Vodafone Rally de Portugal

Sun 15:14 - Until then
Keep an eye on wrc.com for all the latest WRC news. And don't forget WRC+ for our exclusive onboard library and loads more video highlights. Bye for now.

Sun 15:11 - We will return
On 8 June to bring you news from the championship's seventh round: Rally Italia Sardegna

Sun 15:10 - Finish control
And that's where we'll leave our live text service from Vodafone Rally de Portugal

Sun 15:09 - Power Stage result
1: Tanak 6m38.3s (5 points) 2: Neuville +0.4s (4 points) 3: Evans +1.5s (3 points) 4: Lappi +1.7s (2 points) 5: Ogier +2.3s (1 point)

Sun 15:09 - Portugal WRC2 FINAL
1.Tidemand 3:54m17.6, 2.Suninen +11.2s, 3.Tempestini +7m00.6s, 4.Campos +9m19.3s, Pieniazek +10m59.5s

Sun 15:08 - Portugal FINAL
1.Ogier 3:42m55.7, 2.Neuville +15.6s, 3.Sordo +1m01.7s, 4.Tänak +1m30.2s, 5.Breen +1m57.4s

Sun 13:36 - Text break
A brief admin pause now. We'll be back soon with the full results.

Sun 13:36 - SS19: WRC 2 Tempestini
That's third in WRC2 for the Romanian. "We didn't expect this. It's not beautiful to get it this way but this is rally and we have to be happy with the result."

Sun 13:34 - SS19: WRC 2 Suninen
14.9sec quicker than Tidemand here and Teemu grabs second place. "That's good but I am disappointed I didn't win because I had the chance. Okay, a good rally but many small mistakes and things I can improve about my driving. My first gravel rally in this car has been good."

Sun 13:30 - SS19: WRC 2 Tidemand
He's through and takes the win in WRC 2! "I saw Andreas, he was stopped near the start. I had troubles of my own - I think I have a puncture. I feel sorry for him. To stop on the last stage like this, he showed incredible speed. Okay, if we win this rally it's a fantastic start to my season."

Sun 13:24 - Mikkelsen update
WRC TV crew reports that Mikkelsen has rolled. He continued briefly but then stopped.

Sun 13:24 - SS19: WRC 2 Tidemand
Has passed Mikkelsen's car in stage.

Sun 13:23 - SS19: Mikkelsen shock!
WRC+ tracking system shows WRC 2 leader Mikkelsen stopped at 2km!

Sun 13:21 - Champagne!
The podium ceremony in full swing at the end of the Power Stage. Meanwhile back in the Service Park Hyundai team boss Michel Nandan offers his congratulations to M-Sport's Malcolm Wilson.

Sun 13:19 - SS19: Ogier
"It feels great for sure. It's fantastic to be back on the top of the podium again. Thanks to the team - the new car was perfect. Amazing. A new car in Monte and we won - a new car here too!"

Sun 13:14 - Ogier wins!
Fifth-quickest on the Power Stage is enough to seal it. A textbook charge back after a slippery ride first on the road on Friday. It's his second win of the year and pulls him level with Markku Alen's record achievement of five wins in Portugal!

Sun 13:14 - SS19: Neuville
Second overall for Thierry and second quickest so far on the Power Stage. "A good stage for me, I tried my best but it wasn't enough. Ott was faster. I struggled this weekend with the rear of the car. The Fiestas were quicker - we couldn't catch them." So no hat-trick of wins for Thierry, but second here keeps him second in the championship and Ogier's closest challenger.

Sun 13:08 - SS19: Sordo
Sixth-quickest on stage and that's the podium secure for Dani after a strong, consistent drive this week. "I'm really happy. Okay, it was disappointing not to be right in the fight on Saturday, but I'm happy to keep third place. I need to say thank you to everybody who supported me in the stages. Great to see so many people - amazing."

Sun 13:02 - SS19: Tänak
Quickest so far for Ott - an early rally leader until he broke a damper. "Not perfect in the beginning but a good, clean stage after that. Some points would be nice here." He should finish the rally in fourth place.

Sun 12:57 - SS19: Breen
The best-placed Citroën driver, Breen should collect fifth place. He slots fifth-quickest here. "Really happy with fifth place again. It seems to be my happy place! We were one of the fastest on Friday and we can take positives from that. It hasn't been a terrible weekend."

Sun 12:53 - SS19: Evans
Quickest so far on the Power Stage and another massive crowd-pleasing jump. "It wasn't the plan. I thought I'd braked enough - but the jump it threw us off line to the left." A couple of punctures and a broken damper mean its sixth place here for Elfyn.

