Live text
WRC Tour of Corsica
Live Standings
presented by
Stopped
Summary
Live Text
Sort by
Latvala is 4.5s off Ogier at the first splits, a fairly standard gap for him today. The more relevant thing is he's 1.5s faster than Sordo, who's at the head of the fairly tight fourth/fifth/sixth group in which Sordo and Latvala sandwich Breen.
Quote
Perhaps oddly, the two drivers at the head of the WRC standings prepared for the Corsican asphalt on snow.
In Ogier's case, he took a skiing holiday with his family once pre-event set-up work at M-Sport was done, while Latvala told Motorsport News this week that he had a go at using a snowmobile to get in gear for this rally.
"I was in Lapland riding the snowmobile for long days," he said. "I found some places where the surface of the snow is really bumpy, then I rode at speed - it forces you to concentrate so hard.
"This helps get my mind into the right way for Corsica. And it's good physical work as well."
In Ogier's case, he took a skiing holiday with his family once pre-event set-up work at M-Sport was done, while Latvala told Motorsport News this week that he had a go at using a snowmobile to get in gear for this rally.
"I was in Lapland riding the snowmobile for long days," he said. "I found some places where the surface of the snow is really bumpy, then I rode at speed - it forces you to concentrate so hard.
"This helps get my mind into the right way for Corsica. And it's good physical work as well."
Green flag
Ogier is onto the stage. He's 8.1s behind leader Meeke starting this one.
Information
Breen is providing our stage guide this weekend, here's his view of SS4:
SS4 Plage du Liamone-Sarrola-Carcopino (18.09 miles)
Exactly the same as last year!
This is the first stage where we’ll get a comparison with the cars from last year – it’s identical in length to 2016 [where Ogier’s fastest time was 18m39.6s].
I’ve done this stage in both direction and it’s been used in all sorts of layouts. It’s a bit less abrasive than the first one, which will mean it’s less of a stress for the tyres, especially on the second run through when the ambient temperature has come up a little bit.
Apart from a five or six kilometre section in the middle where the surface is quite broken, it’s generally a really good bit of road, it’s newer, wider – double-width with a white line [in the middle] in places. It does have some kerbs to look out for, though.
SS4 Plage du Liamone-Sarrola-Carcopino (18.09 miles)
Exactly the same as last year!
This is the first stage where we’ll get a comparison with the cars from last year – it’s identical in length to 2016 [where Ogier’s fastest time was 18m39.6s].
I’ve done this stage in both direction and it’s been used in all sorts of layouts. It’s a bit less abrasive than the first one, which will mean it’s less of a stress for the tyres, especially on the second run through when the ambient temperature has come up a little bit.
Apart from a five or six kilometre section in the middle where the surface is quite broken, it’s generally a really good bit of road, it’s newer, wider – double-width with a white line [in the middle] in places. It does have some kerbs to look out for, though.
Right, one stage left, Meeke vs Ogier for the lead, Neuville vs his own concentration for third, Sordo vs Breen vs Latvala for fourth - let's go.
Information
We were due to get going again with SS4 at 4.03pm local time but with SS3 slightly delayed by the spectators in awkward places we'll be 13 minutes late beginning the next one - so Ogier will blast off the startline at 3.16pm UK, 4.16pm in Corsica-o'clock.
With all the frontrunners through SS3, we'll take a quick pause. Back at 3pm UK time for the day's final stage.
All these WRC2 problems mean that Evans - despite all his own woes - probably won't be too far off the overall top 10 at the end of the day.
Kopecky got going again and reached the finish - he was limping with broken power steering and somehow still picked up a puncture and had to stop to change the wheel.
Information
SS3 results:
Stage times:
1 Ogier 19m52.1s
2 Meeke +0.8s
3 Neuville +6.2s
4 Breen +12.2s
5 Sordo +13.7s
6 Latvala +14.1s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Meeke
2 Ogier +8.1s
3 Neuville +22.6s
4 Sordo +39.6s
5 Breen +41.1s
6 Latvala +48.1s
Stage times:
1 Ogier 19m52.1s
2 Meeke +0.8s
3 Neuville +6.2s
4 Breen +12.2s
5 Sordo +13.7s
6 Latvala +14.1s
Overall leaderboard:
1 Meeke
2 Ogier +8.1s
3 Neuville +22.6s
4 Sordo +39.6s
5 Breen +41.1s
6 Latvala +48.1s
Information
SS3 summary:
* Ogier takes his first stage win of the rally but is only 0.8s quicker than Meeke, who leads by 8.1s
* Tanak slides into a ditch and out of fourth
* Neuville is now a lonely third and peeved at the "big gap" in pace to Meeke and Ogier
* Breen closes on Sordo for fourth
* Evans continues to lose minutes with hydraulic trouble
* Mikkelsen ends up with huge WRC2 lead after Camilli crashes
* Ogier takes his first stage win of the rally but is only 0.8s quicker than Meeke, who leads by 8.1s
* Tanak slides into a ditch and out of fourth
* Neuville is now a lonely third and peeved at the "big gap" in pace to Meeke and Ogier
* Breen closes on Sordo for fourth
* Evans continues to lose minutes with hydraulic trouble
* Mikkelsen ends up with huge WRC2 lead after Camilli crashes
But closest R5 car to Mikkelsen will be the amazing guest star Sarrazin, who isn't registered for WRC2 points but is going very rapidly in his own Skoda.
That is going to leave Mikkelsen with a WRC2 lead of probably around a minute over Camilli's M-Sport team-mate Suninen.
