Monte-Carlo Rally SS3 Vitrolles-Oze as it happens 26.01.2018: Stage info: SS3 Vitrolles - Oze 1, 26.72km. A modified stage from 2017, featuring two-thirds of the Lardier-et-Valença - Faye test with a new start in Vitrolles. There are three passes en route - Col d’Espréaux (1157 metres), Col des Verniers (1042

Stage info: SS3  Vitrolles - Oze 1, 26.72km.


 A modified stage from 2017, featuring two-thirds of the Lardier-et-Valença - Faye test with a new start in Vitrolles. There are three passes en route - Col d’Espréaux (1157 metres), Col des Verniers (1042 metres) and Col de la Bachassette (940 metres), with a succession of winding and fast portions. It descends through the valley to the finish in Oze. Tyre choice in here will prove a brain teaser for drivers.


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Stage live times
SS3: 0851hrs. SS4: 1004hrs. SS5: 1137hrs. SS6: 1358hrs. SS7: 1511hrs. SS8: 1644hrs.




Fri 09:39 - Monte after SS3
1.Ogier 54m46.0s, 2.Sordo +30.0s, 3.Mikkelsen +34.9s, 4.Tanak +38.5s, 5.Lappi +49.9. Breen brakes. Mikkelsen overshoot. Neuville puncture.


Fri 09:47 - Next stage: 1004hrs
That's Ogier's start time for SS4. Stage notes coming up.



Fri 09:46 - Monte WRC2 after SS3
1.Camilli 58m19.8s, 2.Kopecky +15.2s, 3.Suninen +49.3s, 4.De Mevius +3m48.8s, 5.Sciessere +4m50.9s







Fri 09:37 - SS3: WRC 2 Abbring
"Quite nice to have a stage to get the rhythm back, but we lost the brakes again at the end, so something we have to look at."



Fri 09:35 - SS3: WRC 2 Suninen
10.4 sec off Camilli's pace. "Okay, but we can go faster."




Fri 09:32 - SS3: WRC 2 Kopecky
"Better than last night, at least we can see the road today. My soft tyre choice was good I think."




Fri 09:31 - SS3: WRC 2 Camilli
The WRC 2 leader through cleanly. "Still happy this morning. A dry stage and very pleasant to drive."




Fri 09:30 - SS3: Bouffier
Ninth quickest. No comments from Bryan at the stage end, who leave immediately to let his brakes cool down.



Fri 09:28 - SS3: Mikkelsen
Quick at the start, but he drops time in the second split and completes 21.5sec off the pace. What happened? "I went straight on at a junction and had to turn around. Not so good. A very dirty road. Tricky."




Fri 09:26 - SS3: Lappi
Seventh quickest. "Quite steady. Lots of dirt in the road. Many surprises and you need to react immediately."




Fri 09:25 - SS3: Breen
Craig is more than a minute off the pace and there is oil covering his car's front-right wheel. "No brakes. I hit a stone in the road and something is broken. I had literally nothing for about 10km."




Fri 09:22 - SS3: Meeke
11.6sec off the pace. "Okay, not bad, but a lot more greasy and damp than I expected. A lot of mud on the road. Whether we got the [4S&2SS] tyre choice right I don't know."




Fri 09:20 - SS3: Sordo
Fourth quickest through, 8.3sec off the pace. "Not so bad but I struggled a little in the middle in the damp. I didn't push too hard. We take three soft tyres and two super softs, I don't know if its a good choice."




Fri 09:17 - SS3: Evans
Third quickest so far, 5.4sec off Tanak's leading pace. "Generally okay but not perfect. Slippery, difficult but okay."




Fri 09:16 - SS3: Latvala
Third quickest so far, 11sec slower than his Toyota team-mate Tanak. "Everything is okay, but it's difficult to say how the stage was. In some places quite slippy and I didn't get the best feeling in the car - too much understeer."




Fri 09:14 - SS3: Tanak
Quickest so far, 3.9sec up on Ogier. "The middle section was damp as expected. Very tough but okay, we are here."




Fri 09:12 - SS3: Neuville
31.9sec slower than Neuville and he has a rear-left puncture. What happened? "No idea. 10km before the end we got a slow puncture alarm. We continued, which was the right decision. After what happened yesterday it doesn't really matter so much."




Fri 09:10 - SS3: Ogier
He's through in 16m36.2s. "Only a short road section, so we have to go, but everything is okay. An okay stage for us. Some very greasy sections, but okay."




Fri 09:06 - Tyre choices
Update from Michelin on numbers and compound choices (Soft or Super Soft) drivers have for the morning loop: Ogier/Evans/Bouffier/Neuville: 4SS&2S. Mikkelsen/Latvala/Tanak/Meeke/Breen: 4S&2SS. Sordo: 3S&2SS. Lappi: 3SS&3S



Fri 09:04 - SS3: Splits watch
Four cars have reached the 7.55km split. Tanak is quickest so far. Ogier+2.9s. Latvala +3.5s. Neuville +4.4s




Fri 09:04 - SS3: Splits watch
Four cars have reached the 7.55km split. Tanak is quickest so far. Ogier+2.9s. Latvala +3.5s. Neuville +4.4s




Fri 08:55 - SS3: Ogier
We're riding onboard with Seb on WRC+. Road conditions largely dry. A few damp sections. No ice or snow.




Fri 08:53 - SS3: LIVE
Ogier underway




Fri 08:42 - SS3 standby
WRC+ live tracking shows cars gathering at the start control. Ogier's start time: 0851hrs. Stage notes coming up.


Fri 08:36 - Start intervals
Two-minute intervals for the World Rally Cars. One-minute intervals for WRC 2 and WRC 3 competitors.




Fri 08:36 - Running order
We are still in 2017 championship order today, starting with defending champ, Sébastien Ogier. Here's how they'll line up: 1. Ogier, 2. Neuville, 3. Tänak, 4. Latvala, 5. Evans, 6. Sordo, 7. Meeke, 8. Breen, 9. Lappi, 10. Mikkelsen, 11. Bouffier



Fri 08:35 - Weather
Sunrise was at 0801hrs and it's a cloudy morning in Gap. The current temperature is 6˚C should climb to 8˚C later. Rain is forecast to hit the rally region this afternoon.




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