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Sordo was also up on Neuville at the final split, and completes two seconds up on Neuville at the end of the stage. That's how you do it, Tanak.
Stopwatch
Tanak was over six seconds up at the last split, but completes 1.3s slower than Neuville. Tanak had been eighth overall starting the stage.
He doesn't know why he lost time in the last split. Are those softs he has on losing grip or overheating?
He doesn't know why he lost time in the last split. Are those softs he has on losing grip or overheating?
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Latvala is 7.8s down on Neuville, which is surprising given the drivers going quicker further down the order.
"I don't know what I did wrong," says Latvala, before explaining what went wrong. "Obviously I'm not driving very well. I was saving the tyres too much I think."
That's likely to drop him down the order a fair bit unless he can extract some extra grip from those tyres later in the morning.
"I don't know what I did wrong," says Latvala, before explaining what went wrong. "Obviously I'm not driving very well. I was saving the tyres too much I think."
That's likely to drop him down the order a fair bit unless he can extract some extra grip from those tyres later in the morning.
Stopwatch
At the second split, Tanak is over six seconds quicker than Neuville. The road is clearly still cleaning at a rapid rate for the drivers further down the order.
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Neuville completes and he's 4.7s up on Ogier, quickest of the two so far.
"I tried to push very hard, hopefully it's enough," he says. "I pushed to the maximum in this one. We're trying to get a gap to Ogier."
"I tried to push very hard, hopefully it's enough," he says. "I pushed to the maximum in this one. We're trying to get a gap to Ogier."
Stopwatch
Tanak is 2.6s quicker than Neuville and 4s up on Ogier at split one.
The Estonian is another driver who has taken six soft tyres for the loop, which could wear towards the end of the loop.
The Estonian is another driver who has taken six soft tyres for the loop, which could wear towards the end of the loop.
Stopwatch
Ogier completes the stage in 11m57.9s. He started the test in 11th, can he claw anything back on this one?
Stopwatch
At the second split, Neuville continues to take time out of Ogier, now 2.9s up on the Frenchman.
At the first split, Latvala is 2.6s down on Neuville and 1.4s down on Neuville. Is that a Latvala-related struggle for pace, or is the road sweeping having less of an impact on this stage? The next couple of cars should provide an answer.
At the first split, Latvala is 2.6s down on Neuville and 1.4s down on Neuville. Is that a Latvala-related struggle for pace, or is the road sweeping having less of an impact on this stage? The next couple of cars should provide an answer.
Stopwatch
At the first split, Thierry Neuville is 1.4s up on Sebastien Ogier.
It's incredible that these two titans of the discipline are fighting for 10th thanks to their road position!
It's incredible that these two titans of the discipline are fighting for 10th thanks to their road position!
Information
While we wait for relative split times, Autosport's Rallies Editor David Evans describes this test:
SS4/8 Tula (9.32 miles)
"This is a bit of a funny stage. The first section is the climbing mountain road, but when you come out at the top you are up around the windmills and then suddenly there’s a lot of junctions.
"In the top part of the stage, it’s a little bit Mickey Mouse with so many twists and turns and junctions. But then coming down the other side it’s quicker, but it’s very narrow and very slippery.
"The final corner is on the asphalt, but the asphalt is always being covered with gravel – this is where Hayden Paddon went off last year."
SS4/8 Tula (9.32 miles)
"This is a bit of a funny stage. The first section is the climbing mountain road, but when you come out at the top you are up around the windmills and then suddenly there’s a lot of junctions.
"In the top part of the stage, it’s a little bit Mickey Mouse with so many twists and turns and junctions. But then coming down the other side it’s quicker, but it’s very narrow and very slippery.
"The final corner is on the asphalt, but the asphalt is always being covered with gravel – this is where Hayden Paddon went off last year."
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Crash
Craig Breen has officially retired from Rally Italy on the road section to SS4, with some sort of engine/oil related issue diagnosed at the end of the previous stage.
Green flag
Seb Ogier has started the stage.
Information
Here’s the tyre selections for the frontrunners:
Six softs: Tanak, Evans
Five softs: Ogier
Three softs, two hards: Neuville, Sordo, Mikkelsen, Latvala, Hanninen, Lappi
Three hards, two softs: Meeke, Breen, Paddon
Four hards, two softs: Ostberg
Six softs: Tanak, Evans
Five softs: Ogier
Three softs, two hards: Neuville, Sordo, Mikkelsen, Latvala, Hanninen, Lappi
Three hards, two softs: Meeke, Breen, Paddon
Four hards, two softs: Ostberg
Just a couple of minutes before SS4 'Tula' is underway. Lets take a quick look at tyres.
