09/3 - 23:04
With the cancellation of SS9 we will say good evening. We hope you enjoyed the live feed from day one of Rally Mexico. Make sure you join MOtors TV tomorrow morning for the full report from day one beginning at 09h00 (UK) and 08h55 (CET).
09/3 - 23:02
1 Loeb 2 Hirvonen+4.5s 3 Ostberg+1:02.1s 4 Latvala +1:19.9s 5 Tanak+1:30.4s 6 Solberg +1:35.8s 7 Novikov+1:48.6s 8 Atkinson+2:39.6s 9 Al-Attiyah + 2:56.4s 10 Araujo +3:13.2s 09/3 - 23:02
SS8 1 Latvala 2 Solberg +1.0s 3 Loeb+1.2s 4 Hirvonen +2.0s 5 Tanak+5.5s 6 Ostberg+8.2s 7 Novikov+12.7s 8 Al-Attiyah +15.3s 9 Atkinson+16.5s 10 Araujo+21.0s 09/3 - 23:01
Solberg is through the stage, 1 second down from Latvala. "I had a puncture on the stage before, I hit a rock, I tried to avoid it but it is very difficult. The car is fantastic and tomorrow will be a very long day and the others might get a puncture, so I think the next two days will be interesting. We won't have the best starting positions tomorrow, me and Jari, but we will find out if we can catch back up." 09/3 - 22:57
Hirvonen is through the stage, 2 seconds down from Latvala. "It was a little better. Jari-Matti is still far behind, but if he keeps going like this we will have to push or he will catch us. We have to try to hang on."09/3 - 22:55
Loeb is through the stage, 1.2s down from Latvala. "We hard pushing hard for sure. We will try to work on our set-up. Usually they are slower than us here, but this time it is not the same thing."09/3 - 22:52
Loeb is 1.1s down from Latvala at split 2.09/3 - 22:52
Latvala is through the stage, 5.5s up from Tanak. "We have to try to attack and get back on the podium after hitting the rocks this morning. If I can pressure the Citroens that is good, but they have a comfortable lead for the moment."09/3 - 22:49
Loeb is 0.2s up from Latvala at split 1.09/3 - 22:49
Latvala is 3.8s up from Tanak at split 2.09/3 - 22:48
Novikov is through the stage, 7.2s down from Tanak. "Now, it is much better, everything is fine for the moment. We just have some short stage now and a very long day tomorrow. We will keep pushing."09/3 - 22:46
Ostberg is through the stage, 2.7s down from Tanak. "There is a hole in the car, so there is a lot of dust inside. A timing box came undone and got in the way of my feet."09/3 - 22:39
Tanak is through the stage, 9.8s up from Al-Attiyah. "I don'tthink our base set-up is the best, so we are just trying to keep the car on the line. It is important for us to gain experience. We had to push on thos one to keep Novikov behind us for tomorrow."09/3 - 22:36
Al-Attiyah is through the stage with best time so far at 7:58.9s. "I am quite happy and I am looking forward to tomorrow. I am really enjoying driving a world rally car."09/3 - 22:27
1 Loeb 2 Hirvonen+3.7s 3 Ostberg+55.1s 4 Latvala +1:21.1s 5 Tanak+1:26.1s 6 Solberg +1:36.0s 7 Novikov+1:37.1s 8 Atkinson+2:24.3s 9 Al-Attiyah + 2:42.3s 10 Araujo+3:13.2s 09/3 - 22:24
SS7 1 Latvala 2 Loeb+4.2s 3 Hirvonen +5.7s 4 Ostberg+12.7s 5 Solberg +12.8s 6 Novikov+16.3s 7 Tanak+18.0s 8 Al-Attiyah +22.1s 9 Atkinson+24.7s 10 Block+31.3s 09/3 - 22:22
Solberg is through the stage, 12.8s down from Latvala. "I think I have a left side flat tyre. It was not so good."09/3 - 22:20
Hirvonen is through the stage, 5.7s down from Latvala. "The stage wasn't bad, I really tried to push, but Sébastien was fast. He is really fast with this car. There is still a ong way to go, so I will keep trying."09/3 - 22:18
Los Mexicanos 2 (9.76kms) is underway. Sébastien Loeb set best time of 7:53.3s this morning.09/3 - 22:16
