WRC.com Rally Guanajuato México 2018

Transcription

1 WRC.com Rally Guanajuato México 2018 Until then - Keep an eye on wrc.com for all the latest news and analysis, and don't forget the 'All Live' service on WRC+ for stage recaps and loads of exclusive extras. Bye for now. Sun 15:05 We will return - On 5 April to bring you reports from the championship's fourth round, Corsica Linea Tour de Corse. Sun 15:04 WRC Drivers' Standings - 1.Ogier: 60 points, 2. Neuville 51, 3. Mikkelsen 34, 4. Meeke 32, 5. Latvala 30, 6. Tänak 26, 7. Lappi 23, 8. Breen 20, 9. Sordo 18, 10. Paddon 10. Sun 15:02 WRC Manufacturers' Standings - 1.Hyundai Motorsport 84 points, 2. M-Sport Ford World Rally Team 72, 3. Citroën Total Abu Dhabi 71, 4. Toyota Gazoo Racing 67. Sun 15:01 Text break - A brief admin pause now. We'll be back soon with the full results and championship standings. Sun 13:42 Mexico WRC 2 after SS22-1.Tidemand 4h04m32.7s, 2.Greensmith+6m44.6s, 3.Heller+13m53.4s, 4.Bulacia+22m45.9s, 5.Rovanperä+1h02m54.1s, 6.Huttunen+1h20m13.8s. Sun 13:39

2 Mexico after SS22-1.Ogier 3h53m58.0s, 2.Sordo+1m13.6s, 3.Meeke+1m29.2s, 4.Mikkelsen+1m48.4s, 5.Loeb+2m34.6s, 6.Neuville+9m13.0s. Sun 13:29 Mexico Power Stage - 1.Tänak 6m33.1s (5 points), 2.Ogier+0.4s (4 points), 3.Latvala+1.3s (3 points), 4.Neuville+1.4s (2 points), 5.Mikkelsen+2.9s (1 point). Sun 13:26 SS22: Neuville - The Belgian has reached the finish line but he's 1.4sec slower than Tänak and that puts him fourth fastest. Sun 13:22 SS22: Tänak - The Toyota driver has completed the Power Stage and has gone quickest so far! He's 0.4sec faster than Ogier. We're just waiting for Neuville now... Sun 13:21 Ogier reaction - "It's fantastic. It's such a special place for me. I've now had podiums and four victories. I knew our chances would be slim starting second on the road but we never gave up and the car was fantastic." Sun 13:19 Malcolm Wilson reaction - The M-Sport Ford World Rally Team boss reacts to Ogier's win. "I'm very, very happy. It's so difficult to watch on the TV. The way Seb's tackled the event this weekend has been extraordinary. It's an incredible performance. The pressure's on us because we know he isn't going to let us down. Every detail is so important from our side now." Sun 13:17 SS22: Ogier - The Frenchman wins the rally and goes fastest in the Power Stage so far! He eclipses Latvala by 0.9sec. What can Tänak and Neuville do?

3 Sun 13:15 SS22: Tänak - The Estonian has finally started the Power Stage. Will his delay present him with more favourable road conditions? Sun 13:11 SS22: Sordo - He completes but has been hampered by a rear puncture. He's dropped 17.5sec and is only sixth fastest. But he's on course to take second place in the overall standings. That was his main target. Sun 13:09 SS22: Ogier - The rally leader is now in the Power Stage. But did he save his tyres enough earlier in the day? Sun 13:06 SS22: Meeke - It's not a good Power Stage for the third-placed man. He's dropped 14.6sec and is only fifth fastest so far. He's frustrated with himself: "I had the pace, car and road position to win this rally and I didn't do the job. I've never been so frustrated with a third place. I need to tidy my game up." Sun 13:04 SS22: Mikkelsen - He's through, but he can only go second quickest so far! Latvala is still fastest. "I tried to keep it clean and a good pace. I'm happy enough with that stage. It could be really important points to take away." Sun 12:59 SS22: Loeb - The French legend has reached the finish and is second fastest so far. He's 4.5sec slower than Latvala. Sun 12:54

4 SS22: Tänak and Neuville update - Both men have delayed their Power Stage start in a bid to obtain better road conditions which they hope will maximise their Power Stage bonus points. Sun 12:53 SS22: Mikkelsen - The fourth-placed Hyundai driver has just gone into the Power Stage. Sun 12:51 SS22: Loeb - The nine-time world champion is the next to enter the Power Stage. Sun 12:47 SS22: Latvala - He's fastest by 6.1sec so far! "I had a very good feeling. I said to Miika [Anttila, co-driver] I couldn't really drive any better. It was a good stage for us." Sun 12:45 SS22: Lappi - The Toyota man goes fastest so far. He's 13.8sec quicker than compatriot Suninen. But he's not happy: "On the narrow road it's going well but on the wide road I was very bad. I was too wide in many places and too fast. I lost a lot of time." Sun 12:39 SS22: Latvala - The man that was second fastest when the stage was run as SS21, is next into the stage. Can he find the same speed he enjoyed this morning? Sun 12:38 SS22: Suninen - The M-Sport driver makes it to the stage finish and is fastest so far by 2.4sec.

5 Sun 12:37 SS22: Lappi - The Finn is the first of the Toyota drivers to enter the Power Stage. Let's see what he can do... Sun 12:34 SS22: Suninen - Tänak hasn't started the stage on his allotted minute so it's Teemu Suninen that's next through the Power Stage. Sun 12:32 SS22 WRC 2 Tidemand - The Swede has completed the stage in 6m00.0s and wins the WRC 2 category with relative ease. It's been a perfect weekend for the Skoda Motorsport driver. Sun 12:31 Power Stage: Live - WRC 2 leader, Pontus Tidemand, is the first man into the La Minas stage. Sun 12:22 Revised Power Stage start time - The first car will now leave the start line at 1222hrs. That's a four-minute delay. Sun 12:16 Power Stage running order - The crews will leave the stage start line in the following order: 1.Tidemand, 2.Tänak, 3.Suninen, 4.Lappi, 5.Latvala, 6.Neuville, 7.Loeb, 8.Mikkelsen, 9.Meeke, 10.Sordo, 11.Ogier. Sun 12:03 Stage info: SS22 - Las Minas Power Stage, 11.07km Identical to the earlier stage. Las Minas starts on a big double width road, heading downhill with a series of

