WRC Rally Finland
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SS25:
1 Tanak 4m48.6s (five points)
2 Evans +1.5s (four points)
3 Neuville +2s (three points)
4 Latvala +2.3s (two points)
5 Hanninen +2.7s (one point)
6 Lappi +4.2s
Overall after SS25:
1 Lappi 2h29m26.9s
2 Evans +36s
3 Hänninen +36.3s
4 Suninen +1m01.5s
5 Breen +1m22.6s
6 Neuville +1m33.1s
1 Tanak 4m48.6s (five points)
2 Evans +1.5s (four points)
3 Neuville +2s (three points)
4 Latvala +2.3s (two points)
5 Hanninen +2.7s (one point)
6 Lappi +4.2s
Overall after SS25:
1 Lappi 2h29m26.9s
2 Evans +36s
3 Hänninen +36.3s
4 Suninen +1m01.5s
5 Breen +1m22.6s
6 Neuville +1m33.1s
He's the reigning WRC2 champion, 2014 European champion. Can he win his first rally, his home event and the most coveted rally of them all?
Leader Esapekka Lappi is into the stage. Can he win on just his fourth WRC event?
Next up is Kris Meeke, starting this stage in seventh. What a difference a year makes for last year's dominant winner.
Stopwatch
Is that an i20 or a Ford Escort Mk2 Dani Sordo is driving? Talk about steer from the rear!
He completes, 5.2s slower than Latvala. That's good enough for third so far.
He completes, 5.2s slower than Latvala. That's good enough for third so far.
Latvala is underway.
He had an ECU issue in Ouninpohja yesterday which took him out of the lead. We're surprised Toyota managed to repair the steering wheel for today, after how hard Latvala hit it.
He had an ECU issue in Ouninpohja yesterday which took him out of the lead. We're surprised Toyota managed to repair the steering wheel for today, after how hard Latvala hit it.
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There's a strange whiny noise coming from inside the Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC of Paddon, but it doesn't appear to be slowing him.
He completes in 5m01.1s. That's the end of Rally Finland for Paddon. He had suspension problems on Friday and Saturday. He's had a moment in there too.
"It was in slow motion," says Paddon. "It was a slow third gear corner and the car just wouldn't turn. It illustrates what's wrong with the car. I'm sure in a few years we'll look back and laugh at this year, but right now it's not funny."
He completes in 5m01.1s. That's the end of Rally Finland for Paddon. He had suspension problems on Friday and Saturday. He's had a moment in there too.
"It was in slow motion," says Paddon. "It was a slow third gear corner and the car just wouldn't turn. It illustrates what's wrong with the car. I'm sure in a few years we'll look back and laugh at this year, but right now it's not funny."
The onboards show the sheer speed the drivers are taking in these 2017 cars. Close battles, dramatic looking cars and speed is the order of this year's World Rally Championship.
Green flag
Paddon is underway
SS24
1 Hanninen 3m08.3s
= Latvala
3 Tanak +0.5s
4 Paddon +0.8s
5 Evans +1.1s
6 Neuville +3.1s
Overall after SS24:
1 Lappi 2h24m34.1s
2 Hanninen +37.8s
3 Evans +38.7s
4 Suninen +54.4s
5 Breen +1m17.1s
6 Neuville +1m35.3s
1 Hanninen 3m08.3s
= Latvala
3 Tanak +0.5s
4 Paddon +0.8s
5 Evans +1.1s
6 Neuville +3.1s
Overall after SS24:
1 Lappi 2h24m34.1s
2 Hanninen +37.8s
3 Evans +38.7s
4 Suninen +54.4s
5 Breen +1m17.1s
6 Neuville +1m35.3s
Neuville says he won't go all out for powerstage points. Do you believe him though...?
Stopwatch
Neuville is next in and 2.6s slower than Tanak. That's fine, Neuville holds sixth, just ahead of Tanak, but the gap is 22.5s with one stage to go.
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Tanak is in and quickest, 2.8s quicker than Ostberg.
"I had a bit more feeling and a really good run," says Tanak.
He'll have his eyes on powestage points. His team-mate Sebastien Ogier will be watching in service hoping Tanak takes powerstage points away from Neuville!
"I had a bit more feeling and a really good run," says Tanak.
He'll have his eyes on powestage points. His team-mate Sebastien Ogier will be watching in service hoping Tanak takes powerstage points away from Neuville!
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Meeke was 3.8s slower than Ostberg and describes this as "one of the toughest weekends I've had in a rally car".
