at the end of SS5.
Don't forget, his Yaris dropped a reasonable pool of oil at the end of SS5.
Information
Here's a quick resume on SS4/5:
- Huge, all-Norwegian scrap rages at the front. Ostberg leads after SS4, Mikkelsen after SS5. They're split by just 0.7s.
- Fastest time in SS5 moves Meeke up to fourth ahead of Tanak, who is struggling to find the right set-up from his Fiesta WRC when the grip is high.
- The Toyotas have all had a tweak in service. Latvia's happier, Hannifin's not and Lappi's still struggling with the brakes aboard his Yaris WRC.
- Neuville's happier now he's sure he's on the right tyres. Running two spares makes the rear of his i20 Coupe WRC a little more wayward than he would have liked, but the flip side is that he's got two new Michelins for the long stage he's about to start.
- Talking of tyres, Evans is struggling - or to put it more pertinently, his new compound/construction DMACKs are struggling in the heat. He's still 10th.
After SS5
1 Mikkelsen 47m29.6s
2 Ostberg +0.7s
3 Ogier +9.2s
4 Meeke +10.0s
5 Tanak +10.6s
6 Sordo 11.0s
7 Latvala +16.6s
8 Neuville +17.6s
9 Hanninen +25.4s
10 Evans +41.8s
- Huge, all-Norwegian scrap rages at the front. Ostberg leads after SS4, Mikkelsen after SS5. They're split by just 0.7s.
- Fastest time in SS5 moves Meeke up to fourth ahead of Tanak, who is struggling to find the right set-up from his Fiesta WRC when the grip is high.
- The Toyotas have all had a tweak in service. Latvia's happier, Hannifin's not and Lappi's still struggling with the brakes aboard his Yaris WRC.
- Neuville's happier now he's sure he's on the right tyres. Running two spares makes the rear of his i20 Coupe WRC a little more wayward than he would have liked, but the flip side is that he's got two new Michelins for the long stage he's about to start.
- Talking of tyres, Evans is struggling - or to put it more pertinently, his new compound/construction DMACKs are struggling in the heat. He's still 10th.
After SS5
1 Mikkelsen 47m29.6s
2 Ostberg +0.7s
3 Ogier +9.2s
4 Meeke +10.0s
5 Tanak +10.6s
6 Sordo 11.0s
7 Latvala +16.6s
8 Neuville +17.6s
9 Hanninen +25.4s
10 Evans +41.8s
Stopwatch
Quick rewind to SS4 for WRC2: Suninen fastest -8.3 to Kopecky. The Finn's lead is now 1m13.3s over Tempestini.
Ogier through the first split in SS6. Neuville also into the stage.
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Mads reports a step forward in terms of the dust issue.
"The dust is better," he said. "But there's also less dust on the road. For sure it helps. It's OK now, I can see now and we are trying to go as fast as possible. It's a close fight. I did a few mistakes in there you need be on the limit and sometimes we were a little bit over."
"The dust is better," he said. "But there's also less dust on the road. For sure it helps. It's OK now, I can see now and we are trying to go as fast as possible. It's a close fight. I did a few mistakes in there you need be on the limit and sometimes we were a little bit over."
Terra Alta second time through is go. Ogier's two minutes into the long one.
Stopwatch
No. He's +1.0s to Andreas.
Now, what can Ostberg do? Can he retake the lead?
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Fourth fastest for Lefebvre surprises Citroen's Frenchman.
"Really?" he questioned. "It was a good stage. Kris was good, but it's easy to destroy the tyre before the long stage."
"Really?" he questioned. "It was a good stage. Kris was good, but it's easy to destroy the tyre before the long stage."
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Meeke was 10th on the first stage of the afternoon, but sits fastest so far in SS5. What gives?
"In the last junction [in stage four] we caught a lip on the Tarmac," he explained. "We had to reverse back, then forward, back. We lost five or six seconds and when it's so close you can't afford to do that - but we did so that's it. Looking forward now, there's a big, big stage coming up."
Meeke sounds back on form - and he feels it.
"It feels a bit like Mexico on these roads," he said. "It's good."
"In the last junction [in stage four] we caught a lip on the Tarmac," he explained. "We had to reverse back, then forward, back. We lost five or six seconds and when it's so close you can't afford to do that - but we did so that's it. Looking forward now, there's a big, big stage coming up."
Meeke sounds back on form - and he feels it.
"It feels a bit like Mexico on these roads," he said. "It's good."
Stopwatch
Meeke goes fastest on the stage by 0.8s.
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Mikkelsen's fallen in love with his Hyundai, but is he quick enough to lead again?
"I don't know," he said. "But the car's improving and I'm really enjoying it. I know I will like this car. It can only get better from here - I'm very happy now! Tomorrow and the asphalt will be very tricky, we start learning again, but first let's deal with the long one."
"I don't know," he said. "But the car's improving and I'm really enjoying it. I know I will like this car. It can only get better from here - I'm very happy now! Tomorrow and the asphalt will be very tricky, we start learning again, but first let's deal with the long one."
Has Mikkelsen done enough to re-take the lead? We'll have to wait until Ostberg comes in - he starts the stages in four minutes.
Stopwatch
Mikkelsen goes fastest by 0.5s from team-mate Sordo.
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Lappi's still having brake issues: "There were too many mistakes from me and the brakes are not right."
Asked how he would cope with the 24 miles of Terra Alta, he replied: "It's impossible."
Asked how he would cope with the 24 miles of Terra Alta, he replied: "It's impossible."
Stopwatch
Lappi +3.0s at the finish of SS5
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Hanninen appears to have changed his mind. He now won't be trying to work on the car.
"Now," he said, "it's the time for the driving, no changes - we just keep going like this."
In all honesty, there wouldn't be too much for working on differential changes - or event suspension clicks - between these stages, so tight are the liaison sections.
"Now," he said, "it's the time for the driving, no changes - we just keep going like this."
In all honesty, there wouldn't be too much for working on differential changes - or event suspension clicks - between these stages, so tight are the liaison sections.
Stopwatch
Hanninen +1.7s to Sordo.
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Evans said DMACK's all-new gravel tyre wasn't quite in its comfort zone. "It felt a bit better than before but the tyre is still moving about. The weather's a bit too hot for this new tyre, it's about getting through today for us."
Stopwatch
Evans +3.7s to Sordo in SS5.
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A smiling Sordo said: "The balance of the car is good. I'm happy."
Stopwatch
Sordo quickest through SS5 so far -0.8s to Neuville.
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After wrestling with his HANS device, Latvala said: "I lost time at the start of the stage, the first two or three corners were not so good."
Latvala is reportedly losing oil (or his Yaris is) – he sounded distracted at the stage end as well.
Latvala is reportedly losing oil (or his Yaris is) – he sounded distracted at the stage end as well.
Stopwatch
Overall after SS4: 1 Ostberg 43m30.8s; 2 Mikkelsen +0.3s; 3 Ogier +6.4s; 4 Tanak +9.1s; 5 Sordo +10.8s; 6 Meeke +11.1s; 7 Latvala +14.2s; 8 Neuville +16.6s; 9 Hanninen +23.5s; 10 Evans +37.9s
By: Matt Beer
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