6 three kickers. Plenty of flowing corners lead into a final new 2km section on cobbles towards the finish on the edge of Guanajuato. Sun 12:02 What's up for grabs? - Extra championship points. The top-five fastest drivers in the Power Stage win points on a sliding scale. There's 5 points for the winner and 1 point for fifth fastest. Sun 12:01 Up next: Las Minas Power Stage - The crews have just 11.07km left to run before Rally Guanajuato Mexico reaches its conclusion. Sun 12:00 Next stage: 1218hrs - That's when the rally-ending Power Stage will blast into life. We'll pause our live text service here and return at 1200hrs. Sun 11:16 Mexico WRC 2 after SS21-1.Tidemand 3h57m36.0s, 2.Greensmith+6m25.6s, 3.Heller+13m27.1s, 4.Bulacia+22m22.5s, 5.Rovanperä+1h02m58.5s, 6.Huttunen+1h20m06.0s. Sun 11:14 SS21 WRC 2 Rovanperä - Now it's the young Finn's turn to challenge Tidemand hard. He completes the stage only 0.5sec shy of his Swedish teammate's benchmark. Sun 11:12 SS21: Huttunen - The restarting Hyundai driver has the bit between his teeth this morning. He's only 5.6sec slower than Tidemand in Las Minas. Sun 11:10

7 SS21 WRC 2 Heller - The Chilean driver safely completes the penultimate stage. He's 24.7sec shy of the unstoppable Tidemand's time. Sun 11:03 SS21 WRC 2 Tidemand - The category leader tops the stage time sheets yet again. He goes 11.7sec faster than Greensmith. "The car is working well. I can get it to do whatever I want." Sun 11:00 Mexico after SS21-1.Ogier3h47m24.5s, 2.Sordo+55.2s, 3.Meeke+1m13.7s, 4.Mikkelsen+1m45.9s, 5.Loeb+2m29.2s, 6.Neuville+5m02.0s. Sun 10:57 SS21: Tänak - Fastest for the Estonian! He eclipses Latvala by 1.4sec. Great prep for the upcoming Power Stage. "I was checking a couple of places for the Power Stage but trying to save the tyres for that stage as well." Sun 10:53 SS21: Sunninen - Ninth fastest for the M-Sport World Rally Team driver. "It was quite slippery. We didn't do a good job." Sun 10:49 SS21: Lappi - The Toyota driver completes 4.5sec off team-mate Latvala's pace. "I wasn't brave enough. Not a good stage." Sun 10:44 SS21: Latvala - A terrific performance from the eighth-placed Finn! He goes fastest by 3.3sec. "It's going very well."

8 Sun 10:41 SS21: Ogier - Protecting his tyres for the Power Stage, we still goes joint second fastest on this pass of the Las Minas test. "The grip is not so high in there but there are some fast, fluid sections." Sun 10:36 SS21: Meeke - A good run for the Citroën driver in this one. He stops the clocks only 0.4sec slower than Neuville's benchmark. "I just have to get through and protect my third place." Sun 10:32 SS21: Sordo - The second-placed Spaniard goes third fastest in this one. "With Kris's [Meeke] problems in the first stage this morning, we can drive a bit more easily now." Sun 10:29 SS21: Mikkelsen - His off-stage excursion costs the Hyundai driver 9.7sec at the end of the stage. "I was trying to explore the limits but luckily it wasn't a hard hit. Unfortunately, it took a while to restart the car." Sun 10:25 SS21: Mikkelsen - The Norwegian has got off line and slid wide on a left-hand bend close to the end of the stage. He's clouted the bank at the side of the road and dropped time as he's frantically tried to recover. Sun 10:22 SS21: Loeb - He reaches the stage end 5.0sec slower than Neuville. "I had fun in the car. I was a bit careful." Sun 10:20

9 SS21: Neuville - He completes in 6m47.6s. "It was very loose. I tried to give my best in this stage to see if the pace notes are okay but I was struggling with the handling of the car." Sun 10:17 SS21: Live - The penultimate stage of the rally is underway. Thierry Neuville is the first to get a sighter for this afternoon's Power Stage. Sun 10:09 Stage info: SS21 - Las Minas 1, 11.07km Las Minas starts on a big double width road, heading downhill with a series of three kickers. Plenty of flowing corners lead into a final new 2km section on cobbles towards the finish on the edge of Guanajuato. Sun 09:57 SS21: Standby - We're watching the countdown on WRC+ All Live. Neuville will leave the start line at 1008hrs. Sun 09:56 Mexico WRC 2 after SS20-1.Tidemand 3h50m32.4s, 2.Greensmith+6m13.9s, 3.Heller+13m02.4s, 4.Bulacia+21m54.7s, 5.Rovanperä+1h02m58.0s, 6.Huttunen+1h20m00.4s. Sun 09:24 SS20 WRC 2 Rovanperä - The young Finn comes close to eclipsing his Skoda Motorsport team-mate's stage time. He's only 2.9sec behind in this stage. Sun 09:21 SS20 WRC 2 Huttunen - The restarting Hyundai driver has gone third fastest in this morning's first test. Yesterday's fuel system leak has clearly been fixed.

10 Sun 09:20 Next stage: 1008hrs - That's when the leading crews will begin to launch their cars into the Las Minas stage. Sun 09:17 SS20 WRC 2 Heller - The Chilean is safely through in his Fiesta R5. He's 43.6sec off Tidemand's benchmark pace. Sun 09:14 SS20 WRC 2 Tidemand - The category leader goes fastest in this one, pulling another 31.3sec over Gus Greensmith who is second overall. Sun 09:11 Mexico after SS20-1.Ogier 3h40m36.5s, 2.Sordo+48.0s, 3.Meeke+1m13.7s, 4.Mikkelsen+1m36.6s, 5.Loeb+2m24.6s, 6.Neuville+5m02.4s. Sun 09:05 SS20: Tänak - Back in the field after his retirement yesterday, the Estonian goes seventh fastest in this test. "Everything's good. Let's wait until the Power Stage. We'll try our best, for sure." Sun 09:03 SS20: Suninen - Fourth fastest for the M-Sport driver in Sunday's opening test. "I need t keep the car on the road for the manufacturers' points. When there is dust, I am lifting and not taking any risks." Sun 08:59 SS20: Lappi - Only sixth fastest for the Toyota driver, 24.6sec slower than team-mate Latvala. "The dust is hanging here and there, but it's okay."

11 Sun 08:57 SS20: Latvala - Desperate to catch WRC 2 runner Gus Greensmith for eighth place overall, the Finn goes fastest by 9.7sec in this one. A real statement of intent. "We had a very good feeling and a good run. I'm really happy with the time. The car feels great." Sun 08:54 SS20: Ogier - No dramas for the rally leader as he goes fastest by 1.2sec and narrowly extends his lead. "We've taken the optimum tyre choice for the Power Stage, not for this one." Sun 08:50 SS20: Meeke - He completes the stage but has dropped 36.6sec to Sordo. That's dropped him to third place behind his Spanish rival. "I just was just coming on to the cobbles and the car slid. A deep gulley on the outside caught a wheel and put us on our side." Sun 08:49 SS20: Meeke - Drama for the Citroën driver as he slides wide on the cobble stones close to the end of the stage and rolls his C3 on to its side. He's going again with the help of some spectators. His third place could be gone. Sun 08:46 SS20: Sordo - He goes fastest so far as he looks to catch Meeke for third place in the overall standings. He's 3.7sec faster than Loeb. "I had a lot of dust in the middle of the stage. I tried to enjoy it and I'm happy with the car. If we can finish on the podium that would be good." Sun 08:45 SS20: Mikkelsen - The Norwegian drops 3.3sec to Loeb in this one. "We did some changes to the car yesterday and it felt better thismorning. I'm in more control of the rear."