Sun 12:49 - SS19: Hänninen
Largely trouble-free, but the Finn has been off the pace here. Seventh-quickest on stage 7 is as good as it got. Looks like seventh place overall. "It was easier rally than Argentina finally. Okay, we learned a lot and it's nice to have a clean run. My first time on these stages and we can improve."

Sun 12:46 - SS19: Ostberg
Second quickest and the biggest jump so far - 42 metres - we know that because he landed on the measuring boards. There's a lot of laughter in the car. "That felt a bit long," he says. Looks like eighth place for Mads, who dropped out of lead contention when he punctured on stage 5.

Sun 12:42 - SS19: Latvala
Second quickest so far and that's the end of an uncomfortable rally for the Finn who led early on, before rolling his Toyota. Carrying a raging fever all rally, he spent last night in hospital to get re-hydrated. "Happy to finish this now," he coughs. "I've had to fight with myself this week. Now it's done and we score some points."

Sun 12:40 - SS19: Lappi
Quickest so far and an enormous jump from Lappi leaves him grinning! It's been a really promising World Rally Car debut for the Finn - who mixed stage times with his Toyota team-mates and was placed 7th until he slid wide and broke his Toyota's rear suspension on Saturday. "Positive for sure - surprisingly so," he says. "Okay, a shame about yesterday, but it happens at this level - we are learning."

Sun 12:36 - SS19: Lefebvre
A better jump from Stephane, but he's lucky to get away with a wide moment early in the stage that damages his right-rear wheel. After his roll on day one it's the end to a disappointing rally. "I hope for better on the next rally in Sardinia."

Sun 12:33 - SS19: Al Qassimi
A trouble-free debut in the new C3 for Khalid, back in the WRC for the first time since last October. But he nearly ruins it with a nose-heavy landing here. "Quite a moment for sure. I wanted to carry a bit more speed. It was close!"

Sun 12:31 - SS19: Meeke
Eight-tenths quicker than Paddon. The Briton desperate to salvage something positive here after he crashed out on Friday. He nearly loses it after a massive jump here, which he lands heavily on the left wheels. "The jump seems a bit different this year - something has changed on the take-off - you really have to take care!"

Sun 12:28 - SS19: Paddon
First to complete in 6m46.3s. A few Power Stage points would be some consolation for the Kiwi after an electrical glitch and broken power steering ruined his event. "The road is cleaning a lot - more than I thought. Good fun, but very, very slippery at the rear and certainly not the fastest. We could have been fighting for the win here, but we're taking lots of positives. Seb's done a great job on his first event in the co-driver's seat."

Sun 12:22 - SS19: Meeke
Underway. Three-minute intervals for the first seven cars.

Sun 12:20 - SS19: Paddon
Underway. He was quickest on the earlier pass. His time to beat: 6m39.7s

Sun 12:19 - SS19: LIVE
And it looks incredible. Huge numbers of spectators by the road. Zero car driver Armindo Araujo's estimate? 'Millions!"

Sun 12:06 - Watch SS19 LIVE
WRC+ users can watch the Power Stage via our live streaming service.

Sun 12:04 - Portugal WRC2 after SS18
1.Mikkelsen 3:44m00.6, 2.Tidemand +3m04.2s, 3.Suninen +3m30.3s, 4.Tempestini +9m55.1s, Campos +12m19.0s

Sun 11:56 - SS19 running order
As usual, a few tweaks to suit the live TV schedule. Here's how the WRC crews will start the stage: Paddon, Meeke, Al Qassimi, Lefebvre, Lappi, Latvala, Østberg, Hänninen, Evans, Breen, Tänak, Sordo, Neuville, Ogier.

Sun 11:50 - SS18: Ogier
"Okay, the last push for this rally now and I think everyone is going for it. I'll push if I can but I'm not in the position to risk it all."

Sun 11:46 - SS18: Neuville
"It was okay. I tried to avoid using the tyres. The Power Stage is the main goal now - to and try to get points for the team."

Sun 11:46 - SS18: Neuville
"It was okay. I tried to avoid using the tyres. The Power Stage is the main goal now - to and try to get points for the team."

Sun 11:45 - SS18: Sordo
"In the first one today Ott went crazy and I got a bit of a scare. I pushed more and now the gap is good. We were a bit slow here to save the tyres. It is very important to finish. I don't want to risk it on the Power Stage."

Sun 11:42 - SS18: Tanak
"It's been okay. Nothing special. Just trying to keep a safe gap to Breen to keep fourth and look after the tyres ready for a push on the Power Stage. A few points there would be good"

Sun 11:42 - SS18: Ostberg
"It was okay. Just taking it steady. If we can't get the stage record on Fafe we will try for the biggest jump!"