His return to the WRC has not been glorious.
His return to the WRC has not been glorious.
Autosport
That's it for today's Rally Finland action, and, unlike you, Esapekka Lappi will wish it was already over.
Rejoin us at 945hrs for the concluding loop of the event. Can Lappi hold on for a fairytale home win?
Rejoin us at 945hrs for the concluding loop of the event. Can Lappi hold on for a fairytale home win?
David Evans
There’s a huge focus on a chap named Makinen during this week’s Rally Finland – but the other one (Timo not Tommi) hasn’t been forgotten either.
The original Flying Finn died in May this year, but was well remembered with a display of three of his most famous cars in the headquarters building in Jyvaskyla.
Breen will be next through, and his splits are decent compared to his pursuer Neuville's. He might lose a second or two but it doesn't look too alarming.
Meanwhile Suninen is fastest of all at split one - well on course to build his advantage over Hanninen and Evans in the fight for second.
Hanninen is only fourth fastest, the gap over Evans is down to just 1.3s!
Stopwatch
Evans arrives with the fastest time so far, and he's extremely perky. This afternoon's events have brought him into the podium hunt, just 6s behind Hanninen.
He took another second off Hanninen at the first split, but the Toyota is eight tenths quicker than the DMACK Ford at split two.
He took another second off Hanninen at the first split, but the Toyota is eight tenths quicker than the DMACK Ford at split two.
Crash
He's only lost one place with that, to Tanak, as there was still enough of a gap over Sordo, but Meeke has a front right puncture.
Crash
Trouble for Meeke! He's lost a nearly a minute in the final part of the stage.
Stopwatch
Al-Qassimi, Sordo and Tanak are all under way, with the usual pattern of the day in that Tanak is fastest by a good few seconds.
Sordo's mission is to stop Ostberg getting too close to his ninth place, Tanak's is to grab seventh from Meeke (there's just 4s in that now).
Sordo's mission is to stop Ostberg getting too close to his ninth place, Tanak's is to grab seventh from Meeke (there's just 4s in that now).
David Evans
Suninen's boss isn't here to see him begin this stage in second place. It’s not often that you see Bentley team kit and a Blancpain series permanent pass being worn in the World Rally Championship service area. Happened today though. M-Sport managing director Malcolm Wilson saw first service in Jyvaskyla before hopping onto a Belgium-bound plane and the Spa 24 Hours for the remainder of the weekend.
Meeke is in and he's lost 7s to Tanak. That means the gap down to 4.5s - fair chance seventh place will change hands before today is done at that pace.
Right, we're back in business, with plenty still to fight for even after Latvala's exit. There's still a huge podium battle and a championship contender starting to find some pace at last.
Information
SS19 summary:
* Latvala's Toyota breaks down and he loses the rally lead
* Lappi is handed a 54s lead!!
* Hanninen edges away from Suninen again in what's now second
* Neuville finds some pace and closes to within 16s of Breen
* Latvala's Toyota breaks down and he loses the rally lead
* Lappi is handed a 54s lead!!
* Hanninen edges away from Suninen again in what's now second
* Neuville finds some pace and closes to within 16s of Breen
Information
SS19 RESULTS
Leading stage times:
1 Lappi 10m49.8s
2 Hanninen +2.8s
3 Neuville +5.5s
4 Meeke +6.4s
5 Suninen +6.7s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Lappi
2 Hanninen +54.1s
3 Suninen +58.4s
4 Evans +1m04.6s
5 Breen +1m16.5s
6 Neuville +1m32.8s
7 Meeke +2m02.7s
8 Tanak +2m14.2s
9 Sordo +3m40.3s
10 Ostberg +4m23.8s
Leading stage times:
1 Lappi 10m49.8s
2 Hanninen +2.8s
3 Neuville +5.5s
4 Meeke +6.4s
5 Suninen +6.7s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Lappi
2 Hanninen +54.1s
3 Suninen +58.4s
4 Evans +1m04.6s
5 Breen +1m16.5s
6 Neuville +1m32.8s
7 Meeke +2m02.7s
8 Tanak +2m14.2s
9 Sordo +3m40.3s
10 Ostberg +4m23.8s
At the first split, Suninen is 0.2s slower than Hanninen.
Stopwatch
Hanninen fastest again at split three. Suninen has just started the stage so we'll soon see how they compare.
Next through is Ostberg, only fifth fastest but that gains his 9.9s in his pursuit of 10th-placed Sordo as he tries to recover after his mistake this morning.