Loeb is through the stage, 4.2s down from Latvala. "Its okay for the moment. We are pushing very hard, it is very clos with Mikko. There was more grip than the first pass. I made a small mistake and lost maybe one second."09/3 - 22:14
Loeb is 3 seconds down from Latvala at split 3.09/3 - 22:13
Latvala is through the stage, 12.7s up from Ostberg.09/3 - 22:12
Latvala is 11.3s up from Ostberg at the final split.09/3 - 22:12
Latvala is 2.4s up from Loeb at split 2.09/3 - 22:10
Novikov is through the stage, 3.6s down from Ostberg. 09/3 - 22:09
Latvala is 0.9s up from Hirvonen at split 1.09/3 - 22:09
Latvala is 0.5s up from Loeb at split 1.09/3 - 22:08
Latvala is 8.2s up from Ostebrg at split 2.09/3 - 22:07
Ostberg is through the stage, 5.3s up from Tanak.09/3 - 22:05
Ostberg is 2.5s up from Tanak at the final split.09/3 - 22:01
Tanak is through the stage, 4.1s up from Al-Attiyah.09/3 - 21:58
Al-Attiyah is through the stage, 3.2s up from Atkinson.09/3 - 21:56
Atkinson is through the stage, 6.6s up from Block. "I am trying. We have always been fast in Mexico, but I can't keep up with fast guys. I just have to keep trying."09/3 - 21:53
Ken Block is through the stage in 11:34.4s. "This pass was a lot more fun. I had more confidence and we had fresh tyres for this stage. I am happy to have put in a clean run. These stages are beautiful, it has been fun, but I wish I was in a much better position." 09/3 - 21:41
SS6 1 Latvala 2 Loeb+6.9s 3 Solberg +8.1s 4 Hirvonen +9.7s 5 Ostberg+14.2s 6 Novikov+15.8s 7 Tanak+17.3s 8 Al-Attiyah +20.6s 9 Atkinson+24.1s 10 Araujo+34.8s 09/3 - 21:37
1 Loeb 2 Hirvonen+2.2s 3 Ostberg+46.6s 4 Tanak+1:12.3s 5 Novikov+1:25 .0s 6 Latvala +1:25.3s 7 Solberg +1:27.4s 8 Atkinson+2:03.8s 9 Al-Attiyah +2:24.4s 10Araujo + 2:37.8s09/3 - 21:37
Las Minas 2 (15.21kms) is underway. Latvala set best time of 11:22.9s on the morning pass. 09/3 - 21:27
Solberg is through the stage, 8.1s down from Latvala. "It is working very well. I didn(t get all the splits, I could have gone faster. We are so far behind, but we will do the best we can."09/3 - 21:23
Hirvonen is through the stage, 9.7s down from Latvala. "Loeb takes the laed, but Jari-Matti set an incredible time. There is still a long way to go , so I need to speed up."09/3 - 21:21
Loeb is through the stage, 6.9s down from Latvala. "The fight continues with Mikko and Jari-Matti is very fast. I was seven seconds slower than Latvala, so I still have to go flat out. There are still over 300kms to go, so I have to push. Latvala is very fast !"09/3 - 21:19
Loeb is 1.8s up from Hirvonen at split 4.09/3 - 21:18
Loeb is 4.8s down from Latvala at the final split.09/3 - 21:18
Latvala is through the stage,14.2s up from Ostberg. "Now, the car is perfect, they did a lot of work in service, but of course it was disappointing to have problems when you are in the lead. This is a long rally at over 400kms and anything can happen." 09/3 - 21:16
Loeb is 0.4s up from Hirvonen at split 2.09/3 - 21:15
Latvala is 3.9s up from Loeb at split 3.09/3 - 21:15
Novikov is through the stage, 1.6s down from Ostberg. "Everything is fine, the shifter is much better now. We will try to keep the same speed for the next stages."09/3 - 21:13
Neuville has gone off and torn off a wheel. He and co-driver are okay, but there chnace for a strong result is over.09/3 - 21:13
Mads Ostberg is through the stage, 3.1s up from Tanak. " Half way into the stage in a narrow section and it seems he wnet off and took one wheel off. He is okay, but it is a shame because we were having a good fight. This is a strange rally, no pressure !"09/3 - 21:10
Ostberg is 3.4s up from Tanak at the final split.09/3 - 21:07
Ostberg is 1.8s up from Tanak and Neuville at split 3.09/3 - 21:07
