WRC Australia: Sebastien Ogier extends lead over Citroens
Sebastien Ogier began to pull clear of Mikko Hirvonen and Kris Meeke's chasing Citroens as Rally Australia's Friday afternoon loop unfolded

Volkswagen's dominant World Rally Championship leader - who can clinch his first crown this weekend - ended up fastest on all six of leg one's full-length stages.
That gave him an 18-second lead over Hirvonen. It had been Meeke who led Citroen's charge, on his debut for the full works team, in the morning, but his Finnish team-mate responded in the afternoon and is now 7.5s ahead.
Thierry Neuville had been out of sorts in the morning, unhappy with his pace notes on his first attempt at this rally.
But he put into practice what he had learned for the repeat run of the stages and raised his pace considerably, putting him just 7s behind Meeke in fourth.
Jari-Matti Latvala also improved his speed after a poor first loop. The second VW has risen to fifth place, jumping Mads Ostberg, Andreas Mikkelsen and Evgeny Novikov.
Both Ostberg and Mikkelsen had scares with rock impacts on the Newry stage, but made it through unscathed.
The field now heads to the Coffs Harbour superspecial for two runs to conclude Friday's itinerary.
Leading positions after SS8: Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap 1. Sebastien Ogier VW 56m05.9s 2. Mikko Hirvonen Citroen +18.4s 3. Kris Meeke Citroen +25.9s 4. Thierry Neuville M-Sport Ford +32.9s 5. Jari-Matti Latvala VW +56.9s 6. Mads Ostberg M-Sport Ford +58.4s 7. Andreas Mikkelsen VW +1m02.7s 8. Evgeny Novikov M-Sport Ford +1m06.6s 9. Nathan Quinn Italia Mini +3m52.2s 10. Khalid Al Qassimi Citroen +4m32.1s

WRC Australia: Sebastien Ogier leads from Kris Meeke
WRC Australia: Sebastien Ogier builds lead after 'perfect' first day

Why WRC's Safari tour is more than just a rally
OPINION: A source of national pride in Kenya, the Safari Rally is also a sporting, cultural and economic phenomenon. And as last weekend's World Rally Championship round reminded us, it's a key driver in establishing Africa’s place in world motorsport
How Rovanpera tamed a wild Safari Rally
The Safari Rally acted as a brutal test of driver and car resolve as multiple retirements opened the path for a historic Toyota 1-2-3-4 triumph, headed by star Kalle Rovanpera. But keeping things clean was only half of the challenge, as a well-timed charge when conditions worsened allowed the Finn to take control
How Tanak turned the tables to deliver Hyundai a timely WRC triumph
The 2019 champion has been a bit-part player recently, but Ott Tanak ended a 15-month drought in fine style with a dominant win in Sardinia. On a weekend when championship leader Kalle Rovanpera struggled with cleaning the road, his Hyundai rival has made his belated arrival into the title race and given cause for those predicting a walkover from the Toyota star to pause
How Rovanpera overcame rallying royalty in Portugal to extend his WRC lead
Although the Rally Portugal entry list featured World Rally Championship royalty in Sebastiens Loeb and Ogier, victory was secured by rallying's rising star in Kalle Rovanpera. Here's the story of his 2022 hat-trick, as his key rivals faltered among the gravel and asphalt ahead of them
The former WRC star playing the unsung hero role for Rovanpera
Kalle Rovanpera’s 2022 World Rally Championship displays have been spectacular, with the Toyota driver benefitting from a secret weapon in his crew to win two of the opening three rallies. But while the former challenger to Sebastien Loeb won’t take credit for his fellow Finn's performances, a key bond has been formed which could prove key to Rovanpera’s title charge
How Rovanpera's Croatia turnaround sent a message to his WRC rivals
After a dominating Rally Croatia, a wrong tyre choice on the final day looked to have undone all Kalle Rovanpera's hard work and left him with a mountain to climb heading into the power stage. That he emerged the winner all the same has surely quelled any lingering doubts that the Finn is the man to beat in the 2022 WRC
How M-Sport's faith in Loubet led to a WRC reprieve after a dismal 2021
It's fair to say 2021 was a year to forget for Pierre-Louis Loubet. A maiden full World Rally Championship season offered hope but soon turned into a nightmare that ended in hospital, after being hit by a car in a road traffic accident. Now handed a lifeline by M-Sport, the Frenchman is desperate to rebuild his career
Why WRC mechanics deserve more respect
The drivers get the glare of attention, but it’s the mechanics who are key to the operation of any World Rally Championship car. Autosport donned a set of overalls and joined M-Sport on a Belgian national rally event to get an inside look into the trials and tribulations of a rally mechanic