On the early splits, Meeke isn't faring too badly compared to his pursuer Tanak - losing just six tenths to the Fiesta. They're currently 10.7s apart in eighth and ninth.
It did look like Tanak made a bit of a mistake later on the stage too, though you wouldn't know it from his margin over the off-the-pace Sordo.
It did look like Tanak made a bit of a mistake later on the stage too, though you wouldn't know it from his margin over the off-the-pace Sordo.
Information
Here's how they all stand:
1 Latvala
2 Lappi +8.5s
3 Hanninen +59.8s
4 Suninen +1m00.2s
5 Evans +1m05.9s
6 Breen +1m15.6s
7 Neuville +1m35.6s
8 Meeke +2m04.8s
9 Tanak +2m15.5s
10 Sordo +3m24.5s
11 Ostberg +4m17.7s
1 Latvala
2 Lappi +8.5s
3 Hanninen +59.8s
4 Suninen +1m00.2s
5 Evans +1m05.9s
6 Breen +1m15.6s
7 Neuville +1m35.6s
8 Meeke +2m04.8s
9 Tanak +2m15.5s
10 Sordo +3m24.5s
11 Ostberg +4m17.7s
Toyota stills fills the top three but that might not last long. After his error this morning, M-Sport's superstar rookie Suninen is back to within 0.4s of Hanninen's third place and very confident he'll soon be ahead.
We've already had the very short Saalahti stage since service, and on that one Latvala added another 0.7s to his lead over Toyota team-mate Lappi.
That leaves Lappi 8.5s behind, and even though he's still second in his home rally and was still second quickest to his massively more experienced team-mate Latvala on the stage, Lappi was baffled and frustrated at the end of the stage.
Don't be too hard on yourself, Esapekka, you're having a brilliant weekend.
But, from a spectacle point of view, we won't be too sad if you start charging back at Latvala this afternoon.
That leaves Lappi 8.5s behind, and even though he's still second in his home rally and was still second quickest to his massively more experienced team-mate Latvala on the stage, Lappi was baffled and frustrated at the end of the stage.
Don't be too hard on yourself, Esapekka, you're having a brilliant weekend.
But, from a spectacle point of view, we won't be too sad if you start charging back at Latvala this afternoon.
Well that's pretty emphatic.
Information
Your guide to the stage is 2009 Rally Finland winner Mikko Hirvonen.
SS19 Ouninpohja (15.14 miles)
There will be some extra butterflies in the stomach at the start of this stage. It must be amazing to drive 'Ouni' in these new cars.
This stage is a legend for rally fans and almost every bend has a story to tell. The cars have developed so much that you only have to lift off for a couple of jumps in this stage – and that's only because bend follows!
For the first five kilometres there's always something going on in the stage and not far after you accelerate towards the famous yellow house jump. You'll fly far for sure, but a more challenging place for the drivers is, in fact, the left-hander at the end of a straight,where you are going over two crests and throwing the car sideways.
From Mutanen to Kakaristo, you go flat out!
Driving this stage is the best thing you can do in a rally car.
SS19 Ouninpohja (15.14 miles)
There will be some extra butterflies in the stomach at the start of this stage. It must be amazing to drive 'Ouni' in these new cars.
This stage is a legend for rally fans and almost every bend has a story to tell. The cars have developed so much that you only have to lift off for a couple of jumps in this stage – and that's only because bend follows!
For the first five kilometres there's always something going on in the stage and not far after you accelerate towards the famous yellow house jump. You'll fly far for sure, but a more challenging place for the drivers is, in fact, the left-hander at the end of a straight,where you are going over two crests and throwing the car sideways.
From Mutanen to Kakaristo, you go flat out!
Driving this stage is the best thing you can do in a rally car.
Welcome back to Autosport Live's Rally Finland coverage, where we're about to begin the second run at the World Rally Championship's most famous stage - the super-fast, high-jumping road of Ouninpohja.
Stopwatch
Lappi is 0.5s slower than Latvala and that means the lead gap for Latvala is 7.8s heading into the afternoon.
Stopwatch
Suninen is in and is quicker than Hanninen, but it's not enough to catapult him back onto the podium. He's 1.4s off the podium now.
Suninen is also 5s ahead of Evans and 15s ahead of Breen. What a battle we have, a fight for every position in the top 10, give or take.
Suninen is also 5s ahead of Evans and 15s ahead of Breen. What a battle we have, a fight for every position in the top 10, give or take.
By: Matt Beer
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