Neuville is on equal time with Tanak at split 3.09/3 - 21:06
Tanak is through the stage, 3.3s up from Al-Attiyah. "I tried some different tyres. It may not have been the fastest strategy, but maybe I will have fresh tyres for the later stages."09/3 - 21:03
Al-Attiyah is through the stage, 3.5s up from Atkinson.09/3 - 21:02
SS9 HAS BEEN CANCELLED ON SAFETY GROUNDS. Earlier, spectators threw stones at the cars.The windscreen on Thierry Neuville's Citroen was hit by stone at speed.09/3 - 21:00
Tanak is 3.1s up from Atkinson at split 3.09/3 - 20:59
Atkinson is through the stage with best time so far at 13:35.9s09/3 - 20:54
Ogier is through the stage over 12 seconds dnwon from Araujo, may have just been a signal problem from the car.09/3 - 20:52
No splits from Ogier at split 3, he may have a problem.09/3 - 20:36
El Cubilete 2 (22.12km) is underway. On the first pass this morning it was rally leader, Mikko Hirvonen setting best time at 13:23.6s.09/3 - 19:24
Gerrard Quinn from Ford WRT on Wolrd Rally Radio : "Jari hit a rock on the last stage and broke a front suspension arm. Both he and Petter lost time and places this morning and they have alot of work to do this afternoon. Jari was really fast this morning and it was unfortunate he hit a rock, but you have to dapt to these kinds of things."09/3 - 19:22
Sébastien Loeb on World Rally Radio : "It is very close with Mikko. Jari was very fast until he had his problem. The grip wa changing all the time. The first stage was wide and fast on concrete and the next two were very narrow. I am pretty happy with the set-up of the car. We will keep pushing hard."09/3 - 19:20
Mikko Hirvonen on World Rally Radio : "The stages, especially the last one are very difficult. Since they changed these stages, they are trickier. I didn't have any tyre problems, I am happy with the car. We will make small changes to the dampers and I am vry happy with it."09/3 - 19:17
Petter Solberg on World Rally Radio : "It was a frustrating morning. I was trying hard and on the first stage, I damaged a tyre when I clipped a rock, which did damage to the bodywork and then on the next stage I drove flat out and made a mistake and ruined the tyres, which cost us more time. The mechanics will fix the body damage. I will try to get up to fourth place before the end of the day."09/3 - 19:14
Mads Ostberg on World Rally Radio : "It has been a good morning. It is okay to find the right pace. It is so narrow in some places. The result so far is good, but I kno Petter and Jari will be very quick this afternoon. Thierry Neuville has done a good job too. We will make some changes to the car, because we are losing so much time on the uphill sections. We're losing 1.5s per km on the uphill sections. We might have a traction problem or an issue with the enginge, but I think we can run the same times or even faster this afternoon."09/3 - 19:10
Thierry Neuville on Wolrd Rally Radio : "It was okay this morning, we are a litle bit surprised. They were new stages for everyone, which made it easier for us. We are happy so far. There is a lot of grip on these stages, I went too fast late in the last stage and I ruined the tyres. The other drivers with more experience know you have to slow down. We will learn this as we go. Everything is okay so far with the car. I think we can push a little bit harder."09/3 - 19:07
Evgeny Novikov on Wolrd Rally Radio : "It wasn't so good this morning. I was still learning the car and the plan for the second session is to go to the maximum. I had a problem with the gear shift, which cost me some time."09/3 - 19:05
