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WRC Rally Sweden 2019
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Gronholm has cleared the stage. But there's no media crew present at this stage end, which means no potentially golden Marcus moment in a post-stage interview. Damn!
There's 2.7s between Ogier and Latvala by the third split.
Ah, no false alarm, the timing system just had a bit of a wobbly. Gronholm's only 4.4s slower than Ogier at the second split. As you were!
We also suspect Gronholm may have had another spin in this one. He's close to two minutes slower than Ogier between the first and second splits.
Ogier's one second faster than Latvala at the first split. Has he decided to give this one a bit of a go?
Our Rally2 trio of Gronholm, Ogier and Latvala are now on their way. It'll be another five minutes before our top 10 runners head off into the stage.
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Petter Solberg won't be hitting the stages for another couple of hours yet in the historics event, which he currently leads by over 45s, but we'll be hearing from him throughout the day for his insight into today's stages. Here's what to expect from our current test, Hagfors.
SS10 Hagfors (14.54 miles)
This is a stage of really different types. The first part is like a normal Rally Sweden stage, it’s nice and fast and flowing and the road is quite wide in places – you can get a nice rhythm here and everything works. And then you go to the arena section near the end which is actually on the ski slope. You have some hairpins in here and you have to be so precise. It’s quite tricky coming in here, there’s a rhythm change and you have to really precise – it’s almost like a slalom!
SS10 Hagfors (14.54 miles)
This is a stage of really different types. The first part is like a normal Rally Sweden stage, it’s nice and fast and flowing and the road is quite wide in places – you can get a nice rhythm here and everything works. And then you go to the arena section near the end which is actually on the ski slope. You have some hairpins in here and you have to be so precise. It’s quite tricky coming in here, there’s a rhythm change and you have to really precise – it’s almost like a slalom!
Marcus Gronholm gets us underway with the Hagfors stage. Rally Sweden organisers know how to organise a slick stage schedule!
Latvala won the last stage with relative ease, showing that despite his off yesterday, he knows the place as well as anyway (but then you'd expect that with him becoming the most experienced WRC driver of all time this weekend, of course).
DAVID EVANS had a chat with him pre-event about his secrets of preparation for the event, providing some rather quirky tips.
Don’t get cold feet
"One of the things I have done recently to save weight is to take away the shoe-heaters which have been around for a few years," says Latvala. "These have an element which sits in the sole of the shoe and a battery pack which clips to the back. I don’t use these now. Instead, I have some lightweight overshoes which I wear when I’m not in the stage. These are made really thick from hard wool, so my feet are warm and in the stage I don’t think so much to them."
DAVID EVANS had a chat with him pre-event about his secrets of preparation for the event, providing some rather quirky tips.
Don’t get cold feet
"One of the things I have done recently to save weight is to take away the shoe-heaters which have been around for a few years," says Latvala. "These have an element which sits in the sole of the shoe and a battery pack which clips to the back. I don’t use these now. Instead, I have some lightweight overshoes which I wear when I’m not in the stage. These are made really thick from hard wool, so my feet are warm and in the stage I don’t think so much to them."
David Evans
Two-time World Rallycross Champion Johan Kristoffersson returns for more WRC action on his home round of the series. The Swede is driving a Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 this year and admits he’s taking his task even more seriously than ever this time around.
Never one to shirk his preparation, Johan admits he’s done six times more testing for this week’s event than ever before. And there’s the chance he might be doing a bit more in a rally car, with a Swedish Championship entry and potentially more world outings.
Never one to shirk his preparation, Johan admits he’s done six times more testing for this week’s event than ever before. And there’s the chance he might be doing a bit more in a rally car, with a Swedish Championship entry and potentially more world outings.
The first WRC2 privateer runners have arrived and Veiby has retaken 10th by completing the Rammen stage. But, one position behind him, world rallycross champion Johan Kristoffersson is still impressing. He's taking this outing very seriously, as DAVID EVANS explains.
