WRC Tour of Corsica
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So there you have it. It could have been Meeke or Ogier, but after both had drama, Thierry Neuville takes the victory, a fine drive in his own right. Keep an eye on the Autosport news pages for developing stories from Corisca and the rest of the motorsport world. Thanks for joining us.
This win for Neuville and co-driver Nicolas Gilsoul is particularly fitting as it's where they won their first event together in 2011.
When it wasn't a round of the WRC, the pair won the event in a Peugeot 207 S2000.
The only other Belgian to win the Tour of Corsica was Gilberte Thirion in 1956. He was co-driven by Swiss Nadege Ferrier in a Renault Dauphine. Fever.
When it wasn't a round of the WRC, the pair won the event in a Peugeot 207 S2000.
The only other Belgian to win the Tour of Corsica was Gilberte Thirion in 1956. He was co-driven by Swiss Nadege Ferrier in a Renault Dauphine. Fever.
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Nil Solans has come through to win the first event of the new era of the Junior World Rally Championship.
The championship switches from Citroen DS 3 R3s to M-Sport Ford Fiesta R2Ts for this year, running on DMACK tyres. The championship has taken the blueprint of last year's Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy, which doesn't run this year effectively merging into the JWRC.
Terry Folb has a transmission issue and may yet retire, as the crews face a tough road section back to Bastia. He cruelly lost second to Nicolas Ciamin on the last stage.
1 Nil Solans 3h53m44.4s
2 Nicolas Ciamin +43.5s
3 Terry Folb +4m01.9s
The championship switches from Citroen DS 3 R3s to M-Sport Ford Fiesta R2Ts for this year, running on DMACK tyres. The championship has taken the blueprint of last year's Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy, which doesn't run this year effectively merging into the JWRC.
Terry Folb has a transmission issue and may yet retire, as the crews face a tough road section back to Bastia. He cruelly lost second to Nicolas Ciamin on the last stage.
1 Nil Solans 3h53m44.4s
2 Nicolas Ciamin +43.5s
3 Terry Folb +4m01.9s
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SS10 powerstage
1 Latvala 6m02.2s (five championship points)
2 Ogier +0.8s (four points)
3 Breen +2.1s (three points)
4 Sordo +4.6s (two points)
5 Neuville +6.4s (one point)
6 Tanak +6.5s
Overall after SS10
1 Neuville 3h22m53.4s
2 Ogier +54.7s
3 Sordo +56s
4 Latvala +1m09.6s
5 Breen +1m09.7s
6 Paddon +2m16.3s
1 Latvala 6m02.2s (five championship points)
2 Ogier +0.8s (four points)
3 Breen +2.1s (three points)
4 Sordo +4.6s (two points)
5 Neuville +6.4s (one point)
6 Tanak +6.5s
Overall after SS10
1 Neuville 3h22m53.4s
2 Ogier +54.7s
3 Sordo +56s
4 Latvala +1m09.6s
5 Breen +1m09.7s
6 Paddon +2m16.3s
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Neuville is clearly happy, and honourably his thoughts immediately turned to whether Sordo had completed a one-two for the team.
"The feeling is amazing," says Neuville. "A special thanks to the team, they kept pushing me after Monte Carlo and Sweden. I was not sure we could win this event but on the second day we turned it around. It's ours."
"The feeling is amazing," says Neuville. "A special thanks to the team, they kept pushing me after Monte Carlo and Sweden. I was not sure we could win this event but on the second day we turned it around. It's ours."
He's the fourth different winner in the fourth different car to win in 2017. He should have been the first!
But the moment is here and Hyundai and Neuville have a victory. Applause in the service park as Neuville is straight onto the roof with Nicolas Gilsoul. Champagne coats the i20 WRC.
But the moment is here and Hyundai and Neuville have a victory. Applause in the service park as Neuville is straight onto the roof with Nicolas Gilsoul. Champagne coats the i20 WRC.
Checkered flag
HE'S DONE IT. THIERRY NEUVILLE WINS THE TOUR OF CORSICA!
Stopwatch
Neuville is well down the splits, but that's OK because his lead is just under a minute.
He's 5.4s behind Jari-Matti Latvala at that point.
He's 5.4s behind Jari-Matti Latvala at that point.
Now we wait for the rally leader. Can he come through this stage to take his first win of 2017, having led rallies for more stages than anyone else this year?
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Sordo wins the award, as usual, for biggest gentleman.
"Everything was strange," says Sordo. "I'm happy, third place was my target for today. It's good for him, it's good logic, he was faster in the rally and he should be second."
"Everything was strange," says Sordo. "I'm happy, third place was my target for today. It's good for him, it's good logic, he was faster in the rally and he should be second."
Green flag
The rally leader Thierry Neuville is into the stage.
Sordo can only manage fourth on the powerstage and loses second overall to Ogier.