Sun 11:38 - SS18: Latvala
"It was okay, but a couple of small mistakes. I wasn't prepared too well during the recce - my notes weren't correct enough."

Sun 11:35 - Up next: Regroup
Crews are arriving at Fafe for the pre-stage regroup.

Sun 11:32 - SS18: Paddon
Hayden bags the stage win.

Sun 11:31 - Portugal after SS18
1.Ogier 3:36m15.1, 2.Neuville +17.5s, 3.Sordo +1m00.1s, 4.Tänak +1m32.5s, 5.Breen +1m54.7s

Sun 11:29 - SS18: Ogier
He completes seventh-fastest and that's all the leaders through without incident. Evans the stage winner so far, Lappi just two-tenths behind. Paddon and Meeke still to come.

Sun 11:20 - SS18: Lefebvre
"I made a mistake on the first corner and lost four or five seconds. After that I decided no risks."

Sun 11:19 - SS18: Times update
Nine cars through and Evans is the pace-setter.

Sun 11:05 - SS18: Quotes
None from this stage end. We'll catch up with the drivers at the regroup.

Sun 11:00 - SS18: LIVE
Gorban began at 1055hrs

Sun 10:39 - Delay update
Gorban's new start time: 1055hrs

Sun 10:34 - Delay update
Following Gilbert's stage-blocking crash on SS16, organisers are regrouping the cars before SS18. Crews behind Gilbert drove through SS16 at road speed.

Sun 10:28 - SS18: Delay
Gorban was due to start at 1020hrs. More news when we get it.

Sun 10:20 - Stage info: SS18
Montim, 8.66km. The shortest ‘proper’ stage should be popular with drivers. Most of it is on sandy-based medium to wide roads and is generally flowing. The biggest challenges are the handful of twisty, boulder-lined sections and a couple of corners hidden over crests.

Sun 10:19 - Up next: SS18
Leading crews are at the start of Montim. Gorban's start time: 1020hrs. Stage notes coming up.

Sun 10:18 - Portugal after SS17
1.Ogier 3:30m17.5, 2.Neuville +19.3s, 3.Sordo +1m00.7s, 4.Tänak +1m32.3s, 5.Breen +1m53.0s

Sun 10:17 - Portugal WRC2 after SS16
1.Mikkelsen 3:29m26.8, 2.Tidemand +3m12.2s, 3.Suninen +3m29.9s, Gilbert crashes. Stage stopped.

Sun 10:16 - Portugal after SS16
1.Ogier 3:22m07.8, 2.Neuville +16.0s, 3.Sordo +57.4s, 4.Tänak +1m28.7s, 5.Breen +1m40.9s

Sun 10:10 - SS17: Paddon
Stage winner on SS16, but he's 3sec off the pace here. "We spun two or three kilometres before the finish," he explains. "Not ideal. Otherwise it could have been a decent time."

Sun 10:08 - SS17: Meeke
Fifth-fastest here. "I spun in here on a slow corner, lost maybe five seconds."

Sun 10:07 - SS17: Ogier
3.3sec quicker than Neuville and Seb's rally lead is up to 19.3sec. Is that comfortable? "I think so, but this is rally - you have to reach the finish. I'm happy with how things are going so far today."

Sun 10:04 - SS17: Neuville
Joint fastest with his team-mate Sordo. "Good. I tried to be careful with the tyres. This is a technical stage, quite slow."

Sun 10:03 - SS17: Sordo
Dani responds to Tanak's push with fastest time so far. "The first stage I was a little bit relaxed - I though Tanak would save his tyres for the Power Stage. This one I pushed bit more, but the rear is moving about a lot - it's not comfortable."

Sun 10:01 - SS17: Tanak
Fastest through so far. "Not so good. I thought I was taking it easy. Far too fast. We have a different objective today."

Sun 09:57 - SS16: WRC 2 Gilbert
He's rolled at the Fafe jump! End-over-end. Crew okay but the car is badly damaged and blocking the road. Quentin was fourth in WRC 2.

Sun 09:56 - SS17: Evans
"Very low grip. A new and really tricky stage. We just got through."

Sun 09:54 - SS17: Hanninen
"Really, really slippery. Not so easy."

Sun 09:52 - SS17: Ostberg
Fastest so far. "It was okay. I tried a change with the centre diff and it's made an improvement."

Sun 09:50 - SS17: Latvala
"The feeling is generally good. I can push now. I had a half spin here, so I lost a few seconds but okay, no worries."

