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WRC Tour of Corsica
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Latvala laments his braking, and drops 2.5s to Hayden Paddon. He's not a happy bunny.
Stopwatch
Craig Breen is 1.3s slower than Sordo at the first split. That's not good for the Irishman, he fell behind Sordo on the last stage and looks set to fall further back. Sordo is fourth, Breen fifth.
Stopwatch
Sordo goes quickest through the first split. He's 0.2s quicker than Hyundai team-mate Hayden Paddon.
Crash
Elfyn Evans has crashed on the stage. He's off the road, straight on at a left-hander. The car won't be coming out of there quickly.
Terrible understeer from the Fiesta by the looks of it. We'll update you on the crew. Evans is flagging down cars to alert them off the off.
Terrible understeer from the Fiesta by the looks of it. We'll update you on the crew. Evans is flagging down cars to alert them off the off.
Stopwatch
Paddon is quickest at the first split so far. He's 1.6s up on Latvala at that point.
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We have Evans, Latvala and Paddon into the stage. It's a 10 mile stage and we'll have the leaders through in no time. Can Neuville take more time, and second overall?
Green flag
Elfyn Evans is into the stage. He had hydraulic issues yesterday and is way down the order.
Information
We're just a few minutes away from the next stage. He's rally leader KRIS MEEKE to take you through it.
SS6/8 Novella 1 17.27km (10.73 miles)
"This is the stage where we broke the wheel last year, really close to the start. It’s shorter this time with 13km cut from the end.
"The first section, maybe the first 60 per cent of the stage, isn’t really like Corsica so much. It’s through scrubland with really high hedges and the road’s just the width of the car. After we get up through a village up in the mountains then we head down on a different style of road that’s more traditional Corsica."
SS6/8 Novella 1 17.27km (10.73 miles)
"This is the stage where we broke the wheel last year, really close to the start. It’s shorter this time with 13km cut from the end.
"The first section, maybe the first 60 per cent of the stage, isn’t really like Corsica so much. It’s through scrubland with really high hedges and the road’s just the width of the car. After we get up through a village up in the mountains then we head down on a different style of road that’s more traditional Corsica."
David Evans
Our man in the service park David Evans has an update on Ott Tanak and Sebastien Ogier’s separate issues.
M-Sport boss Malcolm Wilson said: “We’re pretty sure it’s not the same issue as Monte Carlo [with the ignition coil] because at the top end [of the rev range] its ok whereas in Monte Carlo it was off a cylinder all the way through the rev range.
We’re thinking it could be the spark plugs rather than the ignition coil issue we had in Monte. They have plugs in the car and are working on it now.
Evans also has an update on Sebastien Ogier and the changes he made last night.
Wilson added: “We took a stiffer rear spring last night and in the bumpy section the car is obviously touching the road [the guards are crashing].
“For me this is something for Sebastien because he’s so sympathetic it’s a little off putting for him.
“But then when you look at the last sector where its smoother he took three seconds out of Kris [Meeke]. Maybe we need to raise the ride height a little but this is fine tuning nothing fundamental.”
M-Sport boss Malcolm Wilson said: “We’re pretty sure it’s not the same issue as Monte Carlo [with the ignition coil] because at the top end [of the rev range] its ok whereas in Monte Carlo it was off a cylinder all the way through the rev range.
We’re thinking it could be the spark plugs rather than the ignition coil issue we had in Monte. They have plugs in the car and are working on it now.
Evans also has an update on Sebastien Ogier and the changes he made last night.
Wilson added: “We took a stiffer rear spring last night and in the bumpy section the car is obviously touching the road [the guards are crashing].
“For me this is something for Sebastien because he’s so sympathetic it’s a little off putting for him.
“But then when you look at the last sector where its smoother he took three seconds out of Kris [Meeke]. Maybe we need to raise the ride height a little but this is fine tuning nothing fundamental.”
