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WRC Rally Sweden
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Ostberg drops in third fastest on the stage, 5.6s behind Breen's pacesetting time.
That means Breen takes third overall off Ostberg with a 5s cushion.
That means Breen takes third overall off Ostberg with a 5s cushion.
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"Obviously the road position's helping us, but it's the same every year - I always struggle on the first pass in Sweden then go better in the afternoon as the road comes to me," says Paddon.
Paddon is 6s off the pace on this stage - that's leaving him in a bit of a lonely spot now in a provisional fifth now. He's not been able to keep up with Breen's charge towards the podium ahead, but he's got a decent 10s gap to Suninen behind.
Fifth fastest for Suninen - that'll keep him sixth overall for now, and still 12.3s ahead of the chasing Lappi, who could only take four tenths out of him.
At the latest split, Ostberg is 3s slower than Breen - which would definitely swap the two Citroens round in third and fourth overall.
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"Not a clean run," says Breen. "I struggled a bit in some places and didn't have the same rhythm as the previous stage. Not very happy with myself. We have a good pace and good package."
But Breen needn't kick himself too hard, the splits suggest he's still done better here than everyone else.
But Breen needn't kick himself too hard, the splits suggest he's still done better here than everyone else.
Stopwatch
Sure enough Breen is fastest so far, 2.2s up on Neuville, which brings him to within 5.4s of Mikkelsen for second - and on the splits he is looking likely to overcome the 0.7s gap to Ostberg for third overall.
Stopwatch
Meanwhile, it looks like Breen might be going quickest on this stage, taking third from Ostberg and getting closer to Mikkelsen's second place too...
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"It was a clean stage, maybe a bit careful in places," says Mikkelsen. "We still have one notch more if we need it and if we want."
Not a great end to the stage for Mikkelsen, who's 3.8s slower than Neuville.
That means Neuville's lead has inched up to 4.8s.
That means Neuville's lead has inched up to 4.8s.
Back on the pace after going off the road and filling his Toyota's front end with snow on the last stage, Lappi comes in second fastest so far.
"I think everything is fine, we really just got snow on the front and in the air filter," he says.
The first target in his recovery mission will be Suninen, 12.7s ahead in sixth. But at the latest split, Lappi's only 1.7s faster than Suninen, who's having a good run here.
"I think everything is fine, we really just got snow on the front and in the air filter," he says.
The first target in his recovery mission will be Suninen, 12.7s ahead in sixth. But at the latest split, Lappi's only 1.7s faster than Suninen, who's having a good run here.
At the latest split, Mikkelsen is 0.7s slower than Neuville. He began the stage 1.0s behind his team-mate for the overall lead.
Evans comes through fourth fastest so far, and is just 1.2s behind Ogier for 11th now.
If Ogier can keep Evans behind on the next stage, then he's set to be third on the road tomorrow behind Solberg and Evans. Losing out to Evans would make Ogier second on the road and probably as unhappy on Saturday as he's been today.
If Ogier can keep Evans behind on the next stage, then he's set to be third on the road tomorrow behind Solberg and Evans. Losing out to Evans would make Ogier second on the road and probably as unhappy on Saturday as he's been today.
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Meeke, just before, admitted that he couldn't blame the start order for his current distant 10th place.
"I can't say much about running order because Neuville behind me is leading the rally," he said. "But I don't have that pace at all."
"I can't say much about running order because Neuville behind me is leading the rally," he said. "But I don't have that pace at all."
Stopwatch
Another storming stage time from Neuville compared to those who have gone before, 13.7s quicker than second-fastest-so-far Meeke. But Mikkelsen and Lappi are matching that pace - not that Lappi is in position to capitalise anymore after going off on the last stage and falling from second to seventh.
"I am fighting with the guys behind and trying to do the best with the conditions I have," says Neuville.
"I am fighting with the guys behind and trying to do the best with the conditions I have," says Neuville.
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Tanak and Latvala come through, with the latter 5s faster. But the main thing Tanak wants to say is "an apology" to the rally organisers for his tirade about the condition of this stage this morning.