Sun 09:48 - SS17: Lappi
"Slippery like hell! Just no grip. The line is not so clean. I was too much sideways."

Sun 09:47 - SS16: Paddon
A stage win for Hayden on the first running of Fafe.

Sun 09:46 - SS17: Lefebvre
"Very slippery and difficult to find the traction."

Sun 09:45 - Stage info: SS17
Luilhas, 17.91km. Another new stage and one that starts narrow with small banks on either side. It’s generally fast with some long straights. After a twisty section from 2.3km, the stage opens out and there are fast corners between huge boulders. At 9.5km it drops downhill before a sequence of hairpins to the finish.

Sun 09:44 - SS17: LIVE
Gorban, Al Qassimi and Prokop have completed.

Sun 09:43 - SS16: Ogier
A massive jump and a slightly awkward landing on the front-left corner. Third fastest. His rally lead: 16sec. "Happy with my stage. A fast recce. The jump was a bit high - I don't know why."

Sun 09:41 - SS16: Neuville
Second fastest and playing down talk of a last day push for victory. "Nobody has been able to chase Ogier down with a 16 sec lead on the final day! We have to be clever. A good clean run and just check my notes for the Power Stage."

Sun 09:39 - SS16: Sordo
Seven seconds slower than Tanak here - the gap between them now 31.3sec. "I will try to keep the third position but I slide a lot."

Sun 09:37 - SS16: Tanak
Quickest so far, 2.6sec up on Latvala. "I had quite a clean stage. It was surprisingly slippery. The landing was quite hard - I wasn't expecting that."

Sun 09:35 - SS16: Breen
Fifth fastest so far. "My first time in here so not much I can do. I struggled with the car in there to be honest. I didn't have a very good feeling. Tough."

Sun 09:33 - SS16: Evans
Second quickest, eight-tenths slower than Latvala. "It's okay. The grip level wasn't massive."

Sun 09:31 - SS16: Hanninen
"It was okay, We tried something with the car just to see. Something for the future."

Sun 09:30 - SS16: Ostberg
"I thought we had found a good set-up last night but today I feel a bit lost."

Sun 09:28 - SS16: Latvala
Quickest so far, despite a very wide moment on a left-hand corner. "We had a little touch on the wheel on the Tarmac section. I'm feeling much better today - I went to hospital last night and got some fluids."

Sun 09:25 - SS16: Lappi
"It was okay. I'm just trying to find the feeling again. Slippery, so I guess the grip will change a lot for the Power Stage."

Sun 09:23 - SS16: Lefebvre
"Clean driving, The set-up is better but not perfect."

Sun 09:21 - SS16: Prokop
"We enjoyed the drifting a lot. I wish every Sunday morning was like this!"

Sun 09:20 - SS16: Al Qassimi
"A different set-up compared to yesterday and a new diff map. I was off the road many times at near the start. I am going to change it back."

Sun 09:17 - SS16: Gorban
He went off after the big final jump last year. No dramas this time. He completes in 7m30.5s.

Sun 09:12 - Stage info: SS16
Fafe, 11.18km. Fafe is one of the WRC’s iconic locations. It is all about the final 2km where tens of thousands of fans flock to two famous sections. They stand high on the hillside to view the cars heading downhill into a square left corner, before a small section of asphalt leads into a hairpin back onto gravel. Just before the finish is a stomach-churning jump. In the first few kilometres fans have painted the names of their favourite drivers on rocks that line the stage.

Sun 09:11 - SS16: LIVE
Gorban got underway at 0908hrs.

Sun 09:09 - WRC Live
Our radio service is LIVE with Becs Williams in the studio and Trevor Agnew and Emyr Penlan reporting from the stage ends. You'll find a link the LIVE CENTRE on the homepage.

Sun 09:09 - Tyre choices
News from Michelin on the numbers and compounds (hard or soft) their drivers have chosen for today's loop. All agree that five soft tyres is the way to go.

Sun 09:09 - Time zones
A reminder that all times quoted here are local. That's (UTC +1hr)

Sun 09:09 - Sunday's start order
Reverse rally order again today. Here's how the WRC crews will line up: 1. Gorban, 2. Al Qassimi, 3. Prokop, 4. Lefebvre, 5. Lappi, 6. Latvala, 7. Østberg, 8. Hänninen, 9. Evans, 10. Breen, 11. Tänak, 12. Sordo, 13. Neuville, 14. Ogier, 15. Meeke, 16. Paddon.

