WRC Rally Finland
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And Ostberg is in, a 4m29.3s time setting him 3.3s behind Latvala.
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"We did little changes in service and now I have a very good feeling," says Latvala.
Does he have designs on Ostberg's second place? Not exactly.
"To be able to catch Mads, I'm not able to do it with normal driving but you have to keep the pressure on, as you never know what can happen. That's rallying."
Does he have designs on Ostberg's second place? Not exactly.
"To be able to catch Mads, I'm not able to do it with normal driving but you have to keep the pressure on, as you never know what can happen. That's rallying."
Stopwatch
Here we go. Ott Tanak up 0.2s on Latvala. All aboard the Tanak train!
Stopwatch
Latvala's come back at Lappi in the final split, turning a 0.3s deficit into a 0.9s advantage by stage end. 4m26.0s at the finish line.
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"Much better than the first time around," says Paddon.
"The brakes are working perfectly now which helps with the confidence," he says, referencing an earlier issue from this morning which dented his confidence and cost him a few seconds.
"The brakes are working perfectly now which helps with the confidence," he says, referencing an earlier issue from this morning which dented his confidence and cost him a few seconds.
Not even Latvala has matched Lappi at the second split, and Ostberg is down by 0.1s at the first split. Interesting.
Paddon clocks a 4m27.9s. That puts him 1.0s off Lappi's pace.
Suninen says he had his attentions pinned squarely on catching Lappi but needs time to get used to his setup changes at service. Let's see if he can claim some of that back in the next stage.
And the last of three M-Sports arrives, Suninen setting a 4m29.2s. That puts him faster than both his team-mates but, crucially, drops a further 2.3s to Lappi.
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"First impression seems OK, I need to drive a bit more [to tell]," says Ogier of his set-up changes at midday service.
It's been a tough rally for Ogier and with Neuville in even deeper trouble, does this constitute a missed opportunity?
"I didn't miss anything. I do my best like every weekend and see how we finish," he retorts.
It's been a tough rally for Ogier and with Neuville in even deeper trouble, does this constitute a missed opportunity?
"I didn't miss anything. I do my best like every weekend and see how we finish," he retorts.
Speaking of Elfyn Evans' team-mates, Ogier pulls in with a 4m29.5s. That's 2.6s off Lappi yet still second fastest at this point.
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Evans is currently behind both his team-mates, albeit not by much. A push could put him in contention to pick off places from both Ogier and perhaps even Suninen. What can he do?
"I just have to keep going, lets see what happens," after lots of uh-ing and ah-ing, contemplating his answer carefully.
"I just have to keep going, lets see what happens," after lots of uh-ing and ah-ing, contemplating his answer carefully.
Evans meanwhile can't keep pace with the Toyotas, punching in a 4m30.1s. That's still second fastest so far, though.
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"I really hope this is better because the drivers behind I shouldn't really concentrate on," Lappi says when asked of the trio of M-Sport drivers he passed this morning.
"I could have gone faster but the risk is quite high, so I'm satisfied," he concludes.
"I could have gone faster but the risk is quite high, so I'm satisfied," he concludes.
Now it's Lappi's turn to go fastest, setting a 4m26.9s.
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A mildly shocked Breen points out one somewhat sore moment from that stage.
"Just quite a big jump. First time I went over it I hesitated at the top and braked, but we went flying this time. I cracked my skull on the roof!"
He didn't literally crack his skull, thankfully, just a bit of a bump on the bonce. He appears to be fine.
"Just quite a big jump. First time I went over it I hesitated at the top and braked, but we went flying this time. I cracked my skull on the roof!"
He didn't literally crack his skull, thankfully, just a bit of a bump on the bonce. He appears to be fine.
Breen's now nabbed fastest time, setting a 4m30.8s
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Neuville is asked why the Hyundai doesn't seem to work well on Finland's fast, flowing gravel roads. He sidesteps the question entirely.
"When it's grip like now in the second pass its much better. We made some small changes but at least we tried."
"When it's grip like now in the second pass its much better. We made some small changes but at least we tried."
Neuville turns in a 4m31.0s here, 3.7s up on his team-mate Mikkelsen.
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"It's much better now, much more enjoyable. There's still cleaning on the second pass but at least it's better now, there was no grip at all this morning," explains Mikkelsen. That time comparison mentioned before backs him up.
Mikkelsen puts in a 4m34.7s. That's nearly seven seconds faster than his time through here this morning.
Thierry Neuville has also set off. He's 1.3s up on Mikkelsen at the first split.
Green flag
Mikkelsen kicks off the afternoon loop, heading into stage number 16.
Information
As Mikkelsen gets ready to begin, here's a reminder of what to expect from this stage, courtesy of Seb Marshall, co-driver to Hyundai's Hayden Paddon.
SS16 Tuohikotanen (5.56 miles)
This one mixes sections of the Leustu and Horkka stages. It’s generally a similar width throughout with the exception of one shorter section on a wide road. There are quite lot of corners over jumps in here. They’re not big jumps but they tend to pitch the car at a funny angles. A good stage.
SS16 Tuohikotanen (5.56 miles)
This one mixes sections of the Leustu and Horkka stages. It’s generally a similar width throughout with the exception of one shorter section on a wide road. There are quite lot of corners over jumps in here. They’re not big jumps but they tend to pitch the car at a funny angles. A good stage.
David Evans
Rally Finland totally takes over Jyvaskyla, bringing a wide-range of activities to the city centre. Year after year, folk come back to the wobbly ladder. There’s €100 on offer if you can, step-by-step make it to the top and touch the note at the top. Nobody can. As the evening wears on, spectating here is almost as popular as Ouninpohja's yellow house jump (except not this year, shockingly there’s no yellow house action today).