12 Sun 08:42 SS20: Loeb - The Frenchman completes 12.9sec faster than Neuville. "It was a good feeling in the stage; it was fun to drive on the loose. It's been a long time since I've done that." Sun 08:39 SS20: Sordo - He's currently the fastest man on the stage. He's 9.7sec up on Neuville's benchmark at the second split. Sun 08:37 SS20: Neuville - He's the first man to complete the opener in 15m 51.2sec. "It's all about saving the tyres for the Power Stage. I had a very smooth run through this stage." Sun 08:36 SS20: Ogier - The rally leader is also into the stage. Can he add to his 35.9sec advantage this morning? Sun 08:34 SS20: Loeb - The second split at 11.44km is in and the Frenchman is already 7.5sec faster than Neuville. A strong start. Sun 08:29 SS20: Loeb - The fifth-placed driver is also into the stage as he looks to reduce the 51.3sec deficit to Mikkelsen ahead. Sun 08:24 SS20: Live - Thierry Neuville gets the Sunday action underway as he heads into the 24.32km Alfaro test.

13 Sun 08:18 Tyre update - All of the Michelin drivers have chosen to take 5 LTX Force Soft (S5) tyres apart from Mikkelsen who has taken 3 Soft and 2 Hard tyres (H4) and Ogier who has opted for 3 Hard and 2 Soft tyres. Sun 08:17 SS20: Standby - We're watching the countdown on WRC+ All Live. Thierry Neuville will leave the start line at 0818hrs. Not long to wait... Sun 08:08 Start intervals - We'll have three-minute intervals between the World Rally Car and WRC 2 entrants today. Sun 08:01 Sunday's running order - Drivers will go in reverse order today. Here's how the world rally car runners will line up: 1.Neuville, 2.Loeb, 3.Mikkelsen, 4.Sordo, 5.Meeke, 6.Ogier, 7.Latvala, 8.Lappi, 9.Suninen, 10.Tänak. Sun 08:00 Stage info: SS20 - Sunday s opening test will be entrenched in drivers minds as two sections have already been driven during Saturday s Otates tests. The opening half contains fast and flowing corners as it climbs and descends before becoming more technical as it moves into the second part. It is also one for the high-fliers with a huge sixth gear jump a couple of kilometres from the end. Sun 08:00 Weather - The sun is shining brightly in Mexico and temperatures have already reached 14 C in Leon. We're expecting a dry day with temperatures peaking at around 28 C later on. Sun 07:59

14 Stage live times (first car) - SS20: 0818hrs, SS21: 1008hrs, SS22: 1218hrs. Sun 07:56 Sunday's vital stats - Start: 0818hrs. Number of stages: 3. Stage distance: 46.46km. Finish: 1403hrs Sun 07:55 Look out for... - The Las Minas stage. Run twice today (the final time as the Power Stage) and features a real sting in the tail. There are 2km of slippery cobble stones for the crews to negotiate right at the end. Could be interesting. Sun 07:55 Sunday's itinerary - Crews will tackle just three stages on the final morning and complete a mere 46.46km of competitive driving. The action starts with the 24.32km Alfaro test and is followed by a double run through the Las Minas stage brings the action to a close. This speed test is only 11.07km long, but the second pass will count as the Power Stage with five valuable championship points available to the winner. Sun 07:54 So, what's happening? - The crews have completed 19 fast and furious gravel stages and we now move into Sunday's deciding phase. Three stages await including the all-important Power Stage. Can Sébastien Ogier hold on to his strong lead? Sun 07:53 We're live - On wrc.com and the WRC app, bringing you text updates about all the on-stage action. Sun 07:52

15 Buenos días - And welcome back to Rally Guanajuato Mexico for the final day of competition. Sun 07:51 Until then - Keep an eye on wrc.com for all the latest news and analysis, and don't forget the 'All Live' service on WRC+ for stage recaps and loads of exclusive extras. Bye for now. Sat 21:28 Join us on Sunday - When the rally resumes with the final three special stages. The action gets underway at 0818hrs with the running of the 24.32km Alfaro stage. Sat 21:28 Leaders through - And that's where we'll end our live text coverage for today. Sat 21:25 Mexico after SS19-1.Ogier 3h25m03.1s, 2.Meeke+35.9s, 3.Sordo+46.8s, 4.Mikkelsen+1m28.4s, 5.Loeb+2m19.7s, 6.Neuville+4m44.6s. Sat 21:21 SS19: Mikkelsen - Neat and tidy from the Hyundai man. He goes fastest so far, eclipsing Ogier's time by 0.1sec. He'll be fourth heading in to tomorrow's stages. Sat 21:18 SS19: Sordo - Not a great way to end the day! The Spaniard stalls as he leaves the start line and loses 3.9sec. That means he's now 10.9sec behind Meeke in the overnight standings.

16 Sat 21:13 SS19: Meeke - He completes by going joint third fastest, 0.7sec slower than Ogier. That sets the Frenchman's overnight lead at 35.9sec. Sat 21:09 SS19: Loeb - The fifth-placed Citroën driver drops 1.3sec in this one with a small overshoot at the hairpin. That puts him fourth fastest so far. Sat 21:04 SS19: Ogier - Unsurprisingly, the rally leader sets the fastest time so far. He adds another 0.4sec to his advantage at the top of the leaderboard. Sat 21:00 SS19: Latvala - He's safely through the 1.11km asphalt test, albeit 0.3sec slower than Neuville. That should keep him ninth overall. Sat 20:54 SS19: Neuville - The Hyundai ace stops the clocks on 1m03.2sec. Sat 20:52 SS19 Live - Neuville gets the final stage of the day underway! Sat 20:49 Stage info: SS19 - Street Stage León 2, 1.11km The roads of León s service park campus host a short and twisty asphalt test aimed at bringing the action to the city s residents. It is driven in a revised format to last year.