Chris Atkinson on World Rally Radio : "The first stage was good considering our road position and that this was the first time I was in the car. Unfortunately, a puncture dropped us back and we couldn't run with guys like Tanak and Novikov. It would have been better if we didn't have that puncture. The balance in th car is alright, I was taking it easy this morning. Hopefully, I will be able to move up a few positions and have better road position tomorrow." 09/3 - 19:03
Ken Block on World Rally Radio : "It wasn't so bad, but the times were not what I wanted. The guysinfront of me didn't help me with their lines. The tyres went off and I then went off the road into a ditch and did some suspension damage. We decided to pull over to let Atkinson go by and we lost a lot of time. The last stage was frustrating, if it wasn't for that we would be better placed in the overall. We will make some changes to the car, and I think we'll have more grip and we will be able to have more fun! Hopefully it will all be better this afternoon and the tyres will work better." 09/3 - 18:07
SS5 1 Loeb 2 Hirvonen +1.2s 3 Solberg +4.3s 4 Ostberg+12.5s 5 Tanak+22.7s 6 Novikov+26.2s 7 Neuville+26.5s 8 Araujo +46.1s 9 Atkinson+52.0s 10 Ogier +53.4s 09/3 - 18:05
1 Hirvonen 2 Loeb+0.6s 3 Ostberg+39.9s 4 Neuville+45.1s 5 Tanak+1:02.5s 6 Novikov+1:16 .7s 7 Solberg +1:26.8 8 Latvala +1:32.8 9 Atkinson+1:47.2s 10 Araujo + 2:10.5s 09/3 - 18:01
Hirvonen is through the stage, 1.2s from Loeb. Hirvonen is the new leader of the rally with Loeb second at 0.6s back in second overall. 09/3 - 17:58
Loeb has gone quickest so far, 12.5s up from Ostberg.09/3 - 17:57
Latvala is through the stage and has droped a massive amount of time as completes the stage. Over a minute 20 to Ostberg.09/3 - 17:54
Latvala has dropped 40 seconds to Ostberg in the final split.09/3 - 17:53
Latvala is 1.2s up from Loeb at split 3.09/3 - 17:52
Novikokv is through the stage, 13.7s down from Ostberg.09/3 - 17:50
Hirvonen is 0.6s down from Latvala and 1.4s down from Loeb at split 1.09/3 - 17:49
Ostberg is through the stage, 10.2s up from Tanak.09/3 - 17:49
Latvala is 0.9s up from Loeb at split 2.09/3 - 17:48
Neuville is through the stage, 3.8s down from Tanak.09/3 - 17:47
Loeb is 0.8s up from Latvala at split 1.09/3 - 17:46
Latvala is 8.6s up from Tanak at aplit 2.09/3 - 17:46
Neuville is 2 seconds up from Tanak at the final split.09/3 - 17:45
Neuville is 6.2s up from Ostberg at split 4.09/3 - 17:44
Tanak is through the stage, 29.3s up from Atkinson.09/3 - 17:43
Neuville is 4.8s up from Ostberg at split 3.09/3 - 17:42
Neuville is 0.1s up from Tanak at split 4.09/3 - 17:41
Neuville is 6.2s up from Atkinson at split 3. 09/3 - 17:41
Tanak is 15.3s up from Atkinson at split 4.09/3 - 17:40
Atkinson is through SS5 in a time of 15:00.7s09/3 - 17:39
SS4 1 Loeb 2 Latvala +2.7s 3 Hirvonen +3.7s 4 Solberg +5.4s 5 Neuville+7.3s 6 Ostberg+8.8s 7 Tanak+10.0s 8 Novikov+15.3s 9 Atkinson+21.7s 10 Al-Attiyah+23.0s 09/3 - 17:36
1 Latvala 2 Hirvonen+2.2s 3 Loeb+4.0s 4 Neuville+22.0s 5 Ostberg+30.8s 6 Tanak+43.1s 7 Novikov+ 53.9s 8 Atkinson+58.6s 9 Al-Attiyah+1:11.4s 10 Block+1:26.8s 09/3 - 17:34
Hirvonen is through the stage, 3.7s down from Loeb.09/3 - 17:32
Hirvonen is 4 seconds down from Loeb at split 2.09/3 - 17:31
Loeb is through the stage, 2.7s up from Latvala.09/3 - 17:31
Loeb is 2.4s up from Latvala at split 2.09/3 - 17:30
Latvala is through the stage, 4.6s up from Neuville.09/3 - 17:28
Loeb is 1.3s up from Hirvonen at split 1. 09/3 - 17:27
Hirvonen is 1.1s up from Latvala at split 1.09/3 - 17:26
Latvala is 3.4s up from Neuville at the final split.09/3 - 17:25
Novikov is through the stage, 8 seconds down form Neuville.09/3 - 17:25
Loeb is 1.5s up from Neuville at split 1.09/3 - 17:24