Information
Plenty of drama on SS5:
- It's a corking time from Thierry Neuville who closes on Ogier and Meeke. The Belgian is 0.6s behind second placed Ogier and 17s behind leader Meeke.
- Dani Sordo takes fourth from Craig Breen
- Hayden Paddon closes on Latvala for sixth, faster on the stage and now 17s behind the Finn.
- Stephane Sarrazin crashes on the first corner and then takes 15s out of Andreas Mikkelsen. Sarrazin would trail Mikkelsen by just 5.1s if he was registered for WRC2.
- It's a corking time from Thierry Neuville who closes on Ogier and Meeke. The Belgian is 0.6s behind second placed Ogier and 17s behind leader Meeke.
- Dani Sordo takes fourth from Craig Breen
- Hayden Paddon closes on Latvala for sixth, faster on the stage and now 17s behind the Finn.
- Stephane Sarrazin crashes on the first corner and then takes 15s out of Andreas Mikkelsen. Sarrazin would trail Mikkelsen by just 5.1s if he was registered for WRC2.
Information
SS5
1 Neuville 32m19.6s
2 Hanninen +4.7s
3 Meeke +8.8s
4 Ogier +14.9s
5 Sordo +15.1s
6 Breen +18.4s
Overall after SS5
1 Meeke 1h49m00.5s
2 Ogier +16.4s
3 Neuville +17s
4 Sordo +1m00.1s
5 Breen +1m02s
6 Latvala +1m16.7s
1 Neuville 32m19.6s
2 Hanninen +4.7s
3 Meeke +8.8s
4 Ogier +14.9s
5 Sordo +15.1s
6 Breen +18.4s
Overall after SS5
1 Meeke 1h49m00.5s
2 Ogier +16.4s
3 Neuville +17s
4 Sordo +1m00.1s
5 Breen +1m02s
6 Latvala +1m16.7s
Stopwatch
Incredibly Juho Hanninen takes second in the stage, he's only 4.7s down on Neuville on this stage. He crashed yesterday but that's an impressive comeback.
Ott Tanak has more issues. Oil leaking from the M-Sport Ford and it looks grim for the Estonian.
Ott Tanak has more issues. Oil leaking from the M-Sport Ford and it looks grim for the Estonian.
Quote
Meeke drops 8.8s to Neuville, what a time by the Belgian!
"It's not too bad. It was very dirty, we tried to be careful," says Meeke. "I'm quite happy. I've increased my lead, that's the main thing."
"It's not too bad. It was very dirty, we tried to be careful," says Meeke. "I'm quite happy. I've increased my lead, that's the main thing."
Quote
Ogier not happy on the bumps of Corsica. The car is bottoming out.
"There was definitely some sections that weren't compatible with the car and I couldn't push," he says. "The road is dirty but it's the same for Thierry. That's how it is."
"There was definitely some sections that weren't compatible with the car and I couldn't push," he says. "The road is dirty but it's the same for Thierry. That's how it is."
Stopwatch
Ogier completes and HOLDS ONTO SECOND.
The gap has gone from 15s ahead of Neuville to 0.6s behind. Great job by Neuville.
Tanak is slow on the stage.
The gap has gone from 15s ahead of Neuville to 0.6s behind. Great job by Neuville.
Tanak is slow on the stage.
Quote
Neuville is in and quickest by 15s so far. He's 15s up on OIgier and 6s up on Kris Meeke at the last split.
"We've done the maximum," he says. What a time that could be.
"We've done the maximum," he says. What a time that could be.
Quote
Even though he was upset, Sordo takes fourth as Breen loses the place.
"I started to lose the brakes towards the end of the stage. I struggled on the dirty part of the stage and seeing Stephane [Lefebvre] off was a reminder."
"I started to lose the brakes towards the end of the stage. I struggled on the dirty part of the stage and seeing Stephane [Lefebvre] off was a reminder."
