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We also need to keep an eye on Paddon and his potential broken damper, and Neuville and him only having one spare for this loop.
Going into this stage, the main and initial focus will be on the fight for third:
3 Ostberg
4 Neuville +2.1s
= Tanak +2.1s
6 Latvala +4.4s
That's 4.4s separating third-sixth. Excellent stuff.
3 Ostberg
4 Neuville +2.1s
= Tanak +2.1s
6 Latvala +4.4s
That's 4.4s separating third-sixth. Excellent stuff.
David Evans
So, 10 minutes until we get SS8 underway. Here's Jari-Matti Latvala to walk you through the stage.
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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David Evans
At the last service, David Evans chatted with Juho Hanninen to talk about his breakthrough in pace, and the remarkable Esapekka Lappi and his stage win without second gear:
Juho Hanninen has found more speed from the car following a suspension set-up change which came at the Sardinian test before last month’s Rally of Portugal.
“When we have low-grip, the damper is working better for me,” the friendliest of friendly Finns told Autosport. “There’s more grip and more feel, but it’s also giving more confidence, so it’s easier to go quicker. I’m happy with the way the morning has gone for us, it doesn’t feel like we have had to push too hard for this.”
Hanninen is just 4.3s behind leader Paddon. Perhaps even more impressive is Esapekka Lappi’s speed through the final stage of the loop – he was fastest with no second gear.
“It wasn’t so bad in there,” he said. “We didn’t need second gear so much, it’s a bit more flowing stage. I tried to drive neat and tidy and not to slide too much.
"It was a bit tricky in second-gear corners, I was trying to leave the car in third – it killed too much speed to go down to first, but sometimes it was a little bit on the edge.”
Juho Hanninen has found more speed from the car following a suspension set-up change which came at the Sardinian test before last month’s Rally of Portugal.
“When we have low-grip, the damper is working better for me,” the friendliest of friendly Finns told Autosport. “There’s more grip and more feel, but it’s also giving more confidence, so it’s easier to go quicker. I’m happy with the way the morning has gone for us, it doesn’t feel like we have had to push too hard for this.”
Hanninen is just 4.3s behind leader Paddon. Perhaps even more impressive is Esapekka Lappi’s speed through the final stage of the loop – he was fastest with no second gear.
“It wasn’t so bad in there,” he said. “We didn’t need second gear so much, it’s a bit more flowing stage. I tried to drive neat and tidy and not to slide too much.
"It was a bit tricky in second-gear corners, I was trying to leave the car in third – it killed too much speed to go down to first, but sometimes it was a little bit on the edge.”
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Information
Here's a quick round-up after those rapid fire stages:
- Hayden Paddon leads by 4.5s over Hanninen, but Paddon fears he may have broken a damper on the previous test
- Esapekka Lappi takes a third successive fastest stage time, although his morning gearbox issues mean he is eighth overall
- The battle for third is fierce. Mads Ostberg holds it currently, but Thierry Neuville and Ott Tanak are a tied 2.1s behind
- Neuville has one spare, had a puncture on SS7 and took a chunk out of the other rear wheel on the same stage. He'll need to avoid punctures for the final two stages
- Also realistically in that battle for third is Jari-Matti Latvala (in sixth!) just 4.4s behind Ostberg
- Sebastien Ogier lies seventh and is 45.1s off the lead after more road sweeping
- Hayden Paddon leads by 4.5s over Hanninen, but Paddon fears he may have broken a damper on the previous test
- Esapekka Lappi takes a third successive fastest stage time, although his morning gearbox issues mean he is eighth overall
- The battle for third is fierce. Mads Ostberg holds it currently, but Thierry Neuville and Ott Tanak are a tied 2.1s behind
- Neuville has one spare, had a puncture on SS7 and took a chunk out of the other rear wheel on the same stage. He'll need to avoid punctures for the final two stages
- Also realistically in that battle for third is Jari-Matti Latvala (in sixth!) just 4.4s behind Ostberg
- Sebastien Ogier lies seventh and is 45.1s off the lead after more road sweeping
Information
SS7
1 Lappi 13m04.9s
2 Latvala +1.3s
= Neuville +1.3s
4 Hänninen +2.9s
5 Paddon +4s
6 Tänak +6.7s
Overall after SS7:
1 Paddon 1h10m05.3s
2 Hanninen +4.5s
3 Ostberg +15.8s
4 Neuville +17.9s
= Tanak +17.9s
6 Latvala 20.2s
1 Lappi 13m04.9s
2 Latvala +1.3s
= Neuville +1.3s
4 Hänninen +2.9s
5 Paddon +4s
6 Tänak +6.7s
Overall after SS7:
1 Paddon 1h10m05.3s
2 Hanninen +4.5s
3 Ostberg +15.8s
4 Neuville +17.9s
= Tanak +17.9s
6 Latvala 20.2s
Quote
Lappi takes a hat-trick of stage times, a third in a row.