Loeb is 2.4s up from Latvala at split 1.09/3 - 17:23
Novikov is 6.1s down from Neuville at the final split.09/3 - 17:22
Ostberg is through the stage, 1.5s down from Neuville. 09/3 - 17:21
Latvala is 0.9s down from Neuville at split 1.09/3 - 17:20
Neuville is through the stage, 2.7s up from Tanak.09/3 - 17:17
Neuville is 0.4s up from Ostebrg at split one.09/3 - 17:17
Neuville is 1.7s up from Tanak at split 2.09/3 - 17:16
Tanak is through the stage,11.7s up from Atkinson. 09/3 - 17:15
Neuville is 0.9s up from Tanak at the opening split.09/3 - 17:14
Tanak is 6.9s up from Atkinson at split 209/3 - 17:14
Al-Attiyah is through the stage,1.3s down from Atkinson. 09/3 - 17:11
Ortega 1 (23.69km)is running.09/3 - 17:11
Atkinson is in with a reference time of 8:15.0s09/3 - 17:03
SS3 1 Latvala 2 Loeb +1.9s 3 Hirvonen +2.2s 4 Neuville+9.2s 5 Ostberg+10.8s 6 Tanak+20.9s 7 Atkinson+22.6s 8 Novikov+23.4s 9 Solberg +29.5s 10 Al-Attiyah+30.1s 09/3 - 17:01
1 Latvala 2 Hirvonen +1.2s 3 Loeb +6.7s 4 Neuville +17.4s 5 Ostberg +24.7s 6 Tanak +35.9s 7 Atkinson +39.6s 8 Novikov + 41.3s 9 Al-Attiyah +51.1s 10 Block +1:04.5s 09/3 - 17:00
Solberg is through the stage,29.5s down from Latvala.09/3 - 16:56
Hirvonen is through the stage, 2.2s down from Latvala.09/3 - 16:55
Hirvonen is 1.4s down from Latvala at split.09/3 - 16:53
Loeb is through the stage, 1.9s down from Latvala.09/3 - 16:52
Hirvonen is 1.3s up from Loeb at split 2.09/3 - 16:51
Hirvonen is 1.5s down from Latvala at split 2.09/3 - 16:51
Loeb is 1.9s down from Latvala at the final split.09/3 - 16:50
Latvala is through the stage, 9.2s up from Neuville.09/3 - 16:50
Latvala is 7 seconds up from Neuville at the final split.09/3 - 16:49
Novikov is through the stage, 14.6s down from Neuville.09/3 - 16:49
Los Mexicanos 1 (9.76kms) is underway.09/3 - 16:47
Hirvonen is 0.1s up from Loeb and 0.3s from Latvala at the split 1.09/3 - 16:47
Novikov is 9.4s down from Neuville at the final split.09/3 - 16:45
Ostberg is through the stage, 1.6s down from Neuville.09/3 - 16:44
Latvala is 5.9s up from Neuville at split 2.09/3 - 16:44
Novikov is 6.8s seconds down from Neuville at split 2. 09/3 - 16:42
Latvala is 0.3s down from Loeb at split 1.09/3 - 16:42
Ostberg is 3.6s down from Neuville at the final split. 09/3 - 16:41
Neuville is through the stage, 11.7s up from Tanak.09/3 - 16:40
Latvala is 1.6s up from Neuville at the opening split.09/3 - 16:40
Neuville is 2.8s up from Ostberg at split 2.09/3 - 16:39
Neuville is 9.7s up from Tanak at split 3.09/3 - 16:38
Tanak is through the stage, 1.7s up from Atkinson.09/3 - 16:38
Neuville is 4.5s up from Tanak at split 2.09/3 - 16:37
Neuville is 5.8s up from Atkinson at split 2.09/3 - 16:36
Tanak is 2.2s up from Atkinson at split 3.09/3 - 16:35
Al-Attiyah is through the stage, 0.3s down from Atkinson.09/3 - 16:35
Al-Attiyah is on the same time as Atkinson at the final split.09/3 - 16:33
Tanak is 1.3s up from Atkinson at split 2.09/3 - 16:33
Atkinson is through the stage in 11:45.509/3 - 16:11
1 Hirvonen 2 Latvala+1.0s 3 Loeb+5.8s 4 Neuville+9.2s 5 Ostberg+14.9s 6 Tanak+16.0s 7 Atkinson+18.0s 8 Novikov+ 18.9s 9 Al-Attiyah+22.0s 10 Araujo+33.0s 09/3 - 16:08
SS2 1 Hirvonen 2 Latvala+0.8s 3 Loeb+6.2s 4 Neuville+8.1s 5 Ostberg+15.1s 6 Tanak+15.8s 7 Novikov+16.2s 8 Atkinson+17.3s 9 Al-Attiyah+20.9s 10 Block+29.0s 09/3 - 16:06
Las Minas 1 (15.21kms) is underway.09/3 - 16:05
Petter Solberg is through the stage, 55.5s down from Hirvonen. Solberg has a puncture to the left rear tyre. "I got the puncture after 4kms. I tried to push. I have two spares. 09/3 - 16:01