17 Sat 20:44 Welcome back - To our live text service from Rally Guanajuato Mexico. Sat 20:43 Next stage: 2046hrs - That's when the cars will tackle the final test of the day, Street Stage León 2. We'll resume our live text service then. Sat 19:12 Mexico WRC 2 after SS18-1.Tidemand 3h33m22.1s, 2.Greensmith+5m41.5s, 3.Heller+12m15.5s, 4.Bulacia+20m27.8s, 5.Rovanperä+1h02m55.2s. Sat 19:08 Mexico WRC 2 after SS17-1.Tidemand 3h31m40.5s, 2.Greensmith+5m39.6s, 3.Heller+12m12.2s, 4.Bulacia+20m25.1s, 5.Rovanperä+1h02m53.0s. Sat 19:05 Mexico after SS18-1.Ogier3h24m00.3s, 2.Meeke+35.2s, 3.Sordo+42.9s, 4.Mikkelsen+1m28.5s, 5.Loeb+2m18.4s, 6.Neuville+4m44.2s. Sat 18:44 Mexico after SS17-1.Ogier 3h22m23.1s, 2.Meeke+35.8s, 3.Sordo+43.2s, 4.Mikkelsen1m28.9s, 5.Loeb+2m15.8s, 6.Neuville+4m43.7s. Sat 18:41 SS17/18 Suninen/Mikkelsen - Mikkelsen takes a clean-sweep of wins in his races against his M-sport World Rally Team rival.

18 Sat 18:39 SS17/18: Sordo/Meeke - The first battle between the Hyundai and Citroën rivals is a dead heat. But Meeke comes through to win the second duel. Sat 18:29 SS17/18: Ogier/Loeb - It's honours even in the battle of the 'Sebs'. Loeb wins the first head-to-head battle and Ogier takes the second. Sat 18:19 SS17/18: Neuville/Latvala - Neuville narrowly wins both races against his Finnish rival. Sat 18:10 SS17 / SS18 Live - Neuville and Latvala have left the start line and are going head-to-head. Sat 18:01 Mexico WRC 2 after SS16-1.Tidemand 3h29m58.6s, 2.Greensmith+5m36.9s, 3.Heller+12m07.9s, 4.Bulacia+19m22.0s, 5.Rovanperä+1h02m49.6s. Sat 17:53 SS16 WRC 2 Greensmith - The Briton completes safely and remains second in category. "It's been pretty good and I haven't made any mistakes. I just wanted to be consistent and we've done that." Sat 17:39 Stage info: SS17 / SS18 - SSS Autódromo de León 3 / 4, 2.30km The second of two double runs at León s motor racing circuit where two cars at a time race

19 head-to-head. The stage is well-liked by the drivers, mixing asphalt and gravel and featuring a big jump and a water splash. Sat 17:36 SS16 WRC 2 Tidemand - The Skoda Motorsport driver is fastest so far in the WRC 2 category. "I'm really enjoying it. Everything is working really well and I'd like to thank everyone that's helping me." Sat 17:35 Next stage: 1758hrs - That's the time when the crews will tackle the SSS Autódromo de León for SS17 and SS18. Sat 17:32 Mexico after SS16-1.Ogier 3h20m43.8s, 2.Meeke+37.1s, 3.Sordo+44.5s, 4.Mikkelsen+1m30.0s, 5.Loeb+2m17.0s, 6.Neuville+4m44.7s. Sat 17:28 Mexico WRC 2 after SS15-1.Tidemand 3h24m14.5sec, 2.Greensmith+5m24.9s, 3.Heller+11m42.0s, 4.Bulacia+18m43.9s, 5.Rovanperä 1h02m47.5s Sat 17:26 SS16: Sordo - The Hyundai driver goes third fastest and remains third overall. Sat 17:24 SS16: Loeb - He's unable to match Ogier's pace and is 0.2sec shy of Meeke's time in this one. "I didn't push at all. It was just going slow. I'm not in the fight for the lead now so the motivation is different." Sat 17:23

20 SS16: Meeke - He drops a further 2.6sec to Ogier. He now trails the rally leader by 37.1sec. "I didn't have the pace of Ogier this afternoon so I'm happy to still be in second." Sat 17:20 SS16: Ogier - The rally leader goes quickest so far by 3.2sec. "It's been a perfect day to be honest. I've pushed as hard as I could and it's worked for us. We have a bit of tyre wear now so I didn't push as hard as I would have wanted." Sat 17:17 SS16: Mikkelsen - The fourth-placed driver matches Latvala's time in this test. "I'm trying but still I'd like to be faster!" Sat 17:14 SS16: Latvala - He beats Neuville's time by 12.7sec as he bids to progress from ninth place overall. "I pushed maximum, maximum I couldn't go any faster. I gave everything I could." Sat 17:11 SS16: Neuville - It's rather a scrappy stage for the Belgian but he completes in 5m40.5sec albeit with a left-rear tyre off the rim. "I was sliding a lot at the start and then I hit a ditch and realised I might have a puncture. That's when I slowed down quite a lot." Sat 17:09 Stage info: SS16 - El Brinco 2, 9.98km El Brinco is famous for its big jump close to the finish. The test is wide open and fast from start to end, with several washaways. Identical to 2017 apart from the start being moved forwards by 100 metres. Sat 17:03

21 SS16: Live - Neuville is into the second run through El Brinco (9.98km). Sat 17:02 Mexico after SS15-1.Ogier 3h15m19.2s, 2.Meeke+34.5s, 3.Sordo+41.8s, 4.Mikkelsen+1m26.8s, 5.Loeb+2m14.2s, 6.Neuville+4m28.8s. Sat 16:59 SS15: Sordo - He's also lost some time in this one. He's dropped 24.4sec to stay third 7.3sec behind second-place Meeke. "I didn't take any risks because I only have one spare. I had to go very slow." Sat 16:57 SS15: Loeb - The French legend is second fastest in this one and remains fifth overall. "It was okay. I didn't take any big risks because we only have one spare tyre. I tried to drive carefully on a good rhythm. These's noting more I can do." Sat 16:54 SS15: Meeke - He's dropped 30.7sec to Ogier in this one! That means he's now 34.5sec behind the rally leader. "I had a spin and had to go back through the dust and turn around. We've lost 30sec easily. Too many little, stupid mistakes this weekend." Sat 16:52 SS15: Ogier - The rally leader has gone fastest so far. As things stand, he's added 10.3sec to his advantage in this test. "I tried to push but there's a lot of sandy sections that are slippy. It's hard to push in these conditions." Sat 16:48 SS15: Mikkelsen - "That was a clean stage. We're trying to set the car up a little bit better before the corners. We'll see."