Five gears, six gears, doesn't really matter. Broken or fixed car, the Finn – in his second event in a WRC car – is driving the wheels off the Toyota Yaris.
"I've got the setup perfect now," says Lappi. "In the morning we had development dampers which weren't the best. We changed the setup completely now."
Five gears, six gears, doesn't really matter. Broken or fixed car, the Finn – in his second event in a WRC car – is driving the wheels off the Toyota Yaris.
"I've got the setup perfect now," says Lappi. "In the morning we had development dampers which weren't the best. We changed the setup completely now."
Stopwatch
We've spent so much time focusing on Tanak catching Ostberg, but Neuville's time has actually punched him into a tied fourth with the Estonian.
Tanak's gap to Ostberg reduced to 2.1s, but Neuville's rapid time ties him in being 2.1s off the podium too.
This is a fantastic drive from Neuville, helping to sweep the road in second.
We can tell you all that as Ostberg has completed, eight fastest and 8.9s slower than Neuville and Latvala's benchmark.
Tanak's gap to Ostberg reduced to 2.1s, but Neuville's rapid time ties him in being 2.1s off the podium too.
This is a fantastic drive from Neuville, helping to sweep the road in second.
We can tell you all that as Ostberg has completed, eight fastest and 8.9s slower than Neuville and Latvala's benchmark.
Sordo confirms that something wasn't fixed in service on his Hyundai after losing over 11 minutes in the first two stages of the loop. It's the intercooler and/or turbo causing the issue.
Stopwatch
Mikkelsen completes, 29.8s slower than Latvala.
Two stalls for the Norwegian aren't making his rally any easier. He's 1m39.2s off the lead.
Two stalls for the Norwegian aren't making his rally any easier. He's 1m39.2s off the lead.
Stopwatch
Ostberg is 2.2s slower than Tanak at the last split.
Doubt we'll see a change for third, put Tanak is closing in on Ostberg. The gap at the start of the stage was 4.3s.
Doubt we'll see a change for third, put Tanak is closing in on Ostberg. The gap at the start of the stage was 4.3s.
Sadly, we have no splits for Mikkelsen although he is moving on the tracking system.
Stopwatch
Hanninen is in and takes 1.1s out of Paddon, the lead gap is down to 4.5s with Paddon suffering from a suspected broken damper.
Hanninen's time is third quickest, 1.6s slower than Neuville and Latvala.
Hanninen's time is third quickest, 1.6s slower than Neuville and Latvala.
Stopwatch
Ostberg's first split is in and he's 2.5s slower than Tanak.
Tanak is in fourth and only 4.3s behind Ostberg starting the stage.
Tanak is in fourth and only 4.3s behind Ostberg starting the stage.
Stopwatch
Hanninen's second split is in and he's 1.2s quicker than Paddon. The gap starting the stage was 5.6s. GAME ON!
Crash
Could be trouble for Paddon. He thinks he may have broken a damper. The rally leader has two stages to go after this, how big is the problem?
Stopwatch
Paddon drops 2.7s to Neuville and Latvala, but he isn't fighting those two in the overall order.
He's 5.6s ahead of Hanninen and 10.9s ahead of Ostberg before this stage started.
He's 5.6s ahead of Hanninen and 10.9s ahead of Ostberg before this stage started.
Stopwatch
On the theme of Tanak, he's scythed into Ostberg's advantage on SS6 there, dropping the third place driver's advantage from over 10s to just 4.3s.
We'll wait for Ostberg's time through SS7 now for more updates there.
We'll wait for Ostberg's time through SS7 now for more updates there.
Stopwatch
Back in SS7, Latvala had some worrying dash lights although he played that down.
Tanak has completed and he's 5.4s down on Latvala and Neuville.
Tanak has completed and he's 5.4s down on Latvala and Neuville.