Mikko Hirvonen is through the stage,0.8s up from Latvala. "I slowed down a lot in the end. I was worried about the tyres. I wanted to save the tyres. I decided to play it safe, play it smart."09/3 - 15:59
Solberg is over 25 seconds down from Latvala at split 4.09/3 - 15:58
Hirvonen is 2.3s up from Latvala at split 5.09/3 - 15:58
Sébastien Loeb is through the stage,5.4s down from Latvala. "I had a good drive, no mistakes, not a perfect stage. I don't know why we were off the pace."09/3 - 15:55
Solberg is 9.2s down from Latvala at spit 2.09/3 - 15:55
Loeb is 3.9s down from Latvala at the final split.09/3 - 15:54
Jari-Matti Latvala is through the stage, 7.3s up from Neuville. "I felt comfortabel honestly. I was afraid of the cobblestone sections, but generally it was okay. I am more comfortable now."09/3 - 15:52
Latvala is 4.1s up from Neuville at the final split.09/3 - 15:52
Evgeny Novikov is through the stage, 8.1s down from Neuville. "I didn't have any problems. This is just the first stage and I was trying to get used to everything."09/3 - 15:51
Latvala is 1 second down from Latvala at split 2.09/3 - 15:50
Latvala is now 2.9s up from Neuville at split 4.09/3 - 15:50
Latvala is 1.2s up from Neuville at split 3. 09/3 - 15:49
Mads Ostberg is through the stage, 7 seconds down from Neuville. "It was a difficult stage, it is a good stage for a tarmac driver. I was too careful on the concrete sections. I should have drove it like it was a tarmac stage, but there is a long way to go."09/3 - 15:47
Latvala is 0.4s down from Neuville at split 2.09/3 - 15:46
Thierry Neuville is through the stage, 7.7s up from Tanak. "So far so good. I made a few little mistakes, but nothing bad. I am happy with my time."09/3 - 15:43
Ott Tanak is through the stage, 1.5s up from Atkinson. "The stage was okay, it was slippery. It was hard to find any good lines."09/3 - 15:40
Nasser Al-Attiyah is through the stage, 3.6s down from Atkinson. "It is a quite fast stage. A lot of fast corners. It is the start of the rally. Today it will be really hard for us to find the pace."09/3 - 15:37
Chris Atkinson is through the stage up, 11.7 seconds up from Block. "It took me some time to get my pace. I am just trying to feel my way into the rally and cause no dramas."09/3 - 15:34
Ken Block is through the stage, 3.1s up from Araujo. "We needed extra time getting the car out of service. It has already been a rough morning, but I'll just get on with it."09/3 - 15:30
Ogier is through the stage,5.9s down from Araujo. "With this car it is crazy when you have to go uphill. It is crazy!"09/3 - 15:24
Armindo Araujo is through the stage in 13:55.7s. "This stage is not so bad. There are stones in the first half, but the second half is smooth. I am I didn't make any mistakes. We have been having a turbo problem since yesterday."09/3 - 15:22
Ken Block left the time control two-minutes late. 09/3 - 15:20
Chris Atkinson makes his return to the WRC in a Monster backed Ford Fiesta RS WRC. The Australian starts 5th on the road and will be the first reference time for the top runners to judge their pace, but everyone will be going flat out in the opening loop this afternoon. 09/3 - 15:08
El Cubilete 1(22.12kms)is underway with Armindo Aruajo in the Mini JCW WRC first in the stage. Remember the top runners will start last with Latvala taking off 11t, followed by Loeb, Hirvonen and current rally leader, Petter Solberg.09/3 - 15:05
After SS1 : 1 Solberg 2 Loeb+0.4s 3 Ostberg+0.6s 4 Hirvonen+0.8s 5 Latvala+1.0s 6 Tanak+1.0s 7 Atkinson+1.5s 8 Araujo+1.7s 9 Neuville+1.9s 10 Al-Attiyah+1.9s 09/3 - 15:02