Crash
Mikkelsen has news of Camilli: "I think he hit a bridge where there's tricky braking on a long right-hand corner. After I saw he was off I backed right off because now the gap is quite big.
"It's a shame, I thought we were going to have a good fight. Now we just have to drive."
"It's a shame, I thought we were going to have a good fight. Now we just have to drive."
Tanak and Camilli's troubles are likely to bring illustrious new rally team owner Sarrazin into the outright top 10.
Crash
More WRC2 drama: Camilli, who was chasing Mikkelsen for the class lead, has stopped and so has Mikkelsen's team-mate Jan Kopecky (already delayed by steering trouble this morning).
Paddon is slowest of the World Rally Cars with functioning hydraulics but will now be seventh overall after Tanak's trouble. He felt the Hyundai's rear grip faded badly there and had a scare when he clouted a rock.
Quote
Evans makes the stage finish having lost another two minutes. This can't be much fun.
"Same issue as this morning. That's all we know for now. We're doing what we can do."
"Same issue as this morning. That's all we know for now. We're doing what we can do."
Crash
2013 Corsica winner Bouffier, who had been running fourth in WRC2, has stopped early on this stage.
Information
That gives us an overall top six that looks like this:
1 Meeke
2 Ogier +8.1s
3 Neuville +22.6s
4 Sordo +39.6s
5 Breen +41.1s
6 Latvala +48.1s
1 Meeke
2 Ogier +8.1s
3 Neuville +22.6s
4 Sordo +39.6s
5 Breen +41.1s
6 Latvala +48.1s
Autosport Live suffered another of its regular WRC inabilities to count or read a results screen a minute ago and went on about Latvala chasing Sordo. He is, but Breen is his first target as the Citroen is between the Hyundai and the Toyota.
Breen slots in fourth fastest on this stage now, which leaves him 1.5s behind Sordo as he chases the Spaniard for fourth, while Latvala is another 7s back.
Breen slots in fourth fastest on this stage now, which leaves him 1.5s behind Sordo as he chases the Spaniard for fourth, while Latvala is another 7s back.
Quote
"That was good," says Meeke. "I had to slow down for Ott because he was off the road. But the stage, to be honest, nice rhythm."
Stopwatch
Meeke finishes the stage 0.8s slower than Ogier, so his lead is down to 8.1s. Still not bad, but that's the first time Ogier's set the pace today.
That time leaves third-placed Neuville 22.6s off the lead.
That time leaves third-placed Neuville 22.6s off the lead.
Quote
"I thought I did a very good stage," says Neuville. "I lost maybe a bit of time where Tanak went off as I had to slow down a bit. But not six seconds. The gap is too big..."
Neuville's starting to look lonely now. Tanak's exit takes the pressure off his third place, as he's edging away from Breen - now his nearest chaser - but he's 6.2s slower than Ogier so falling further away from the lead battle too.
Sordo comes in a touch faster than Latvala, so the Hyundai is now 8.5s clear of the Toyota in their fight over what should be fifth place.
Meanwhile by split two, Evans has dropped 51s in his hobbled car.
Stopwatch
Meeke's next split is in and he's 0.9s slower than Ogier now. Back to a deficit, but much smaller than it was at the first split.
It's Tanak who was due in next, so we'll have a short wait before a car (Sordo) appears.
Twitter
Quote
Latvala finishes the stage 14s off Ogier's pace and not that excited: "A little bit better, but not what I was expecting."
He was adamant this morning that there was nothing wrong with the Toyota, his problem was his driving wasn't confident enough.
He was adamant this morning that there was nothing wrong with the Toyota, his problem was his driving wasn't confident enough.
Doesn't look like Evans's DIY fix has worked - at split one he's already lost another 27s to the leaders.
Sordo is now slightly quicker on the splits than Latvala in the battle for fifth, after a spell where it looked like the Toyota was set to gain ground.
Quote
"It was a bit better. I still don't have the car I'm dreaming of, but I'm fighting like I can with it," says Ogier.
Stopwatch
Ogier is at the finish with a 19m52.1s.
Stopwatch
Meeke has pulled it back by split two, he's now 0.5s faster than Ogier.
It was on that section where Ogier seemed a touch slow this morning, though he later argued it was a rogue split not a time loss.
It was on that section where Ogier seemed a touch slow this morning, though he later argued it was a rogue split not a time loss.
Crash
Report from M-Sport is that Tanak has gone off the road. There's no serious damage but the car is stuck.
David Evans
Evans has begun the stage. He's now back in 16th overall after the hydraulics problem that cost him two minutes this morning.
His problems obviously can't be cured before the cars get back to Bastia tonight as it was only a regroup at midday not a full service, but the Welshman was hoping to be able to effect some sort of repair ahead of the third stage.
"I hope we can do something," he told Autosport. "We're going to have a look and talk to the guys.
"Losing the paddleshift is difficult, but it's [losing] the centre differential that really makes a difference. It's not easy driving the car like this on these stages, they're so twisty!"
His problems obviously can't be cured before the cars get back to Bastia tonight as it was only a regroup at midday not a full service, but the Welshman was hoping to be able to effect some sort of repair ahead of the third stage.
"I hope we can do something," he told Autosport. "We're going to have a look and talk to the guys.
"Losing the paddleshift is difficult, but it's [losing] the centre differential that really makes a difference. It's not easy driving the car like this on these stages, they're so twisty!"
Latvala is now 11s off Ogier's pace at the final split, but still on course to gain a touch in his battle for Sordo over what will become fifth with Tanak stopped.
Crash
Looks like there IS a problem for Tanak, the fourth-placed Ford is static on the timing system early on the stage.
By: Matt Beer
Published:
Lap:
