WRC Rally Finland
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"The throttle pedal was sticking and we had a few other issues, otherwise it's been pretty good," says Evans.
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Evans is also in, and he's second-fastest of the WRC2 contingent, 1.2s slower on Tidemand.
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Tidemand grabs some brownie points behind, as he matches Paddon and Mikkelsen's pace. He's now 11.1s behind Suninen - that's a place up for grabs tomorrow.
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WRC2 rivals Lappi and Suninen are now in, with the former 0.1s faster at the finish.
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Ostberg completes the stage and is third-fastest, 8.2s slower than Latvala.
"It was a good stage. I pushed a lot," he says. "Not perfect in every corner, but it's not to easy when it's a bit slippery. My info was pretty much what we saw, but they can't tell me how the grip is and you have to just feel your way through it."
"It was a good stage. I pushed a lot," he says. "Not perfect in every corner, but it's not to easy when it's a bit slippery. My info was pretty much what we saw, but they can't tell me how the grip is and you have to just feel your way through it."
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Latvala's definitely pushing: "I gave a good push on the set-up, and had a really nice feeling. There was one place where I thought I could go faster and we just landed in the side of the ditch. That was the limit!
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Further back, Tanak is flying and fastest of all through the first split.
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Latvala comes through and completes the stage in a time of 10m36.6s - 7.9s faster than Paddon.
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"I don't know where the speed is at the moment," says Paddon. "I can't explain the time loss.
"80% of this is dry, and I've just toughened up the car for a wet stage."
"80% of this is dry, and I've just toughened up the car for a wet stage."
Behind Latvala, Ostberg, Neuville and Tanak are also in the stage.
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Paddon completes the stage and is 6s faster than Mikkelsen. Latvala looks as though he'll take about double that amount.
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Not much insight from Mikkelsen: "I tried pretty maximum, there's not much more I can do. Not much more to say.
"I will try as hard as I can, but if I go faster, I crash."
"I will try as hard as I can, but if I go faster, I crash."
Paddon behind is 5.1s up at the final split.
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Mikkelsen completes the stage in a time of 10m50.5s.
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But Latvala is quickest of all through the first split, by 1.4s on Paddon's time.
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Mikkelsen now through split number three in 7m58s. Less than five miles for him left now.
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Paddon is 3.4s up on Mikkelsen's first split time, with the Norwegian now through split number two in a time of 6m05.8s.
Tanak is through and is 0.6s slower than Ostberg, but stays right in the fight for third with that time. Thankfully for him that puncture on the previous stage hasn't slowed him down too much, but he's still despondent at the stage end.
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"I was very late on the brakes [at the last corner]," says Neuville. Not too much (audible, anyway) to learn from his comments, but he seems happy enough.
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Neuville is now through and second fastest on stage, 0.2s slower than Ostberg, which is enough to push him up to third overall.
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"I do enjoy long stages, but OK it's a bit of a different approach - you just have to set your mind before the stage that there is a grip level," says Ostberg. "Sometimes you are right and sometimes you are wrong."
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Ostberg now comes through with the fastest time so far, by 0.3s. That will put him right back in the hunt for third heading into the afternoon.
Cars are back at three minute intervals, so Ostberg will be the next man through and will finish the stage before Neuville starts it.
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"It's a nice stage. There were a couple of quite challenging bits," says Latvala, who's safely completed his morning running.
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Latvala now comes through and is 1.1s faster than Paddon on a well-used set of tyres.
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"The stage is difficult, and there's not as much loose gravel," says Paddon. "It's almost like tarmac in some places. I'm really looking forward to battle this afternoon, it's all even so I'm going to push like hell."
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Paddon comes through a second faster than Mikkelsen.
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"It's a bit better for cleaning," says Mikkelsen. "That should ease the pain a bit."
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Not long after he's started, Mikkelsen is through and completes the stage in a time of 2m05.2s.
Green flag
Mikkelsen has made a start, and SS16 is underway.
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An update from further down the field: Briton Osian Pryce did hold the lead of the DMACK Trophy class, but he had an accident on SS14 and, although he is OK, it's Max Vatanen - a name that needs no introduction - who leads the way in the all-Fiesta class.
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Here's a second stage preview of the morning, again from Seb Marshall as we prepare for SS16:
SS16 Saalahti 1 2.73 miles
This one’s really short – shorter than shakedown! But it’s a very good way of breaking up the road section back to Jyvaskyla. Having said it’s really short, it packs plenty in.
SS16 Saalahti 1 2.73 miles
This one’s really short – shorter than shakedown! But it’s a very good way of breaking up the road section back to Jyvaskyla. Having said it’s really short, it packs plenty in.
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So, WRC2-wise, it's very much as you were last night - in that, as we wait for stage times to be allocated, it's technically still Lappi leading by 42.5s from Teemu Suninen and Pontus Tidemand.
None of the field registered a time on SS13 - which is why there's a delay in the updated order - but it's pretty much as you were, with Suninen taking 5s out of Lappi on SS14 before his Finnish compatriot responded on SS15.
None of the field registered a time on SS13 - which is why there's a delay in the updated order - but it's pretty much as you were, with Suninen taking 5s out of Lappi on SS14 before his Finnish compatriot responded on SS15.
David Evans
This year’s rally headquarters museum centrepiece is Timo Makinen’s Escort RS1600 from the 1973 1000 Lakes. This was the car he used to win his fourth and final event – and the only one to be included in the world championship.
While most of the world seems to be on the go, hunting for rare, virtual creatures, DAVID EVANS has been out and about in the Jyvaskyla base search for similarly hard-to-find specimens...
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A bit over 10 minutes until the start of SS16 - the last of this morning's loop before a two hour break (give or take for any stoppages).
By: Matt Beer
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