22 Sat 16:45 SS15: Latvala - He's dropped 7.5sec to Neuville in his one. "Everything is okay but we're a bit on the limit with the temperatures. It's hard for the cars at the moment." Sat 16:42 SS15: Neuville - He's completed in 20m15.4sec, that's 31sec faster than he managed in the same test this morning. "I tried a new diff mapping and it suddenly locked the wheels and we hit the bank. I've now changed the map back because it wasn't working." Sat 16:39 SS15: Meeke - The Citroën driver has a had a bit of a moment in this one! Pushing hard, the rear of his C3 has stepped out and in a fast right-hand bend and he's swiped the bank at the side of the road. Sat 16:34 SS15: Ogier - We now have five cars in the stage including rally leader Sébastien Ogier. Let's see how his battle with Kris Meeke plays out in this test. Sat 16:28 SS15: Neuville - We're hearing that the Belgian has slid off the road and clouted a bank for the second time in as many stages. Sat 16:21 SS15: Live - The action is back underway! Neuville is into the 26.37km test at Otates 2. Sat 16:15

23 SS15: Standby - We're watching the countdown on WRC+ All Live. Neuville will leave the start line at 1614hrs. Sat 16:12 WRC 2 Huttunen update - Hyundai has confirmed that the Finn has retired from today's action after discovering a leak in his i20 R5's fuel system. Sat 16:09 Stage info: SS15 - Otates 2, 26.37km Otates was driven last year under a different name and starts 6km later. It climbs and descends throughout, mixing fast open sections with tighter parts. There are many surface changes that blend smooth gravel with bumps and compressions. Sat 15:51 SS15: amended start time - The Otates 2 stage will now get underway at 1614hrs 20 minutes later than scheduled. There is heavy traffic on the road section. Sat 15:44 Mexico WRC 2 after SS14-1.Tidemand 3h03m06.1s, 2.Greensmith+5m02.5s, 3.Heller+10m48.9s, 4.Bulacia+16m51.2s, 5.Rovanperä+1h02m52.7s Sat 15:41 SS14: WRC 2 Rovanperä - The talented youngster goes fastest in this test, eclipsing Tidemand's time by an impressive 10.3sec. A great effort. Sat 15:31 SS14: WRC 2 Bulacia - The Bolivian WRC debutant is through but is now more than 16 minutes shy of Tidemand's benchmark pace.

24 Sat 15:28 Next stage: 1554hrs - That's when the Otates 2 (26.37km) test gets underway. Sat 15:24 SS14: WRC 2 Heller - The Fiesta driver is the next competitor to complete the first stage of the afternoon. However, he'd dropped another minute to Tidemand. Sat 15:20 SS14: WRC 2 Greensmith - The Briton is through, albeit 44.5sec slower than leader Tidemand. The gap between him and the Swede is now 5m02.5sec. "I took soft tyres to try something new because we're in the middle of nowhere. It didn't work because the time isn't vey good but it's knowledge I can take into next year." Sat 15:16 SS14: WRC 2 Tidemand - The category leader is safely through this one to maintain his already commanding lead. Sat 15:12 Mexico after SS14-1.Ogier 2h55m14.1s, 2.Meeke+3.8s, 3.Sordo+17.4s, 4.Mikkelsen+1m12.9s, 5.Loeb+2m08.2s, 6.Neuville+4m18.5s. Sat 15:08 SS14: Ogier - All the drama in this test means we have a new rally leader. Step forward Sébastien Ogier! He's gone from third to first in one stage and now leads Meeke by 3.8sec. Sat 15:05

25 SS14: Sordo - He's lost 30sec and dropped to third after also hitting tyre trouble. "There was a small stone at the beginning of the stage. The tyre broke and then delaminated close to the end." Sat 15:04 SS14: Loeb - He completes safely. But having to change a tyre and dropping more than two minutes has dropped him from first to fifth. "It was a stone on the line. Nothing really bad. I didn't think I'd have a puncture for that but I had one." Sat 15:01 SS14: Meeke - The Citroën driver is slower than Ogier and surrenders third place by 3.8sec. "I couldn't do much in there. I tried everything. In five corners I probably lost a tenth of a second. I couldn't do much more." Sat 14:56 SS14: Loeb - Disaster! The rally leader has stopped to change a front puncture. He's 21.5km through. They've changed the wheel in around 2 minutes but their lead is no more. Sat 14:55 SS14: Ogier - Wow! He's fastest by 21.7sec in this one. "I was pushing hard." Sat 14:52 SS14: Mikkelsen - He's second fastest. "In the position we're in, there's not much we can do. We went soft on the rear tyres and it felt okay but its still early days. I'm still not in the place I want to be." Sat 14:51

26 SS14: Latvala - He goes 3.7sec faster than Neuville in this test. "The target is to catch the car in front of me [Gus Greensmith]. He's four minutes ahead but we need to push." Sat 14:48 SS14: Neuville - He completes in 20m 35.5sec and his Hyundai is sporting some rear end damage after his early off. "The car is working fine. The rear is sliding a lot with the hard tyre and I hit the bank. I wasn't pushing hard." Sat 14:44 SS14: Ogier - The Frenchman is now the fastest man in the stage. He's already 6.7sec faster than Neuville at the first split (7.26km). Sat 14:40 SS14: Latvala - The Finn is currently the fastest man in the stage. He's 5.2sec up on Neuville at the third split (18.05km) Sat 14:36 Tyre update - All of the Michelin runners have taken 5 Hard (H4) tyres this afternoon, apart from Mikkelsen who has chosen 3 Soft (S5) and 2 Hard. Sat 14:31 SS14: Neuville - The Belgian has a big moment a short distance into the stage! He slides wide on a left-hand bend and the rear of his Hyundai clouts the bank hard. He recovers and gets back on his way. Sat 14:24 SS14: Live - Neuville is into the Guanajuatito test for the second time today. Standby for updates...

27 Sat 14:22 A quick recap - WRC returnee Sébastien Loeb holds a narrow 2.9sec lead over Dani Sordo heading into this afternoon's stages. A little further back, Kris Meeke and Sébastien Ogier are locked in third-equal place, 15.5sec off the lead. The Hyundai pairing of Andreas Mikkelsen and Thierry Neuville are next up, but some distance behind the leaders. Sat 14:07 Stage info: SS14 - Guanajuatito 2, 30.97km This is a different stage from last year, blending roads from 12 months ago with all-new tracks and a final 11km section last driven three years ago. It is a stage of contrasts, blisteringly fast sections mixed with tight and technical parts. It contains a couple of steep downhill roads and some tricky blind crests early on. Sat 14:02 What's to come? - This morning's three gravel stages are repeated this afternoon, before a pair of runs through the León Autodrome test and a second blast along the street stage in the city bring the day s action to a close. Sat 14:01 We're back - At the live text desk. The competitive action from Rally Guanajuato Mexico will restart in around 25 minutes... Sat 13:56 Next stage: 1421hrs - That's when the cars will dive into the Guanajuatito stage for the second time today. We'll resume our live text service then. Sat 12:21 Tänak retirement update: - "The stages seemed to have more grip than yesterday and I was feeling comfortable this morning. Then 7km before the end of SS11 we lost all drive and the turbo had failed. This is the way the sport is. I'm happy that we were competitive on our first gravel event with the team."

