Stage 13 Rallye Monte-Carlo notes and quotes 27.01.2018: WRC RALLYES Rallye Monte-Carlo 2018 Saturday, January 27th 2018 Stage info: SS13 Bayons - Bréziers 2, 25.49km.

WRC RALLYES
Rallye Monte-Carlo 2018
Saturday, January 27th 2018



Stage info: SS13  Bayons - Bréziers 2, 25.49km.


Run in darkness on Thursday, Bayons was driven in the opposite direction for many years in the 1980s and 1990s, and this way 12 months ago. The start is very quick before it climbs through a series of narrow hairpins to the summit of the 1184 metres Col des Sagnes.



 It descends through the villages of Turriers and Bellaffaire on a fast and wide road before a flatter, but more technical, narrower and complicated section to the finish.


 Sat 16:58 - Monte WRC2 after SS13
1.Kopecky 3h44m35.3s, 2.De Mevius +12m12.0, 3.Sciessere +17m06.0s, 4.Suninen +33m57.9s



Sat 16:56 - Monte after SS13
1.Ogier 3h30m30.9s, 2.Tänak +33.5s, 3.Latvala +1m32.7s, 4.Lappi +4m38.5s, 5.Meeke +4m40.1s




Sat 16:53 - SS13: WRC 2 Kopecky
No issues for the runaway leader in WRC 2 - although he's not having an easy time following the latest-spec World Rally Cars. "They are so powerful they pull lots more dirt onto the road in the slow corners. Its really noticeable with the 2017 cars. I have to be cautious but at the same time follow their lines."



Sat 16:45 - SS13: Mikkelsen
Slowest through so far. "There was a lot of gravel here and not so much to gain. It's all about the Power Stage now, and that means we have to get through today. No risks."



Sat 16:44 - SS13: Ogier
Eighth quickest, 16sec slower than stage leader Neuville, but his rally lead over Tanak is 33.5sec. "That means it's all going to plan. I wanted to be 30 seconds ahead tonight. It was very dirty in there, maybe my tyres were not the perfect choice. I was a bit on the limit."

Sat 16:41 - SS13: Tanak
Sixth quickest for Tanak on the super-softs. "In the dirty places the tyres was good but in the dry they were overheating a bit. It's difficult to have the perfect tyre in this stage.



Sat 16:39 - SS13: Lappi
7.8sec quicker than Meeke and Lappi moves ahead again in the standings. "Good. I mean, it's easier now that when we did the stage on Thursday. I was trying to use what I learned."



Sat 16:36 - SS13: Latvala
Now Latvala slots fourth quickest so far, 9.1sec off the pace. "For sure there is more and more mud on the road. It will get slower and slower I think. Sometimes the sun was in my eyes and I couldn't see so clearly."



Sat 16:34 - SS13: Meeke
Fourth quickest so far, 12sec off the pace. "I had a good stage but I stalled in a hairpin and lost one or two secs there. There is more and more mud being pulled out. Let's see how the other guys do - Lappi is the important one."



Sat 16:32 - SS13: Bouffier
19.8sec off the pace. "Good fun on this stage. It's unbelievable, going from driving so slowly earlier to now this."



Sat 16:30 - SS13: Evans
2.1sec slower than Neuville. "It was okay, but there's a lot of dirt on the road already after just two cars. It would have been easy to trip up. A good stage but slippery in places."



Sat 16:28 - SS13: Neuville
2.2sec quicker than Breen. "I tried to do a good stage. I'm on the super-softs, I'm not sure it was the right choice though - okay, it's a compromise."



Sat 16:27 - SS13: Breen
Craig completes in 14m35.0s. "It was nice to have a clean road. I really, really enjoyed it. A good feeling in the car, but I wasn't committed enough in a couple of places. If I was in a fight, I reckon it's a stage for soft tyres, but I did my best to make the stage as messy as possible. Let's see how they get on."




Sat 16:21 - SS13: Splits watch
Breen +3.6s compared to Neuville at the 13.33km split.



Sat 16:19 - SS13: Splits watch
Breen 3.1s compared to Neuville at the 7.72km split.



Sat 16:10 - SS13: Conditions
A mix of sunshine and shade in this one. In the sunny sections the asphalt is bone dry.




Sat 16:09 - SS13: LIVE
Breen underway.




Sat 16:07 - Tyres
All change again for today's final stage now the ice and snow has melted away. All Michelin WRC drivers have left with 6 Super-softs EXCEPT Ogier, who has 4 Softs & 1 Super-soft, and Evans/Bouffier who have 5 Softs.




Sat 16:06 - Weather
A big contrast to this morning. Clear blue skies, bright sunshine and a temperature of 11°C.




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