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Overall classification after SS9 Rammen
1. Tanak 1h22m35.6s
2. Suninen +1.8s
3. Mikkelsen +21.9s
4. Evans +33.2s
5. Lappi +47.3s
6. Meeke +55.2s
7. Neuville +55.4s
8. Loeb +58.4s
9. Tidemand +1m45.4s
Ostberg is 10th for now but WRC2 leader Veiby hasn't finished the stage yet, so we expect that position to change shortly.
1. Tanak 1h22m35.6s
2. Suninen +1.8s
3. Mikkelsen +21.9s
4. Evans +33.2s
5. Lappi +47.3s
6. Meeke +55.2s
7. Neuville +55.4s
8. Loeb +58.4s
9. Tidemand +1m45.4s
Ostberg is 10th for now but WRC2 leader Veiby hasn't finished the stage yet, so we expect that position to change shortly.
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Right, a quick recap of the times through there. Latvala wins the stage, reminding everyone he's still here after crashing out of the lead battle last night.
SS9 Rammen stage results
1. Latvala 11m23.1s
2. Tanak +5.2s
3. Ogier +5.8s
4. Suninen +9.0s
5. Meeke +9.3s
6. Neuville +9.9s
7. Mikkelsen +11.3s
8. Evans +11.8s
9. Lappi +12.5s
10. Loeb +16.8s
SS9 Rammen stage results
1. Latvala 11m23.1s
2. Tanak +5.2s
3. Ogier +5.8s
4. Suninen +9.0s
5. Meeke +9.3s
6. Neuville +9.9s
7. Mikkelsen +11.3s
8. Evans +11.8s
9. Lappi +12.5s
10. Loeb +16.8s
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WRC2 Pro leader Mads Ostberg is already in.
"We continue to struggle a lot really. Quite difficult in there and it's a shame. It's one of my favourite stages and I've enjoyed it every year except this one.
"It has become a test now, we need to focus on improving the car."
Looks like he's still not happy with the C3 R5 after complaining vociferously on Thursday night about it
"We continue to struggle a lot really. Quite difficult in there and it's a shame. It's one of my favourite stages and I've enjoyed it every year except this one.
"It has become a test now, we need to focus on improving the car."
Looks like he's still not happy with the C3 R5 after complaining vociferously on Thursday night about it
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"It was really fast sections and I was taking it slightly carefully, so we are losing some time. Looks like we have to be on the limit all the time to get the fastest times," says Suninen.
"I was really happy with the car and confident to push but we cannot make any mistakes."
Wait, what? Your team boss gave you license to throw caution to the wind, Teemu! He's thinking like a grizzled veteran rather than a chirpy youngster, apparently.
"I was really happy with the car and confident to push but we cannot make any mistakes."
Wait, what? Your team boss gave you license to throw caution to the wind, Teemu! He's thinking like a grizzled veteran rather than a chirpy youngster, apparently.
Stopwatch
Suninen has lost a fair bit of time in the final split. He arrives 3.8s down on Tanak, which hands the lead to the Estonian by 1.8s.
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"It was just a clean run, nothing special. It's a long day ahead of us. Let's just get it going," Tanak says.
"It's a new stage so it would have been stupid to take any risk here."
"It's a new stage so it would have been stupid to take any risk here."
The Suninen-Tanak gap is increasing on this stage again. It's 1.3s at the penultimate split. And Tanak's now finished.
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"It was OK, we had a clean run. We have another gear but it was a clean start," says Mikkelsen.
"We'll just have to push and we'll see. It's a big gap to the front, Elfyn is just behind, so we'll push as much as we feel comfortable with."
He built his run to third yesterday on clean, fuss-free stages. Maybe leave that extra gear in reserve for Sunday, Andreas?
"We'll just have to push and we'll see. It's a big gap to the front, Elfyn is just behind, so we'll push as much as we feel comfortable with."
He built his run to third yesterday on clean, fuss-free stages. Maybe leave that extra gear in reserve for Sunday, Andreas?