28 Sat 12:18 Mexico WRC 2 after SS13: - 1.Tidemand 2h41m41.9s, 2.Greensmith, 3.Heller 9m48.5s, 4.Bulacia 15m03.6s, 5.Huttunen 38m05.2s, 6.Rovanperä 1h03m03.0s. Sat 12:15 SS13: WRC 2 Rovanperä - The Finn is continuing his recovery after retiring on Friday with a radiator problem. "We've been really careful this morning. We're looking at the stages and learning them after what happened yesterday." Sat 12:06 SS13: WRC 2 Greensmith - The Fiesta driver has safely completed El Brinco 1 and remains second in the category. He's 7.7sec slower than Tidemand in this one. Sat 11:59 Service halt - The leading crews are now back at the Rally Campus Service Park in Leon to prepare their cars for this afternoon's loop of stages. The action resumes at 1421hrs. Sat 11:58 SS13: WRC 2 Tidemand - The Swede continues to set the pace in WRC 2. "It's been going well this morning. This stage was nice and the car is working really well. For sure, let's keep going like this." Sat 11:55 SS13: Suninen - The M-Sport driver is ninth fastest in this one. But he's not happy. "I was driving too carefully. I should use the grip more in the high-speed corners." Sat 11:48

29 SS13: Lappi - The eighth-placed Finn's Yaris is missing its front splitter. But he's unsure why. "No, I think everything was fine. It seems the time was bad but I thought I drove okay." Sat 11:45 Mexico after SS13-1.Loeb 2h34m48.5s, 2.Sordo 2.9s, 3.Meeke 15.5s, 3=Ogier 15.5s, 5.Mikkelsen 1m05.2s, 6.Neuville 4m08.6s. Sat 11:42 SS13: Sordo - A great performance from the Spaniard. He goes second quickest to slash Loeb's rally lead to 2.9sec. "I was really happy. The balance of the car was much better. We were struggling with the traction in the slower stages this morning but this was much faster and better. I'm happy to come back a little bit." Sat 11:40 SS13: Loeb - The rally leader is only fourth fastest in this one but it looks like he'll retain his lead. "I'm happy to be in the fight like this. It will be difficult to maintain the gap because I lost some time in the last two stages but we'll try to stay in front." Sat 11:36 SS13: Meeke - He's only third fastest and, amazingly, now shares third place with Ogier. "I made some mistakes in here. The car stalled on me braking into a corner and then I ran wide on another corner near the finish. It was a bit scrappy, to be honest." Sat 11:33 SS13: Ogier - He's fastest by 49.7sec. "We didn't have the starter motor but that's okay. The stage was alright but I was scared to stall on the start line. I'm already looking forward to this afternoon with a good rhythm for the second loop." Sat 11:28

30 SS13: Mikkelsen - The Norwegian completes third fastest but he's not happy with his speed. He's hoping to improve this afternoon. Sat 11:25 SS13: Ogier - We're hearing that Ogier has encountered some kind of starter motor problem before this test. But he's into the test as we speak. More as we get it... Sat 11:23 SS13: Latvala - The Finn goes fastest by 1.5sec in this test as he looks to recover from his retirement on Friday. Sat 11:19 SS13: Neuville - He's through El Brinco 1 in 5m33.8s. "We knew it would be difficult this weekend because of our road position. It's really frustrating for us. But it's part of the game." Sat 11:15 SS12: WRC 2 Heller - The Fiesta driver reaches the finish and stays third overall. But it hasn't been a smooth passage for the Chilean entrant. "We're having fun but losing time. The lines aren't so clean so we're less efficient. We're going very sideways. Hopefully it will be better this afternoon." Sat 11:13 SS13: Live - Neuville is into the final stage of the morning before Service. Sat 11:10 SS12: WRC 2 Greensmith - He competes and stays second in WRC 2. "We had a puncture on the first stage this morning so I was trying to keep it clean in that stage. We're a bit in limbo with the gap in front and behind so there's not point taking any unnecessary risks."

31 Sat 11:09 Stage info: SS13 - El Brinco 1, 9.98km El Brinco is famous for its big jump close to the finish. The test is wide open and fast from start to end, with several washaways. Identical to 2017 apart from the start being moved forwards by 100 metres. Sat 11:05 SS12: WRC 2 Tidemand - The category leader is safely through Saturday's second test. "It's hard to find a really good rhythm but I think I found an okay feeling in the end. If you try to save too much the car is not working. We've just been trying to find a good balance." Sat 11:04 Next stage: 1108hrs - That's when the 9.98km El Brinco 1 test will spark into life. Sat 11:01 Mexico after SS12: - 1.Loeb 2h29m15.7s, 2.Sordo+6.0s, 3.Meeke+15.6s, 4.Ogier+19.1s, 5.Mikkelsen+1m02.5s, 6.Neuville+4m07.6s. Sat 10:58 SS12: Sordo - He completes 0.9sec slower than Loeb and stays second. The gap between the two is now 6.0sec. "I had a good feeling in the car but the time is not good." Sat 10:55 SS12: Loeb - The rally leader is only third fastest in this test. He's dropped 10.6sec to Meeke. "Kris has done a very good time, for sure. It wasn't a good stage for me; very narrow and tricky at the end. I drove as well as I could but it wasn't enough." Sat 10:52

32 SS12: Meeke - The Ulsterman responds to Ogier's pressure and goes 2.4sec faster than his rival. That means he holds onto his third place by an overall margin of 3.5sec. "It's so technical in there; corner to corner to corner. I'm happy with my time." Sat 10:45 SS12: Ogier - Wow. The Fiesta driver goes 17.4sec faster than Neuville. "I tried to push I cannot do more. It's very slippery and I'm on the limit." Sat 10:42 SS12: Mikkelsen - The Norwegian goes second fastest behind Neuville. He's 0.1sec down. "That was a twisty and narrow stage. But my rhythm was better than it was in the first stage." Sat 10:40 SS12: Latvala - The Finn is 3.0sec slower than Neuville. "I was struggling for traction and was trying to use the higher gears to get grip. I'm not sure it worked." Sat 10:38 SS12: Neuville - He's the first to complete the stage in 20m46.7s. Sat 10:35 SS12: Ogier - The Frenchman is on another charge! He's currently 8.9sec up on Neuville at the second split (6.47km). Meeke's third place could be under threat... Sat 10:32 SS12: Neuville - The sixth-placed driver has now passed the second split (6.47km) in the stage. Sat 10:23