With the stages running at high altitudes, the teams are expecting a 20% reduction in power. Ford recently tested in Spain and intentionally reduced the power in the Fiestas to simulate the conditions. The key to success will be keeping the revs up and the lines as smooth as possible.09/3 - 14:59
Warm temperatures above 30° are expected today in the region where the rally will run today. Very little chance of rain.09/3 - 14:51
MANUFACTURER CHAMPIONSHIP 1 Citroen World Rally Team 65 points 2 Ford World Rally team 55 3 M-Sport World Rally Team 28 4 Mini WRC Team 24 5 Qatar World Rally Team 8 09/3 - 14:51
DRIVER CHAMPIONSHIP 1Loeb 39 points 2 Hirvonen 32 3 P. Solberg 29 4 Latvala 26 5 Novikov 21 6 Sordo 18 7 Ostberg 15 8 Delecour 8 9 Campana 6 = H. Solberg 6 09/3 - 14:49
Sébastien Loeb has won Rally Mexico five times all with Citroen, which is both the record for most wins by a driver and manufacturer in Mexico.09/3 - 14:46
Rally Mexico is the second round after Pro-Drive and the BMW Group decided to reduce the Engligh squad's statur to preferred client. Due to budget concerns Dani Sordo is not competing this weekend. The switch to the Team Mini Portugal outfit continues with the participation of Armnido Araujo and Paulo Nobre , who will start 1st and second on today's stages. 09/3 - 14:42
LATVALA KNOWS HE HAS TO BE SMOOTH : Coming off an impressive win in Sweden, Jari-Matti Latvala and his Fiesta RS WRC team have been busy preparing for Rally Mexico in Malaga, Spain, which features similar conditions to what they will face this weekend. “The first day was as close to Mexican conditions as we have found in Europe at this time of year,” said the 26-year-old Finn. “The surface was the same and the temperature was 24ºC so it was ideal. After a few months away from dry gravel, it took some time to acclimatise again. I drove three unbroken 54km sections which was perfect preparation for the long 51km stage in the final leg. With the Leon based rally offering tracks that climb as high as 2700 metres above seas level, Latvala knows just how important it will be to employ a clean and smooth driving style. “The roads in Mexico aren’t the roughest of the season, but they’re not the easiest either. Concrete culverts which cross the roads make it hard for the cars.“It’s important on any rally to keep the car in the ruts on the clean line, but even more so in Mexico where the altitude means there’s less power than normal. If you make a mistake and slide off line, the time loss is greater because the acceleration isn’t as fast as normal. It also means it’s easy to be in the wrong gear for corners. What might be identified as a fourth gear corner during the recce, could be only third gear in the rally itself,” added Latvala. 09/3 - 14:41
HIRVONEN GLAD TO HAVE DS3 PERFORMANCE FOR MEXICO Sébastien Loeb’s dominance in Mexico had been a source of frustration for new Citroen man Mikko Hirvonen. Relegated to minor spots over the years, the Finn did claim a runner-up result in 2011 and likes his chances now that he is behind the wheel of a DS3 WRC. “I have good memories of last year, as we finished on the podium as runners-up, but it is a complicated rally to manage”, said the Finn. “The rally is held in a region that is around 2000 metres above sea level, which means that the engines have significantly less power. I also remember picking up a few punctures, although this rally isn’t hardest on tyres. I am excited at the prospect of competing in this rally with Citroen, because the team has always achieved good results in Mexico. I’m all the more enthusiastic for the fact that the testing I did on gravel went very well. I had an excellent feeling with the car”, concluded Hirvonen. 09/3 - 14:41