"Maybe I was a bit over-reacting before," he says. "We are sportsmen and we are trying to do our best. I'm sorry."
"Maybe I was a bit over-reacting before," he says. "We are sportsmen and we are trying to do our best. I'm sorry."
Ogier completes the stage with some front end damage, but refuses to discuss it - saying "nothing, all good" when asked what had gone wrong.
Stopwatch
Again, though, rally leader Neuville is the first car to find decent speed and conditions - he's 5s up on Tanak and Latvala at the splits.
Tanak, conversely, is faring better on this stage than he has on the last few - he's matching Latvala and is quicker than Meeke. But all the first four cars on the road are a long way from the front now.
Crash
Looks like Ogier's had a problem here to compound his misery - he's a full half a minute off the pace on the splits. Onboards suggest he's running at full pace now so that might have been an excursion off-camera.
Ogier is on the startline, probably expecting to hate the conditions on this stage.
David Evans
This was the stage that left Tanak suggesting the rally organisers could "screw themselves" earlier. He expanded on that view over lunchtime:
He told Autosport: “They didn’t plough, the first part was ploughed. It was still snowing, but in that last section it was too much. I guess they came to a junction and the plough turned off.
"It was terrible, the worst I have ever driven in the snow, I’ve never seen anything like this – all the time the front of the car is moving the snow. There was no grip."
He told Autosport: “They didn’t plough, the first part was ploughed. It was still snowing, but in that last section it was too much. I guess they came to a junction and the plough turned off.
"It was terrible, the worst I have ever driven in the snow, I’ve never seen anything like this – all the time the front of the car is moving the snow. There was no grip."
Information
We're straight onto the next stage, as described by Paddon's co-driver Marshall
SS7 Rojden (11.88 miles)
This is a truly international stage, starting in Sweden, crossing into Norway soon after the start and then back into Sweden for the last few kilometres – which are actually some of the trickiest kilometres in this stage with some nadgery, off-camber corners.
But this one really is one of my favourites, it's a really fast stage and as you climb the hill you go over lots of little bumps and crests – the feeling in the car on this one is really nice.
Towards the end there's one really slippery junction for a square left. It seems strange to talk about one corner being more slippery than another when they're on ice, but there's something about this place, I don't know what it is, you can't really work out the physics of the thing! In years gone by, just about everybody has nearly overshot this junction, but in the end you could chuck it in on the handbrake, slide, nudge the bank on the outside and crack on; not this year – the bank on the outside is a three-metre wall of snow and ice. Basically all the snow that's been ploughed from the roads has just been pilled up there.
I'll be warning Hayden about this one, especially with such a quick approach!
SS7 Rojden (11.88 miles)
This is a truly international stage, starting in Sweden, crossing into Norway soon after the start and then back into Sweden for the last few kilometres – which are actually some of the trickiest kilometres in this stage with some nadgery, off-camber corners.
But this one really is one of my favourites, it's a really fast stage and as you climb the hill you go over lots of little bumps and crests – the feeling in the car on this one is really nice.
Towards the end there's one really slippery junction for a square left. It seems strange to talk about one corner being more slippery than another when they're on ice, but there's something about this place, I don't know what it is, you can't really work out the physics of the thing! In years gone by, just about everybody has nearly overshot this junction, but in the end you could chuck it in on the handbrake, slide, nudge the bank on the outside and crack on; not this year – the bank on the outside is a three-metre wall of snow and ice. Basically all the snow that's been ploughed from the roads has just been pilled up there.
I'll be warning Hayden about this one, especially with such a quick approach!