Sun 09:08 - Weather update
Another clear, bright and sunny day in Matosinhos. It's hot too. The current temperature of 23˚C should rise to 27˚C. Scorchio.

Sun 09:08 - Watch SS19 LIVE
Are you a fan of Fafe? Of course you are. WRC+ users can watch the action LIVE this afternoon. Streaming starts at 1200hrs local.

Sun 09:08 - Sunday's itinerary
Sunday’s finale is centred around the legendary Fafe roads. After an opening pass through the test, competitors drive two new stages before returning for the final live TV Power Stage, with bonus points for the five fastest drivers.

Sun 09:07 - Coming up today
The final day of competition. And while 42.93km may not sound a lot, on these four stages - and with no midpoint service - anything could happen.

Sun 09:07 - Good morning
One last time from Matosinhos and welcome back to our live text coverage of Vodafone Rally de Portugal.

Sat 18:50 - Until then
Keep an eye on wrc.com for our daily wrap up reports and latest WRC news from Portugal. And don't forget WRC+ where your find all our Portugal programmes and onboards. Bye for now.

Sat 18:49 - We will return
On Sunday with updates from the rally's final day. We'll be here from 0908hrshrs (local) when the opening stage gets underway.

Sat 18:43 - Leaders through
And that's where we'll leave our live text coverage from Vodafone Rally de Portugal today.

Sat 18:40 - Portugal WRC2 after SS15
1.Mikkelsen 3:22m31.2, 2.Tidemand +3m07.1s, 3.Suninen +3m26.2s, 4.Gilbert +7m21.6s, 5.Tempestini +9m07.4s. Tidemand up to 2nd

Sat 18:37 - Portugal after SS15
1.Ogier 3:15m24.6, 2.Neuville +16.8s, 3.Sordo +51.3s, 4.Tanak +1m29.6s, 5.Breen +1m32.4s. Lappi suspension

Sat 18:25 - SS15: WRC 2 Camilli
"A big rock got stuck in my front-right wheel. We had to stop to remove it."

Sat 18:24 - SS15: WRC 2 Tempestini
Fifth overnight for Simone. "We are happy that we finish. Some small things during the day but we are happy because the rally is really hard on the car and we have managed things in a good way."

Sat 18:20 - SS15: WRC 2 Arai
Stopped in stage. Their Ford Fiesta is ablaze - along with an area of Portuguese forest. Arai and co-driver Glenn Macneall are both okay. Stage stopped.

Sat 18:18 - SS15: WRC 2 Tidemand
Tidemand started the stage 4.8sec behind Suninen. He ends it 19.1sec ahead. "I believe he also had a puncture - so the same for both of us," he says. "I had a great rhythm before the puncture. Okay, now we need to stay on it tomorrow because with that gap for sure he won't give up!"

Sat 18:15 - SS15: WRC 2 Suninen
"I got a front-right puncture - hit a big, big stone on the line. Nothing I could do. Okay, we have to forget about that now and carry on."

Sat 18:13 - SS15: Raoux
He completes with the loss of 7min. What happened? "We had a puncture on the front-right. I touched a stone in the braking zone. Then I rejoined right behind Mikkelsen and was stuck in his dust."

Sat 18:11 - SS15: WRC 2 Mikkelsen
Surprised to hear that his two closest rivals have hit trouble here. "I don't know where because this stage is not so rough. It's actually very nice. A clean stage for us - just driving in the middle of the road."

Sat 18:07 - SS15: WRC 2 Camilli
Stopped in stage at the same place as Suninen.

Sat 18:06 - Suninen and Tidemand
Both are moving again. Both are fighting for second place in WRC 2. There is a five minute gap to Gilbert in third - so the battle is still on!

Sat 18:03 - SS15: Meeke
"Not so good on these stages as I was last year."

Sat 18:03 - SS15: Sordo
Damage to the rear wheel of his Hyundai, "I don't know what happened. I promise you I didn't hit anything. We are lucky to arrive here at the stage end."

Sat 18:01 - SS15: WRC 2 Suninen
WRC+ live tracking shows him stopped at 18.8km.

Sat 18:00 - SS15: WRC 2 Tidemand
WRC+ live tracking shows him stopped at 14.4km.

Sat 17:59 - SS15: Ogier
6.2sec SLOWER than Neuville here and his overnight lead over Neuville is trimmed to 16.8sec. "Not bad, I am happy with that time on this stage. I didn't push hard because it was rough at the end. Thierry had a good run. I managed my tyres a bit too much - too cautious maybe. Now we have to finish the job tomorrow."