SOLBERG READY TO GIVE IT HIS ALL Winner of the 2005 Rally Mexico and holder of two runner-up results Petter Solberg is ready to go flat out, despite having to test recently while suffering flu like symptoms. “Nothing stops me driving!” he said. “This test and a day on rough roads in France last week were my first opportunity to drive the Fiesta RS WRC on gravel. I felt comfortable in the car very quickly, the same as when I tested on asphalt and snow for the first time. I started with the same set-up as Jari-Matti and made a few small changes to suit my style. I moved quietly forwards and I’m happy with what I achieved. Mexico is the first gravel rally of the season and the championship really moves into top gear now. The altitude there affects the way you drive. Because there is less power, it’s necessary to attack a little harder and keep the speed high. I have a good record in Mexico and another big result would complete a strong start to the season,” added Solberg. 09/3 - 14:40
LOEB UNBEATEN SINCE ‘06 : Sébastien Loeb has taken the laurels on every edition of Rally Mexico since 2006. The eight-time world champion adores the high-altitude stages as well as the enthusiastic fans lining the stages in the Sierra Madre range. “It’s always an enjoyable event”, commented the Frenchman. “The stages are fun to drive and you can see that the fans love it. The ceremonial start held on Thursday evening in the streets of Guanajuato is one of the highlights of the season. And it’s great to get the rally going afterwards with the special stage on the paved underground streets of the mining city.” Round 3 of the season includes an unusually high number of super specials, seven in all, which only count for 3% of the total distance of the more than 407kmsof competition, the longest distance of the entire season. “I don’t particularly like this kind of rallying, but you have to take it seriously because you can quickly lose two or three seconds, which is the sort o gap you generally get at the end of a 20km stage”, said the championship leader. “I much prefer the conventional gravel stages. In Mexico, the mountain roads are generally fairly wide and quick. Of course, there are some winding, narrow sections where you have to be more careful, but by and large it’s a rally that is fun to drive.” 09/3 - 14:39
Start Order Day One rally Mexico 1 Armindo Araujo (P) / Miguel Ramalho (P) Mini John Cooper Works WRC 2 Paulo Nobre (BR) / Edu Paula (BR) Mini John Cooper Works WRC 3 Sébastien Ogier (F) / Julien Ingrassia (F) Skoda Fabia S2000 4 Ken Block (USA) / Alex Gelsomino (USA) Ford Fiesta RS WRC 5 Chris Atkinson (AUS) / Stéphane Prevost (B) Ford Fiesta RS WRC 6 Nasser Al-Attiyah (Q) / Giovanni Bernacchini (I) Citroen DS3 WRC 7 Ott Tanak (EST) / Kuldar Sikk (EST) Ford Fiesta RS WRC 8 Thierry Neuville (B) / Nicolas Gilsoul (B) Citroen DS3 WRC 9 Mads Ostberg (N) / Jonas Andersson (S) Ford Fiesta RS WRC 10 Evgeny Novikov (RUS) / Denis Giraudet (F) Ford Fiesta RS WRC 11 Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN) / Mikka Antttila (FIN) Ford Fiesta RS WRC 12 Sébastien Loeb (F) / Daniel Elena (MC) Citroen DS3 WRC 13 Mikko Hirvonen (FIN) / Jarmo Lehtinen (FIN) Ford Fiesta RS WRC 14 Petter Solberg (N) / Chris Patterson (GB) Ford Fiesta RS WRC 09/3 - 14:38
Hello and welcome to the live feed from day one of Rally Mexico, round 3 of the 2012 World Rally Championship . We will have all the split times, driver interviews and breaking news from SS2 - SS9. Petter Solberg is the early leader after posting best time last night on the Guanajauto street stage.
MotorsTV LIVE:
http://www.motorstv.com/car/rally/wrc/live/live-mexico-rally-2012-day-1
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