33 SS12: Live - Neuville's Hyundai i20 WRC has left the stage start. We are go! Sat 10:11 SS12: Standby - We're watching the countdown on WRC+ All Live. Neuville will leave the start line at 1011hrs. Sat 10:05 Tänak - The Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team has confirmed the Estonian has retired from the rally after his troubles in SS11. That promotes Neuville into sixth place overall. Sat 10:03 Stage info: SS12 - Otates 1, 26.37km Otates was driven last year under a different name and starts 6km later. It climbs and descends throughout, mixing fast open sections with tighter parts. There are many surface changes that blend smooth gravel with bumps and compressions. Sat 09:43 Mexico WRC 2 after SS11-1.Tidemand 2h14m42.9s, 2.Greensmith 3m49.9s, 3.Heller 8m27.8s, 4.Bulacia 8m47.0s, 5.Huttunen 37m35.7s, 6.Rovanperä 1h2m48.2s Sat 09:41 SS11: WRC 2 Greensmith - The Briton has safely completed Saturday's first stage. He's 42.5sec slower than leader Tidemand but still remains second overall in the WRC 2 category. Sat 09:34

34 Next stage: 1011hrs - The leading crews are now heading to the 26.37km Otates 1 stage. Just 40 minutes until that one gets underway... Sat 09:32 SS11: WRC 2 Tidemand - The WRC 2 leader has completed the first test of the day. He's ninth fastest overall with 21m41.9sec Sat 09:30 Mexico after SS11-1.Loeb 2h08m38.2s, 2.Sordo 5.1s, 3.Meeke 26.2s, 4.Ogier 27.3s, 5.Mikkelsen 51.9s, 6.Tänak 2m50.2s Sat 09:27 SS11: Lappi - The Toyota driver completes fifth fastest. Sat 09:24 SS11: Tänak - The Estonian's lack of power has dropped him from second to sixth place in this test. He's now 2m50sec shy of the rally lead. Sat 09:21 SS11: Meeke - To recap, the Citroën driver has capitalised on Tänak's problems and moved into third place overall. Ogier is now 0.1sec behind heading into SS12. Sat 09:20 SS11: Sordo - The Spaniard is only fourth fastest and loses the lead to Loeb. " I wasn't confident in the stage and the car was moving a lot. I also had brake problems. It's not a stage I like very narrow and slippery." Sat 09:18

35 SS11: Loeb - The nine-time champion goes fastest and could take the rally lead in this test. "I tried to have a good wake up because the rhythm you have in the first stage is important for me. I pushed hard and had a goof feeing in the car. No problem." Sat 09:15 SS11: Tänak - Disaster for the Estonian. He'd completed the stage but dropped 2m46sec. "I don't know what the problem is, we have 20 horse power maybe." Sat 09:13 SS11: Tänak - The Toyota man is driving slowly through the stage. With tape trailing from his car, it looks like he's had an off-road excursion and picked up some damage. More as we get it... Sat 09:10 SS11: Ogier - The five-time champ is on a massive charge! He goes fastest by 24.6sec to see off Mikkelsen. "I tried my best for sure. The road position is better today with more grip. It's still cleaning so it might be hard to fight with people like Tänak." Sat 09:06 SS11: Mikkelsen - The Hyundai driver completes and is second fastest so far. But it looks like he'll drop quite a bit of time in his bid to chase Ogier. "There was one pace note I misunderstood; it was really fast but I thought it was slow. It was braking on a straight. I really have to do better." Sat 09:03 SS11: Latvala - The Finn completes and is the fastest so far by 7.5sec. "I was thinking why is there so much dust with three minute intervals? Thierry's problems explain it." Sat 09:00

36 SS11: Neuville - The Hyundai man has completed the stage. "It took more than a minute to start the engine after the water splash and then we had a slow puncture for the final seven kilometres." Sat 08:58 SS11: Neuville - The Hyundai man has completed the stage. "It took more than a minute to start the engine after the water splash and then we had a slow puncture for the final seven kilometres." Sat 08:58 SS11: Neuville - The Hyundai man has completed the stage. "It took more than a minute to start the engine after the water splash and then we had a slow puncture for the final seven kilometres." Sat 08:58 SS11: Ogier - The M-Sport man, currently fifth overall, is extending his advantage over Mikkelsen in this one. He's 12.2sec ahead of his rival at the third split. Sat 08:56 SS11: Neuville - He's now through the third split at 12.66km. But he's already 1.24sec slower than Latvala who's following behind. Sat 08:49 SS11: Neuville - His early drama in this test look to be behind him. He's reached the first split (4.27km) in a time of 6m17.3s. Sat 08:43 SS11: Latvala and Mikkelsen - Both men have now joined Neuville in the 30.97km stage.

37 Sat 08:40 SS11: Neuville - We're hearing the Hyundai driver is back on the move again. More as we get it... Sat 08:38 SS11: Neuville - Oh dear. We're hearing Neuville has stopped 0.8km into the opener. Sounds like he's had an issue after the water splash...more as we get it. Sat 08:36 SS11: Neuville - The championship leader is into the opening stage... Sat 08:34 SS11: Standby - We're watching the countdown on WRC+ All Live. Neuville will leave the start line at 0833hrs. Sat 08:27 Start intervals - There will be three-minute intervals between the World Rally Car and WRC 2 entrants today. Sat 08:21 Saturday's running order - Drivers will go in reverse order today. Here's how the world rally car runners will line up: 1.Neuville, 2.Latvala, 3.Mikkelsen, 4.Ogier, 5.Meeke, 6.Tänak, 7.Loeb, 8.Sordo. Sat 08:20 Stage info: SS11 - Guanajuatito 1, 30.97km This is a different stage from last year, blending roads from 12 months ago with all-new tracks and a final 11km section last driven three years ago. It is a stage of contrasts, blisteringly fast sections mixed

38 with tight and technical parts. It contains a couple of steep downhill roads and some tricky blind crests early on. Sat 08:18 Weather - It's another glorious day in Mexico with sunshine, blue sky and a temperature of 12 C. We're expecting temperatures in Leon to peak at 28 C later on. Sat 08:17 Saturday's vital stats - Start: 0833hrs. Number of stages: 9. Stage distance: km. Finish: 2036hrs Sat 08:12 Look out for... - El Brinco. Run twice today, this 9.98km test is wide and fast from start to finish. The undoubted highlight is the famous big jump close to the finish. Plenty of air to be had! Sat 08:08 Saturday's itinerary 2/2 - The morning's three gravel stages are repeated after the lunchtime return to the Campus Service Park. The third and fourth runs through the León Autodrome test and a second blast along the street stage in the city bring the day s action to a close. Sat 08:08 Saturday's itinerary 1/2 - Crews will tackle nine stages and complete km of competitive driving today. The first of two runs through the 30.97km of Guanajuatito gets the action underway and precedes Otates (26.37km) and El Brinco (9.98km). Sat 08:06 So, what's happening? - Ten stages down and the action is really starting to hot up at the head of the leaderboard. The main talking point? Sébastien Loeb's rise into second place. Can he move into the lead today?