Sat 17:56 - SS15: Neuville
Quickest so far. "An okay stage for me, with hards at the front and softs at the rear. The road was very abrasive near the end. We have to see how Seb did with his tyres but I think he managed better than us."

Sat 17:55 - SS15: Breen
"A mistake with my tyres choice. The tyres are the rear are completely dead. I spun on the apshalt. A difficult way to end the day."

Sat 17:53 - SS15: Lappi
He's lost five minutes. What happened? "On a tight corner on the Tarmac I got caught out on loose gravel and hit a wall. That's it."

Sat 17:52 - SS15: Evans
"Not particularly happy after the mistake on the morning loop. This afternoon things haven't worked quite as we liked. Overall a tough day."

Sat 17:51 - SS15: Hanninen
"I don't know what the problem is with Esapekka. We saw some dust ahead then a big thanks to the team - and Esapekka - for helping us pass."

Sat 17:49 - SS15: Lappi
Rear right damage to the Finn's Toyota. It is crabbing through the stage slowly. Hanninen and Evans have passed him.

Sat 17:48 - SS15: Breen / Lappi
Splits showing time loss for both drivers.

Sat 17:47 - SS15: Raoux
Stopped in stage at 5.3km.

Sat 17:46 - SS15: Ostberg
Second quickest here. "A challenging afternoon. We had to mix the tyres a lot and I didn't feel confident. I struggled with the balance."

Sat 17:44 - SS15: Latvala
A new quickest time, and Latvala will be glad to get the day over with. "I have been feeling better and better but not 100 per cent. The big positive this is that we have improved the car for the second passes. The guys have done really good work on the suspension."

Sat 17:41 - SS15: Prokop
59.8sec off Lefebvre's pace. "No problems, a clean run for us in here."

Sat 17:40 - SS15: Lefebvre
Comfortably quickest so far, 1m18sec up on Gorban despite catching the dust trail of his team-mate Al Qassimi.

Sat 17:38 - SS15: Al Qassimi
His earlier boost problem fixed, Khalid takes a careful approach though this stage. His time is 18.1sec slower than Gorban.

Sat 17:32 - SS15: Gorban
He completes in 26m28.5. A thumbs up from the Ukrainian and he sets off for today's final service in Matosinhos.

Sat 17:28 - SS15: Stage condition report
From Armindo Araujo in the zero car: "Better than I expected, actually. The start and middle are in good condition, only the section at the end is a bit destroyed. Generally good. The drivers will be able to push."

Sat 17:18 - SS15: LIVE
Five cars in stage. No splits comparisons yet.

Sat 17:04 - SS14: WRC 2 Heller
"Very good. We improved 30 sec compared to the first pass. Making progress kilometre by kilometre. All going to the plan."

Sat 17:01 - SS15: Get set
It's the final stage of the day, and this one was action-packed when it ran earlier. WRC Live tracking shows the lead cars at the pre-start control. Gorban's start time: 1704hrs.

Sat 17:00 - SS14: WRC 2 Meireles
Mechanical issues for Pedro. "Running in road mode because I have a problem with fuel pressure I think. The power is always going down."

Sat 16:57 - Portugal WRC2 after SS14
1.Mikkelsen 2:57m08.2, 2.Suninen +1m09.3s, 3.Tidemand +1m14.1s, 4.Gilbert +6m19.4s, 5.Tempestini +7m51.9s. Suninen up to second.

Sat 16:50 - SS14: WRC 2 Camilli
"We are all the time on delay on this rally. We are not really on the match this afternoon. We will push on the next stage."

Sat 16:45 - SS14: WRC 2 Tidemand
Sure enough Pontus is 6.6sec slower than Suninen and drops back to third. "My soft tyres started moving too much. We have some more to put on for the next stage."

Sat 16:42 - SS14: WRC 2 Suninen
Shod with hard compound tyres, Suninen is quicker than Tidemand on the splits and that might move him back up to second. "I hope it does, the fight is tight. A lot of ruts about now so we have to be careful."

Sat 16:40 - SS14: WRC 2 Mikkelsen
"A new stage for us today so for this second pass I gave it a bigger push. At the same time this stage is a tyre killer and I tried to save mine."

Sat 16:37 - Portugal after SS14
1.Ogier 2:50m44.6, 2.Neuville +23.0s, 3.Sordo +35.5s, 4.Breen +1m04.1s, 5.Tanak +1m25.5s

Sat 16:35 - SS14: Meeke
Seventh quickest and not taking much of value from today's stages. "Yesterday's set-up was better."

Sat 16:32 - SS14: Tanak
Fourth quickest here and Ott is 21.4sec off fourth place. "A good clean run. No problem. Can I catch Breen? I don't know. The points are important so we will keep going."