The time different between Suninen and Tanak on this stage is down to 0.2s at the third split. Suninen is fighting back!
The podium is Evans' objective, he confirms this morning. But Mikkelsen who arrives immediately after is 0.5s quicker here. So the gap between third and fourth increases to 11.3s.
Now, lead battle. Two seconds separate Suninen and Tanak coming into here. Tanak is already 1s up at the second split. Will we see a lead change first thing this morning?
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"I have no idea to be honest what we can do," says Lappi. "It felt like quite a steady run to be honest, nothing special and no risks. In the beginning I was too slow. There's not such big banks here so you can't lean on them."
Lappi has finished. He was fifth before this stage and will probably stay there, as Evans ahead is up on the splits.
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"For me it's more my notes, they were too low. I didn't have good notes. The car was OK," explains Loeb.
What he means, to be clear, is not that it's Daniel Elena's fault – he was too conservative on the recce when formulating his pace notes. Goes to show that even the best drivers can struggle after years away.
What he means, to be clear, is not that it's Daniel Elena's fault – he was too conservative on the recce when formulating his pace notes. Goes to show that even the best drivers can struggle after years away.
Loeb is 6.9s slower, which hands seventh back to Neuville and demotes the nine-time champ to eighth, 3.0s behind his Hyundai team-mate.
And, actually, he might stay seventh after all. Loeb is struggling.
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"I tried but lots of understeer and the car was really imprecise, so I struggled to drive fast," explains Neuville.
If it's any consolation, he's not likely to drop any further down the order than eighth on pace alone. It's only upwards from here.
If it's any consolation, he's not likely to drop any further down the order than eighth on pace alone. It's only upwards from here.
Nevuille has finished, and he's 0.6s off Meeke. So that's the Toyota driver up to seventh, with Neuville bumped down to eighth.
Third-placed Andreas Mikkelsen has just punched in the fastest first split time of anyone. Evans was catching him quickly yesterday afternoon so he'll need to be on his toes this morning.
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Meeke has finished the stage.
"The guys in front take quite a bit of time. The first cars are maybe an advantage. The feeling was really nice in the car."
"Let's see what the others do behind."
"The guys in front take quite a bit of time. The first cars are maybe an advantage. The feeling was really nice in the car."
"Let's see what the others do behind."
Pontus Tidemand completed the stage safely, by the way. He's all on his own, well off the top eight but miles ahead of WRC2 leader Ole Christian Veiby in 10th. So he's safely in ninth once more.
Looking at the splits, Meeke is 0.5s up on Neuville at the second timing point. If he can hold onto that advantage, he'll nip past the Hyundai driver for seventh.
Janne Tuohino, once an infrequent factory driver for M-Sport, is on his first WRC event in a top-spec car since 2006. That's far longer out than Gronholm. So it's not a big surprise he's only slightly faster than Bertelli,, 5.3s up on the Italian.
Small victories. Bertelli couldn't stop spinning yesterday but has pulled off a clean run through here. He's 45.1s off Latvala's benchmark but he probably won't care much.
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"It's a great stage. The section at the end, back in 2008 when we won, great memories," says Latvala of the classic Rammen stage.
He updates us on the road conditions too.
"At the start there's frozen gravel, [which is] hard for the tyres, then getting icy, nice for the tyres. Nice stage but completely different."
He updates us on the road conditions too.
"At the start there's frozen gravel, [which is] hard for the tyres, then getting icy, nice for the tyres. Nice stage but completely different."
Latvala sets the new benchmark, an 11m23.1s, to go 5.8s faster than Ogier.
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"It's just about driving and get a bit more mileage with this car," says Ogier. "The feeling is OK but it's hard to find a real motivation"
Ogier is in and 19.6s faster than Gronholm.
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"The conditions were good, nice. But my driving, not so nice!"
"At least, first clean stage now," says Gronholm.
"At least, first clean stage now," says Gronholm.
By: Matt Beer
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