Information
SS6:
1 Lappi 9m59.9s
2 Paddon +1.2s
3 Tanak +1.7s
4 Neuville +2.2s
5 Latvala +2.3s
6 Hanninen +2.5s
Overall after SS6:
1 Paddon 56m56.4s
2 Hanninen +5.6s
3 Ostberg +10.9s
4 Tanak +15.2s
5 Neuville +20.6s
6 Latvala 22.9s
1 Lappi 9m59.9s
2 Paddon +1.2s
3 Tanak +1.7s
4 Neuville +2.2s
5 Latvala +2.3s
6 Hanninen +2.5s
Overall after SS6:
1 Paddon 56m56.4s
2 Hanninen +5.6s
3 Ostberg +10.9s
4 Tanak +15.2s
5 Neuville +20.6s
6 Latvala 22.9s
Stopwatch
Latvala ties Neuville's fastest time in SS7.
Quote
Neuville arrives at the end of SS7, he has a rear-right puncture, and the rear left has a chunk missing out of the rim. He's still 7.5s quicker than Ogier.
But with two stages to go, he only has one spare tyre.
"I don't know," says Neuville. "The puncture, maybe I went somewhere in a ditch."
When asked about the number of spares (one), he says: "It's fine".
Brave.
But with two stages to go, he only has one spare tyre.
"I don't know," says Neuville. "The puncture, maybe I went somewhere in a ditch."
When asked about the number of spares (one), he says: "It's fine".
Brave.
Stopwatch
Back in SS6, Lappi goes quickest for the second stage in a row. Although we're guessing he has second gear back unlike this morning!
Quote
We've got Ogier at the end of SS7 now, he's out of his car and looking around for something.
He's dropped over seven seconds to Neuville at the final split.
"There is some [tyre] wear this afternoon," says Ogier. "We have to manage them [the tyres] a little bit. It's nice to get out in the breeze. It's better [less road cleaning in the afternoon] and I'm going to lose less [time]."
He's dropped over seven seconds to Neuville at the final split.
"There is some [tyre] wear this afternoon," says Ogier. "We have to manage them [the tyres] a little bit. It's nice to get out in the breeze. It's better [less road cleaning in the afternoon] and I'm going to lose less [time]."
Stopwatch
Hanninen is in, fifth quickest, with a 10m02s.
That should give Paddon a 2.8s lead over Hanninen after SS6.
That should give Paddon a 2.8s lead over Hanninen after SS6.
Stopwatch
In SS7, Neuville is going at some rate of knots. At the second split he's taken 7.3s out of Ogier.
Stopwatch
Fastest on the last stage with only five gears, Lappi is fastest at the first split in SS6.
However, he's 0.2s down on Paddon at the second split.
However, he's 0.2s down on Paddon at the second split.
Slight worry here, as we have no time in for Hanninen. Stand by.
Stopwatch
Mikkelsen is at the end of SS6, he's 18.7s down on Paddon's benchmark.
Stopwatch
Now the fun starts, we've got splits coming in for SS7 now as well.
Neuville is 3.2s up on Neuville at split one.
Neuville is 3.2s up on Neuville at split one.
Sordo has made it to the end of the stage, over four minutes slower than Paddon's benchmark.
Stopwatch
Great news for Tanak, although he can't celebrate until the end of the stage.
The Estonian has completed the stage, but the man currently ahead of him in third in the overall order, Mads Ostberg, is 2.4s down on him at the first split. The gap was 10.3s at the start of the stage.
Additionally, Ostberg was only 0.1s behind Hanninen, but he's 2.6s down on him, also at that first split.
The Estonian has completed the stage, but the man currently ahead of him in third in the overall order, Mads Ostberg, is 2.4s down on him at the first split. The gap was 10.3s at the start of the stage.
Additionally, Ostberg was only 0.1s behind Hanninen, but he's 2.6s down on him, also at that first split.
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Stopwatch
We may have spoken too soon there. Hanninen is 1.4s down on Paddon at the second split.
Mikkelsen has also reached the first split, the sole remaining Citroen is 2.7s adrift of the benchmark set at that point by Hanninen and Paddon.
Mikkelsen has also reached the first split, the sole remaining Citroen is 2.7s adrift of the benchmark set at that point by Hanninen and Paddon.
Stopwatch
Hanninen, in second and only 4.3s down on Paddon at the start of this stage, has tied Paddon's first split. Can the Finn mount a realistic victory bid here?
Crash
Dani Sordo has stopped on the stage. He was running ninth overall.
By: Matt Beer
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