Sat 16:30 - SS14: Sordo
"I try to stay in the clean line. It was good and I enjoy a lot. Sebastien in this stage is really fast. We have good tyres for the final stage - let's see what we can do."

Sat 16:28 - SS14: Ogier
4.5sec quicker than Neuville and Seb's rally lead is up to 23sec. "It's a good time. I pushed more here. Now it's all about the long stage. If the gap stays like this, or even if I lose some on the long stage, it's perfect. For now we keep going with the same job."

Sat 16:26 - SS14: Neuville
"It was okay, I have three softs and one hard here. In some sections you gain and in others you lose." Told that Ogier is quicker on the splits, Neuville says: "For sure".

Sat 16:24 - SS14: Breen
"Something strange at the front - a puncture perhaps? It felt very strange for the last 5km. I need to go and have a look..."

Sat 16:23 - SS14: Evans
No repeat of the burning smell, but Evans is still concerned. "Not so good. I struggled with the balance of the car. We're on a different package this afternoon and I don't have confidence." Evans is trying a mixture of tyre compounds for the first time: hards at the front and softs at the rear. Up to now he has used softs all round.

Sat 16:21 - SS14: Hanninen
What happened? "We had some issue on stage, like fuel pressure. I was able to fix it but the engine cut again before the finish. We need to go and have a look."

Sat 16:18 - SS14: Hanninen
Moving again.

Sat 16:18 - SS14: Lappi
Another great stage - just 1.3sec off Latvala's time. "I really tried to beat him! I was giving a big push but I lost. Maybe I was not brave enough."

Sat 16:16 - SS14: Hanninen
WRC+ tracking shows his car stopped at 17.9km.

Sat 16:15 - SS14: Ostberg
"I struggled again in this one. I cannot say why but I don't have any rhythm."

Sat 16:15 - SS14: Latvala
Quickest so far but still feeling rough. "A good feeling with the car, but I wouldn't want anyone to have the same feeling that I have inside."

Sat 16:13 - SS14: Prokop
Front-left puncture. "It happened on a long corner with a lot of load on the tyre. Maybe it was a stone. Luckily we managed to get to the end without stopping."

Sat 16:08 - SS14: Lefebvre
"At the finish the car started to move a bit but I am happy with my set-up. So far the tyre choice seems correct."

Sat 16:05 - SS13: WRC 2 update
Suninen quickest, with Mikkelsen +2.5 and Tidemand +4.1sec. Loubet stops.

Sat 15:57 - SS14: LIVE
Four cars in stage.

Sat 15:56 - Portugal after SS13
1.Ogier 2:37m13.6, 2.Neuville +18.5s, 3.Sordo +27.6s, 4.Breen +51.6s, 5.Tanak +1m19.3s

Sat 15:53 - SS13: Meeke
"A difficult day. The excitement has gone out of it but there's still learning to do."

Sat 15:51 - SS13: Tanak
Third quickest, and that edges him one second closer to Breen ahead. The gap now 27.7sec. How does he feel after dropping out of the lead fight? "Not so much frustration. That's rally. That's how it goes sometimes."

Sat 15:48 - SS13: Sordo
Third quickest. "I try like hell. I enjoy a lot. The last stage of the day will be the most important."

Sat 15:47 - SS13: Ogier
One second slower than Neuville and Seb's rally lead is now 18.5sec. "Of course it's possible to manage the gap but it's never easy. We have to do this loop well. I tried not to be hard on my tyres, it will be a hard loop for them."

Sat 15:45 - SS13: Neuville
Quickest driver through, 3.6sec up on Latvala. "A bit more grippy so the car is working better. It was okay and I tried to do a good stage. For sure not enough to beat Mr Ogier here. Can I win this rally? It will be difficult..."

Sat 15:43 - SS13: Breen
Second quickest. "Okay, but the car is too soft at the rear - it's moving so much I felt I had a puncture. I think we have a good tyre choice for these stages."

Sat 15:41 - SS13: Evans
Fourth quickest so far and Evans looks concerned. "We had a stop in stage and there is a really bad electrical burning smell. We have to go and investigate."

Sat 15:39 - SS13: Hanninen
"Nothing special. The tyres are not giving me confidence."

Sat 15:37 - SS13: Lappi
Second quickest, just 3.1 sec slower than Latvala. "More or less clean from me. The balance of the car was not ideal because of the tyres (he has two spares). It was okay, no big mistakes. The road is in much better condition that we expected."