They could well play a major role in the next couple of stages. A few of the drivers have taken a majority of soft tyres, which could wear and go off towards the end of the loop.
However, Ogier and Evans particularly could benefit from running the softs, for different reasons.
Ogier is notoriously brilliant at looking after his tyres, plus he’s got less wear running first on the road. So he may have softs in good nick for the end of the loop.
Evans could benefit, as his DMACK softs are harder than the Michelin soft. That makes them slightly more durable, which could also mean that Evans has more grip towards the end of the loop when the other drivers' tyres have worn out.
They could well play a major role in the next couple of stages. A few of the drivers have taken a majority of soft tyres, which could wear and go off towards the end of the loop.
However, Ogier and Evans particularly could benefit from running the softs, for different reasons.
Ogier is notoriously brilliant at looking after his tyres, plus he’s got less wear running first on the road. So he may have softs in good nick for the end of the loop.
Evans could benefit, as his DMACK softs are harder than the Michelin soft. That makes them slightly more durable, which could also mean that Evans has more grip towards the end of the loop when the other drivers' tyres have worn out.
David Evans
Road sweeper Sebastien Ogier wallows well down the order in 11th, while second on the road – Thierry Neuville – is one spot ahead in 10th.
What’s clear is that road order is having a massive effect on this rally.
Autosport's David Evans and WRC Live’s Colin Clark have taken a look at just how much running first on the road affects the frontrunners on this rally in this video.
What’s clear is that road order is having a massive effect on this rally.
Autosport's David Evans and WRC Live’s Colin Clark have taken a look at just how much running first on the road affects the frontrunners on this rally in this video.
Information
Here's a quick rundown of the stage times, plus a monster overall order of the 11 2017 cars running to give you a good overview of the order:
SS2
1 Hanninen 13m25.8s
2 Meeke +3.2
3 Ostberg +4.6
4 Paddon +6.9
5 Latvala +10.3
6 Breen +13.1
SS3
1 Meeke 10m14.1s
2 Hanninen +0.5s
3 Paddon +0.8s
4 Ostberg +3.7s
5 Breen +5.2s
6 Lappi +6.1s
Overall after SS3
1 Hänninen
2 Meeke +0.2
3 Paddon +4.4
4 Ostberg +5.1
5 Breen +15.7
6 Latvala +18.4
7 Sordo +18.6
8 Tanak +19.3s
9 Evans +21.3s
10 Neuvlle +24.5s
11 Ogier +29.3s
12 Lappi +29.7s
13 Mikkelsen +31.8s
SS2
1 Hanninen 13m25.8s
2 Meeke +3.2
3 Ostberg +4.6
4 Paddon +6.9
5 Latvala +10.3
6 Breen +13.1
SS3
1 Meeke 10m14.1s
2 Hanninen +0.5s
3 Paddon +0.8s
4 Ostberg +3.7s
5 Breen +5.2s
6 Lappi +6.1s
Overall after SS3
1 Hänninen
2 Meeke +0.2
3 Paddon +4.4
4 Ostberg +5.1
5 Breen +15.7
6 Latvala +18.4
7 Sordo +18.6
8 Tanak +19.3s
9 Evans +21.3s
10 Neuvlle +24.5s
11 Ogier +29.3s
12 Lappi +29.7s
13 Mikkelsen +31.8s
We’ve had two stages this morning, and we’ve got a surprise leader.
Toyota man Juho Hanninen pulled out a brilliant stage win on the second stage of the morning, Monte Olia, and leads the rally by 0.2s over Kris Meeke.
The top four are split by 5.1s after SS3, and fifth placed man Craig Breen could struggle to make SS4. He was dropping oil and dispersing blue smoke at the end of the last stage.
Toyota man Juho Hanninen pulled out a brilliant stage win on the second stage of the morning, Monte Olia, and leads the rally by 0.2s over Kris Meeke.
The top four are split by 5.1s after SS3, and fifth placed man Craig Breen could struggle to make SS4. He was dropping oil and dispersing blue smoke at the end of the last stage.
Autosport
Hello, good morning, and welcome to Autosport Live's coverage of Rally Italy. The action is already underway and we're ready to bring you the action from the remainder of the morning and for the rest of the weekend.
By: Matt Beer
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