Information
SS6 summary:
* Lappi goes off the road and drops from close second to seventh
* Mikkelsen looks set to grab lead from Neuville but slows fearing a puncture and stays 1.0s behind
* Ostberg lacks confidence in the Citroen but stays third under big pressure from Breen
* Latvala, Tanak and Ogier fall further away in eighth, ninth and 11th, with Ogier lambasting the stage as "a joke"
* Evans has a spin when closing on Ogier
* Lappi goes off the road and drops from close second to seventh
* Mikkelsen looks set to grab lead from Neuville but slows fearing a puncture and stays 1.0s behind
* Ostberg lacks confidence in the Citroen but stays third under big pressure from Breen
* Latvala, Tanak and Ogier fall further away in eighth, ninth and 11th, with Ogier lambasting the stage as "a joke"
* Evans has a spin when closing on Ogier
Information
SS6 results:
Leading stage times:
1 Breen 13m17.3s
2 Mikkelsen +2.9s
= Paddon +2.9s
4 Suninen +3.0s
5 Neuville +4.1s
6 Ostberg +4.8s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Neuville
2 Mikkelsen +1.0s
3 Ostberg +7.0s
4 Breen +7.6s
5 Paddon +10.8s
6 Suninen +21.6s
7 Lappi +34.3s
8 Latvala +46.2s
9 Tanak +57.2s
10 Meeke +1m04.6s
11 Ogier +1m39.6s
Leading stage times:
1 Breen 13m17.3s
2 Mikkelsen +2.9s
= Paddon +2.9s
4 Suninen +3.0s
5 Neuville +4.1s
6 Ostberg +4.8s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Neuville
2 Mikkelsen +1.0s
3 Ostberg +7.0s
4 Breen +7.6s
5 Paddon +10.8s
6 Suninen +21.6s
7 Lappi +34.3s
8 Latvala +46.2s
9 Tanak +57.2s
10 Meeke +1m04.6s
11 Ogier +1m39.6s
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"Very difficult conditions and I struggled a bit," said Ostberg. "I cannot find any confidence in the car. I'm not able to have a rhythm."
Given that, third overall really isn't bad.
Given that, third overall really isn't bad.
Only sixth fastest for Ostberg, but that's still within 4.8s of pacesetter Breen.
So that puts Ostberg third, 7.0s off the lead and just 0.6s ahead of Breen.
So that puts Ostberg third, 7.0s off the lead and just 0.6s ahead of Breen.
Paddon is third fastest on this one after being fastest last time. He said the ice ruts were worse this time and he had to "pull it back a bit".
That will put him fourth, thanks to Lappi's drama, and he closes to within 10.8s of the lead.
That will put him fourth, thanks to Lappi's drama, and he closes to within 10.8s of the lead.
Interestingly Breen suggested he might be losing a few studs from his tyres as conditions cleared. That's what Ostberg predicted would happen on these stages and made him take it a bit easier on the last one.
Stopwatch
Now Breen comes in fastest by 2.9s over Mikkelsen. That closes him to 7.6s away from the rally lead! And will take him up to somewhere between third and fifth depending on Paddon and Ostberg's pace.
"That's really a lot of fun," says Breen.
"That's really a lot of fun," says Breen.
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"I just felt that the last 5km I had a puncture because the car was everywhere," says Mikkelsen, after leaping out to examine his Hyundai. No sign of a puncture, though.
Mikkelsen loses a touch to Neuville late on - he's only 1.2s faster than his team-mate so doesn't take the lead after all. But the gap is just 1.0s now!
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"I went wide on a junction, the tyre was just floating under braking and I lost grip," Lappi explains.
That excursion has filled the air filter with snow and left the Toyota breathless and limping to the stage finish.
That excursion has filled the air filter with snow and left the Toyota breathless and limping to the stage finish.
That drops Lappi from 2.1s behind Neuville to 34.3s behind, and he'll potentially fall from second to about seventh there. There's damage on the Toyota.
Crash
Trouble for Lappi! He's slowest so far and has lost half a minute to Neuville!
Stopwatch
Mikkelsen remains 4s up on Neuville at the latest split and on course to take the rally lead.
Crash
"I had a spin in there," Evans explains. "I couldn't get it stopped, it spat it into the snow bank and I just had to reverse."
Evans's time tails off near the end and he only takes 2s out of team-mate Ogier, so they're still 32.4s apart.
Stopwatch
Fastest of all at split one now - Breen, fractionally, over Paddon. Their march towards the podium battle continues.
Stopwatch
Mikkelsen is 4s up on Neuville at the latest split - that would be enough to launch Mikkelsen from third to first here.
By: Matt Beer
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