Many rally fans attempt to climb the wobbly ladder each year. No-one ever succeeds.
If you're in Jyvaskyla and not sure what to do once this loop ends, DAVID EVANS has a suggestion, giving context to our next image.
Information
First, let's talk tyres. Everyone has snubbed the softs in favour of a full compliment of medium compound tyres. Our leading pair Tanak and Ostberg have taken two spares - as has Craig Breen - but everyone else has departed service with just a single back-up.
There were no punctures for our eleven WRC runners this morning, though with Tanak's speed it won't really hurt to be cautious.
There were no punctures for our eleven WRC runners this morning, though with Tanak's speed it won't really hurt to be cautious.
Yes, that's right, the same stage which ended our morning loop kicks off the afternoon loop. It's an unusual order to accommodate the local "Vetomies" contest that runs on our later Paijala and Pihlajakoski stages.
Hello again everyone! Not long now until this afternoon's opening stage, a re-run of Tuohikotanen kicks off.
Autosport
Here's a recap of all the morning's action. We'll be back at 12:45 BST once crews have finished their midday service with the same stage we've just completed, Tuohikotanen. See you then! 
And just to keep an eye on our potential future WRC drivers in the support WRC2 category, it's business as usual out front for Rovanpera. He's gone fastest despite that near-off mentioned earlier, and his gap just keeps edging up bit by bit.
Ole Christian Veiby meanwhile has made up 2.2s in his battle to catch Hyundai junior driver Jari Huttunen for third place.
M-Sport driver Gus Greensmith is still on track for a top five finish as it stands despite his earlier car issues.
Overall WRC2 classification after SS15 Tuohikotanen
1. Rovanpera 1h44m34.9s
2. Pietarinen +51.4s
3. Huttunen +1m26.4s
4. Veiby +1m28.0s
5. Greensmith +2m49.1s
Ole Christian Veiby meanwhile has made up 2.2s in his battle to catch Hyundai junior driver Jari Huttunen for third place.
M-Sport driver Gus Greensmith is still on track for a top five finish as it stands despite his earlier car issues.
Overall WRC2 classification after SS15 Tuohikotanen
1. Rovanpera 1h44m34.9s
2. Pietarinen +51.4s
3. Huttunen +1m26.4s
4. Veiby +1m28.0s
5. Greensmith +2m49.1s
Information
One change in the overall classification despite the short distance of that stage. Lappi has caught and passed the last M-Sport of Suninen for fifth place. Everyone else stays put, for now at least.
That's quite a miracle, given Ogier and Evans have spent all day separated by only a few seconds yet in their current order throughout this morning.
Overall classification after SS15 Tuohikotanen
1. Tanak 1h38m54.0s
2. Ostberg +23.7s
3. Latvala +44.6s
4. Paddon +1m16.5s
5. Lappi +1m30.1s
6. Suninen +1m33.8s
7. Ogier +1m52.7s
8. Evans +1m54.6s
9. Breen +2m24.8s
10. Neuville +3m09.2s
That's quite a miracle, given Ogier and Evans have spent all day separated by only a few seconds yet in their current order throughout this morning.
Overall classification after SS15 Tuohikotanen
1. Tanak 1h38m54.0s
2. Ostberg +23.7s
3. Latvala +44.6s
4. Paddon +1m16.5s
5. Lappi +1m30.1s
6. Suninen +1m33.8s
7. Ogier +1m52.7s
8. Evans +1m54.6s
9. Breen +2m24.8s
10. Neuville +3m09.2s
Information
Right, a quick reminder of those top 10 stage times. We've got a time for Ogier now - he's lost 0.3s to team-mate Evans in their battle over seventh place.
SS15 Tuohikotanen
1. Tanak 4m31.5s
2. Latvala +0.6s
3. Ostberg +1.0s
4. Lappi +1.4s
5. Breen +2.6s
6. Evans +4.6s
7. Ogier +4.9s
8. Paddon +5.0s
9. Suninen +6.4s
10. Neuville +7.8s
SS15 Tuohikotanen
1. Tanak 4m31.5s
2. Latvala +0.6s
3. Ostberg +1.0s
4. Lappi +1.4s
5. Breen +2.6s
6. Evans +4.6s
7. Ogier +4.9s
8. Paddon +5.0s
9. Suninen +6.4s
10. Neuville +7.8s
Kalle Rovanpera looks like the happiest kid in Finland right now. And why wouldn't he be? He's leading the WRC2 support category on his home event, on his Rally Finland debut no less.
He nearly spun off in the final metres of this stage but just clung on to his Skoda Fabia. Everything's going right for him at the moment, with a 49.4s lead before this stage.
He nearly spun off in the final metres of this stage but just clung on to his Skoda Fabia. Everything's going right for him at the moment, with a 49.4s lead before this stage.
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With Ogier and Neuville struggling while Tanak streaks away, is the Estonian thinking a late title charge could be on the cards here?
"We are thinking about rallies now, not about the championship," he retorts.
"We are thinking about rallies now, not about the championship," he retorts.
Checkered flag
It's four for four this morning. Ott Tanak wins stage 15. That 4m31.5s puts him 0.6s faster than Latvala and 1.0s up on Ostberg.
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"I have one mistake in my notes from the recce and I'm annoyed I didn't spot that. I lost maybe one second," explains Ostberg.
That might explain his late drop-off in place relative to Latvala.
That might explain his late drop-off in place relative to Latvala.
Ostberg has capitulated in the latter part of that stage. He comes in 0.4s slower than Latvala.
Stopwatch
Ostberg is 0.2s up and Tanak 0.9s up on Latvala's time at first split though! That might have been a tad optimistic from Jari-Matti.
By: Matt Beer
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