Stopwatch
OGIER GETS SECOND, SORDO THIRD.
The Spaniard misses out by 1.3s.
The Spaniard misses out by 1.3s.
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Sordo is 3s down at the split, so Ogier could yet retake second.
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To confirm, Ogier is second quickest on the powerstage so far, 0.8s behind Latvala.
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Ogier looks furious in the driving seat of the Ford Fiesta. He is not a happy man.
"It's been a tough rally," says Ogier. "A podium is better than nothing. It's been really difficult. There's no power, no anti-lag, no handbrake. Lots of trouble. It's better than nothing."
Sordo is into the stage...
"It's been a tough rally," says Ogier. "A podium is better than nothing. It's been really difficult. There's no power, no anti-lag, no handbrake. Lots of trouble. It's better than nothing."
Sordo is into the stage...
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Ogier goes second quickest, just 0.8s slower than "crazy attack" Latvala. Is that enough to retake second? We'll have to wait for Sordo.
Ogier is underway and his car looks ok.
Remember he had an electrical issue on the car on the last stage and lost second to Dani Sordo.
He's 2.5s behind Sordo starting the stage. Can he retake the position?
Remember he had an electrical issue on the car on the last stage and lost second to Dani Sordo.
He's 2.5s behind Sordo starting the stage. Can he retake the position?
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Breen is second quickest then, 2.1s down on Latvala giving fourth to the Finn.
"I tried my best. I enjoyed it, I still have a smile on my face and we can take some positives from the weekend," says Breen.
"I tried my best. I enjoyed it, I still have a smile on my face and we can take some positives from the weekend," says Breen.
Stopwatch
Breen's in and loses fourth by 0.1s to Jari-Matti Latvala. Incredible stuff. The spot decided by 0.1s.
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Breen is 1.6s down on Latvala at the split. He has 0.4s in hand, can he hold on?
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Latvala is in.
"I did a crazy attack, maybe it was too much. Lets see how it is," he says.
"I did a crazy attack, maybe it was too much. Lets see how it is," he says.
Stopwatch
Latvala goes quickest over Tanak by 6.5s. Epic stuff.
Will that be enough to pull back 2.1s from Breen to take fourth?
Will that be enough to pull back 2.1s from Breen to take fourth?
Breen is also into the stage now. Game on.
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Paddon braked too late for the left-hander, but reports there's nothing wrong with the car itself.
"It's frustration. It's time to go home and get the season back on track," he says.
Latvala is into the stage. Can he catch Craig Breen in fourth, 2s ahead?
"It's frustration. It's time to go home and get the season back on track," he says.
Latvala is into the stage. Can he catch Craig Breen in fourth, 2s ahead?
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Paddon could have an issue and has overshot a left-hander. It looks like he's lost drive in the front wheels. We'll keep an eye on that. The car appears very tail-happy. He's lost over 20 seconds at the split.
Stopwatch
Tanak goes fastest, 0.2s quicker than Evans.
Now Paddon is into the test and we can take a look at the top six in the order fight for every spot.
Now Paddon is into the test and we can take a look at the top six in the order fight for every spot.
Ott Tanak has joined the stage.
After him we have:
Paddon
Latvala
Breen
Ogier
Sordo
Neuville
After him we have:
Paddon
Latvala
Breen
Ogier
Sordo
Neuville
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Evans goes quickest and he's 0.3s quicker than Lefebvre. The car looked to be understeering heavily through that one, and a few big skids may have been the Welshman's doing...
"There was a lot for us to learn, at least we have a lot of information and we can be better for the next asphalt rally," says Evans. Is he referring to M-Sport and the car or DMACK and the tyres? He didn't say.
"There was a lot for us to learn, at least we have a lot of information and we can be better for the next asphalt rally," says Evans. Is he referring to M-Sport and the car or DMACK and the tyres? He didn't say.
Stopwatch
Incredible onboard images show Elfyn Evans reaching 100mph on the narrow Corsican roads.
The Welshman is 0.9s up on Lefebvre at the only split on this stage.
The Welshman is 0.9s up on Lefebvre at the only split on this stage.
Stopwatch
Not surprisingly, Stephane Lefebvre tops the WRC2 R5 cars we've seen so far, 7.5s ahead of Mikkelsen.
Elfyn Evans is onto the stage now.
Elfyn Evans is onto the stage now.
Stopwatch
Mikkelsen finishes the stage 3.7s quicker than Suninen and that will give him a second WRC2 win out of two attempts this year.
Has anyone sorted him a WRC car yet? It's about time.
Has anyone sorted him a WRC car yet? It's about time.
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Stephane Lefebvre is the first WRC car into this test, the Citroen driver running so far back after hitting a wall yesterday on his home rally.
Stopwatch
Suninen completes the stage in 6m20.4s. Expect the WRC cars to be around five-five and a half minutes for this test.
By: Matt Beer
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