Stopwatch
Sordo reckons that was the most difficult stage of his life. Another Hyundai driver upset in the car and Sordo should be rapid on asphalt.
Information
Trouble for Ogier? He's just under 15s slower than Thierry Neuville at the last split and could lose second overall here...
Quote
Latvala could drop out of the battle for fourth with that time.
"It was slippy, not an easy stage and the surface was changing a lot. There was some nasty places on the stage."
"It was slippy, not an easy stage and the surface was changing a lot. There was some nasty places on the stage."
Stopwatch
Latvala is 1.5s slower than Paddon, despite the Kiwi being upset.
Stopwatch
Paddon completes, 15.5s quicker than Evans, but he's distraught at stage end. He says he has no confidence in the car.
Stopwatch
At the final split for this stage, Breen is in trouble. He's 3.3s down on Sordo, and looks set to lose fourth to him.
Stopwatch
Kris Meeke is 2.5s down on Neuville at the second split. Neuville was 25.8s behind Meeke starting this stage.
Stopwatch
Elfyn Evans is at the stage end, 32m58.2s after he began. It's a long test here in Corsica.
Stopwatch
Not good news for Ogier at split three. He's gone from 0.9s to 6.3s behind paceman Neuville.
The Belgian may be coming into the lead battle on this stage, he's 15s behind Ogier starting this stage.
The Belgian may be coming into the lead battle on this stage, he's 15s behind Ogier starting this stage.
Stopwatch
Most of our drivers are through the second split. Here's the order at that point:
1 Meeke
2 Neuville
3 Ogier
4 Sordo
5 Breen
6 Hanninen
1 Meeke
2 Neuville
3 Ogier
4 Sordo
5 Breen
6 Hanninen
Information
We're hearing Craig Breen has had a moment in the stage, we'll keep an eye on his times. He's fourth but just over a second ahead of Sordo in the order.
Stopwatch
Kris Meeke is flying! The Northern Irishman is quickest so far at the second split. He's a second quicker than Neuville and 1.9s up on Ogier.
Stopwatch
Ogier arrives at the second split and even he can't match Neuville's benchmark, 0.9s off.
Stopwatch
At that second split, Thierry Neuville has gone quickest.
The Belgian dominated the first two rallies before crashing out, and many picked him to challenge in Corsica on asphalt. He had no answer for Meeke and Ogier yesterday, but he's setting some impressive splits.
The Belgian dominated the first two rallies before crashing out, and many picked him to challenge in Corsica on asphalt. He had no answer for Meeke and Ogier yesterday, but he's setting some impressive splits.
Stopwatch
Ogier goes quickest at the first split, but Meeke is yet to arrive.
He arrives, and he's 0.3s slower than Ogier.
He arrives, and he's 0.3s slower than Ogier.
Stopwatch
It's bad news for Breen, he's dropped time at the second split and now trails Sordo by 1.2s. Breen held fourth by 1.4s at the start of the stage!
Stopwatch
Sordo is 3.6s quickest at the second split, with pacesetter Craig Breen still to reach that point.
Sebastien Ogier and Kris Meeke are into the stage. The lead duo are separated by 10.3s with Kris Meeke in the lead. Let the battle re-commence.
Stopwatch
Good news for Craig Breen. At the first split he's taken 1.8s out of Sordo. The Irishman is fourth and only 1.4s ahead of the Spaniard.
Crash
Citroen's hopes of a strong finish for its three C3 WRCs has taken a knock as Stephane Lefebvre has hit a wall. The crew are ok.
Breen, Sordo and Latvala are the three drivers outside the lead battle we need to pay special attention to.
Breen is fourth, but inly 1.4s ahead of Sordo. In turn, Sordo is only 6.4s clear of Latvala.
Breen is fourth, but inly 1.4s ahead of Sordo. In turn, Sordo is only 6.4s clear of Latvala.
By: Matt Beer
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