39 Sat 08:04 We're live - On wrc.com and the WRC app, bringing you text updates about all the on-stage action Sat 08:03 Buenos días - And welcome back to Rally Guanajuato Mexico. It's day three... Sat 08:02 Until then - Keep an eye on wrc.com for all the latest news and analysis, and don't forget the 'All Live' service on WRC+ for stage recaps and loads of exclusive extras. Ciao for now. Fri 21:02 Join us on Saturday - When the rally resumes with a further nine special stages and km of competition. The first of two runs through the 30.97km of Guanajuatito gets the action underway at 0833hrs Fri 21:01 Leaders through - And that's where we'll end our live text coverage today Fri 20:58 Mexico WRC2 after SS10-1.Tidemand 1h53m01.0s, 2.Greensmith 3m07.4, 3.Heller 7m28.2s, 4.Bulacia Wilkinson 7m35.9s Fri 20:57 Mexico WRC2 after SS9-1.Tidemand 1h51m18.4s, 2.Greensmith +3m35.8, 3.Heller +7m23.4s, 4.Bulacia Wilkinson +7m.32.0s

40 Fri 20:56 Mexico after SS10-1.Sordo 1h47m55.4s, 2.Loeb +7.2s, 3.Tanak +11.0s, 4.Meeke +25.0s, 5.Ogier +30.2s. Fri 20:51 Mexico after SS9-1.Sordo 1h46m17.3s, 2.Loeb +7.8s, 3.Tanak +11.8s, 4.Meeke +24.2s, 5.Ogier +31.0s. Latvala retires pre stage (alternator) Fri 20:49 SS9/10: Tidemand / Bulacia - WRC 2 leader Tidemand has the upper hand in both heats. His overnight advantage stands at more than three minutes. "I've really enjoyed it today. Nice stages, good pace notes. The team engineers have given me a fantastic car," he says. Fri 20:46 SS9/10: Loeb - Seb gets both lanes to himself for his runs. His times are good enough for 4th quickest on SS9 and 3rd on SS10. He ends the day in second place, 7.2sec off Sordo's lead. "It has been a very good day for me to get back in the rhythm. I didn't know what to expect but we are here and that's great news. The sensation in a car like this is extreme - I enjoyed it." Fri 20:39 SS9/10: Meeke / Sordo - Rally leader Sordo claims both heat wins. "Not a perfect day," he says. "In the afternoon we made a mistake with the tyres, but I'm trying. It's been a long day today and this is a long rally. Tomorrow we need to continue to push." Meeke says he struggled on this stage. "You can't see anything through the dust. I've made some silly mistakes today. Without those I could have been right in there with Dani and Seb. That's life." Fri 20:33 SS9/10: Tanak / Mikkelsen - Tanak wins the first and second heats here and ends the day in third position. "We tried to take the best out of what we had today.

41 When the car performs it is strong. Unfortunately today we had some issues. The engineers improved things for the second loop. Tomorrow's road position should be more enjoyable." Fri 20:23 SS9/10: Neuville / Ogier - No surprise that Neuville, with his steering issue, is slower than Ogier here. He is 4.5sec adrift on the first pass and 2.7sec slower on the second. "I did what I could. I've done three stages with the steering issue," said Neuville. Ogier is unhappy to be third on the road tomorrow. Fri 20:15 Latvala update - Retired after SS8 with alternator failure. "It's been a tough day for me. Problems with the engine temperature going high but that was under control. But a couple of hundred metres into Ortega the battery voltage warning came on and later we lost the alternator. We'll try to get back in the points. There might be a chance for ninth or tenth place." Fri 20:03 Next stage: 2006hrs - That's when the first pair of cars will start the stage. We'll resume our live text service then. Fri 18:47 Stage info: SS9 / SS10 - SSS Autódromo de León 1 / 2, 2.30km. The first of two double runs at León's motor racing circuit where two cars at a time race head-tohead. The stage is well-liked by the drivers, mixing asphalt and gravel and featuring a big jump and a water splash. Fri 18:45 Up next: LFZ - That's the Light Fitting Zone before today's final two tests at the Autodromo de Leon Fri 18:43

42 SS8: WRC 2 Greensmith - "The gap's big to Pontus ahead, but it's not so bad when you're driving in the middle of the road. Today has been a good drive, no mistakes." Fri 18:36 SS8: WRC 2 Bulacia - "We have had a good day on very difficult stages. A serious problem with water temperature meant we had to slow a little bit but we are happy." Fri 18:36 Mexico after SS8-1.Sordo 1h44m37.9s, 2.Loeb +7.9s, 3.Tanak +13.4s, 4.Meeke +23.9s, 5.Ogier +31.6s. Spin for Meeke, Tanak up to 3rd. Loeb and Tanak joint stage winners. Fri 18:31 SS8: Loeb - Joint quickest with Tanak and Loeb is just 7.9sec off Sordo's rally lead! "A good drive, I pushed really hard. We know Tanak is very, very good in the fast stages. For me a good drive, no mistakes. The car was okay, good tyre choice no problem. Difficult to do more." Fri 18:25 SS8: Sordo - Fifth quickest. "I think we make a small mistake with the tyres today. We were are struggling all the time. The traction was okay but the lateral grip was nothing. We took a risk, it's like this. I expected to be in the fight, we were quick here last year, but Sebastien is coming really fast on us. It's annoying eh?" Fri 18:22 SS8: Meeke - 12sec off the pace and Kris looks furious. What happened? "A simple spin. I just dropped a wheel into one of these little off camber corners. I spun and had to reverse through the dust." Fri 18:11

43 SS8: Mikkelsen - 2sec slower than Ogier in stage and he drops behind in the standings. "We tried to stay in front, and we had a clean stage but always I'm losing time. We need to understand why." Fri 18:08 SS8: Tanak - Quickest so far. "It's been not so bad today. Really tough to manage all this, but I tried my best." Fri 18:04 SS8: Latvala - Quickest so far but his car has a problem. There is a battery warning flashing on the dash and Jari-Matti is blipping the throttle furiously. "I think something is wrong with the alternator," he says before leaving for the next stage. Fri 18:00 SS8: Ogier - "We had hard tyres here and they worked a bit better than the softs I think. It's a shame about the spin on the previous stage but in this position sometimes you have to take risks. We tried our best." Fri 17:56 SS8: Neuville - He's through in 10m00.8s and there is pain etched on his face. It's been a tough day for Thierry. "Yeah and it's not finished yet," he says. "Struggling a bit with the car, I have a problem with the steering." Fri 17:54 SS8: LIVE - Neuville well underway, and from the cries of pain we can hear over the intercom all is not well. Fri 17:51