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General

WRC Rally of Portugal

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Now a gap of around 15 minutes until the next stage, where we swing back to where we started the day at Montim.
Information
Here's the latest overall picture with two stages remaining:
SS18 leading times
1 Latvala 8m09.2s
2 Lappi +1.5s
3 Suninen +2.7s
4 Neuville +5.0s
5 Sordo +5.5s
6 Evans +6.9s

Overall classification
1 Neuville 3h37m23.1s
2 Evans +41.2s
3 Suninen +53.0s
4 Lappi +1m02.0s
5 Sordo +1m05.3s
6 Ostberg +4m28.8s
7 Breen +5m14.0s
8 Tidemand (WRC2) +13m36.1s
Stopwatch
Latvala very much isn't in conservation mode - he tops the times with a 8m09.2s, 1.5s quicker than Lappi.
Ogier comes in with a leisurely 8m36.6s, 25.9s off Lappi at the top. Possibly in conservation mode.
Now the Rally2 runners, Mikkelsen not setting the split times alight, and sets a 8m28.0s, 11.9s off Lappi. One of many waiting for the power stage.
Evans can't afford to hang about too much in second though, his team-mate Suninen is just 11.8s shy with two stages left.
Neuville is in with a 8m14.2s, he extends his lead over Evans by 1.9s
Neuville now, and he's slightly quicker than Evans, 1s under him at the second split.
Evans sets a 8m16.1s mark - 5.4s off Lappi's pace.
Evans is next in - again he's off the times of those battling for third, 3.4s off Lappi at split two. It appears he's settled for second overall.
Sordo is in and he loses 4s to Lappi, and his fourth place overall. Sordo's is a 8m14.7s.
Lappi therefore has nibbled over 2s of Suninen's advantage in third today, but is it enough? Suninen's advantage was 11.1s at the start of the day.
Suninen is in and he's 1.2s off Lappi, with a 8m11.9s
Once again there's less than a second between the three battling for third place in the splits.
Stopwatch
And Lappi beats the top time by 8.1s with a 8m10.7s.
Stopwatch
We already have our first couple of times from the next stage, at Luilhas. Breen sets a 8m21.4s and Ostberg beats it with a 8m18.8s.
Information
Here's the overall picture after first time through Fafe:
SS17 leading times
1 Ogier 6m40.7s
2 Sordo +2.2s
3 Lappi+3.3s
4 Suninen +3.6s
5 Mikkelsen +4.4s
6 Latvala +4.7s

Overall classification
1 Neuville 3h29m08.9s
2 Evans +39.3s
3 Suninen +55.3s
4 Sordo +1m04.8s
5 Lappi +1m05.5s
6 Ostberg +3m24.2s
7 Breen +5m06.8s
8 Tidemand (WRC2) +13m21.1s
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"I was more focused on the notes and the rocks and things," says Latvala, "trying to be careful."
Latvala sets a 6m45.4s - 4.7s off Ogier.
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"That's the only target we have for the weekend," says Ogier of the power stage later, "so we try to push hard."
Stopwatch
Ogier is going for it - and he tops the stage times with a 6m40.7s
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"We will try to go for as many points as we can this afternoon," say Mikkelsen. "We're saving the good mapping for then."
Mikkelsen sets a 6m45.1s - just 2.2s off Sordo. His engine woes of yesterday look resolved now in advance of the power stage.
Now again the Rally2 runners, led by Mikkelsen.
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"It's just for safety, I have a 40s gap, I'm fine," says Neuville on carrying two new spare tyres today. "I was not happy with the balance so it's not easy for the power stage. But we have to finish the job."
Neuville comes in safely with a 6m45.9s - 0.3s quicker than Evans.
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"Obviously I want some," says Evans on the subject of power stage points, "but let's see how it goes and what position we're in. Not taking unnecessary risks, all OK."
Evans sets a 6m46.2s, fourth fastest.
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"The stage before the car was sliding a lot," says Sordo, "we have one tyre used at the beginning of the loop so we don't have many soft tyres. We lost quite a bit of time to Suninen on the first stage."
Stopwatch
Sordo's back, and back ahead of Lappi - a 6m42.9s to top the times. 1.1s quicker than Lappi.
Sordo's split times are close too, 0.1s under Lappi at the final split.
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"I really want to be on the podium," says Suninen, "quite a lot".
Once again Suninen loses little of his cushion to Lappi, just 0.3s lost with a 6m44.3s.
Again it's nip and tuck between Suninen and Lappi in the splits.
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"It's a big battle but the gap is still big," Lappi says of his fight for third overall. "I just can't go faster. We're doing a really good job."
Lappi's Fafe jump last year was something special. It's more modest this time.
Lappi as ever is going quickly, 5s under Ostberg at the final split.
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"I like traction, that's the way it is," says Ostberg, minded of the power stage later. "It's no drama at all, the car's just too stiff for the first passes."
Stopwatch
A 6m50.7s for Ostberg, as he beats Breen by 3.9s

By: Matt Beer

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