Sat 15:35 - SS13: Ostberg
3.2sec slower than stage leader Latvala. "We are trying some new settings and the car works brilliantly. It's my first time with the hard DMACK tyre - it was enjoyable."

Sat 15:33 - SS13: Latvala
Quickest through so far in 10m47.0s. How are you feeling? "I managed to get some rest and have a drink - I still can't eat much. At the start of the stage, over the jumps, I felt a bit horrible. The rest was okay."

Sat 15:30 - SS13: Prokop
"We didn't raise the car too much and that's the right decision. I enjoyed it."

Sat 15:29 - SS13: Lefebvre
Quickest so far. "I have four soft and two hard tyres. I hope with my tyre choice I can do the loop with no problem."

Sat 15:27 - SS13: Al Qassimi
"I thought it would be rutted and bad so we raised the car, but in fact it's quite smooth. Let's see how the other stages are."

Sat 15:22 - SS13: Gorban
A thumbs up but no comments from the MINI driver. His time: 11m47.1s.

Sat 15:20 - Hayden Paddon update
The team confirms a power steering problem.

Sat 15:17 - SS13: Paddon
WRC live pictures show him pulling off the stage and onto an access road.

Sat 15:15 - SS13: Paddon
Driving slowly. Something is wrong with his Hyundai.

Sat 15:13 - SS13: LIVE
And here's a stage report from Armindo Araujo in the zero car. "The road is in good condition - not so destroyed as I expected on the second loop. The cars can push flat out."

Sat 15:10 - Tyre choices
News from Michelin on the numbers and compounds (hard or soft) their drivers have chosen for the afternoon loop. Breen/Lappi: 4H+2S, Lefebvre: 4S+2H, Latvala/Neuville: 3S+2H, Hanninen: 3H+2S, Tanak/Ogier: 2H+3S, Paddon: 5S, Sordo: 4S+2H

Sat 15:03 - Ott Tanak update
M-Sport mechanics fixed Tanak's car in the 30 minute midpoint service. The Fiesta had a broken damper and brakes on the left-rear corner.

Sat 12:58 - Next stage: 1508hrs
That's Gorban's start time for Viera do Minho 2 - the first stage of the repeat loop. We'll resume out live text service then.

Sat 12:27 - Service Park TV
You can watch teams re-prep the cars in service via our live stream cameras. You'll find a link in the LIVE CENTRE

Sat 12:26 - Up next: Regroup and service
Crews are heading back to Matosinhos for a regroup. After that, Gorban will be first to check into service at 1300hrs.

Sat 12:23 - Portugal WRC2 after SS12
1.Mikkelsen 2:31m49.7, 2.Tidemand +1m09.8s, 3.Suninen +1m15.7s, 4.Gilbert +5m33.4s, 5.Tempestini +6m45.3s. Tidemand up to second.

Sat 12:21 - SS12: WRC 2 Tempestini
"We took it carefully."

Sat 12:18 - SS12: WRC 2 Camilli
"We have had a lot of problems but we did our maximum here."

Sat 12:15 - SS12: WRC 2 Gilbert
A minute off the pace. He missed a junction and had to reverse.

Sat 12:13 - Portugal after SS12
1.Ogier 2:26m29.2, 2.Neuville +19.5s, 3.Sordo +25.0s, 4.Breen +46.2s, 5.Tanak +1m16.8s. Tanak broken suspension

Sat 12:11 - SS12: WRC 2 Tidemand
Joint fastest with his team-mate Mikkelsen, and that's good enough to move him ahead of Suninen into second place. "A good stage. I managed to find a good rhythm."

Sat 12:10 - SS12: WRC 2 Suninen
15.3sec slower than Mikkelsen. "Not so good. The grip was not as good as I thought it would be. Too cautious in places."

Sat 12:09 - SS12: WRC 2 Mikkelsen
Keen to see how his R5 time compares to the WRC cars. He's quicker than five here. "It's good to know. With a big lead like this my head is telling me to be careful around the rocks. My main aim is to win - not to win stages."

Sat 12:01 - SS12: Meeke
Eighth quickest. "Really not a nice feeling in here."

Sat 12:00 - SS12: Tanak
He completes with the loss of 1m23s to Ogier. That drops him from second to fifth. What happened? "I touched a bank on the outside under braking 20km before the end - immediately something broke."

Sat 11:58 - SS12: Tanak
His car's left-rear wheel is running out of alignment and he has just overshot a junction.

Sat 11:56 - SS12: Sordo
Third fastest so far: "Not bad. I tried to do my best. I pushed hard but it's difficult - Ogier is flying.

Sat 11:55 - SS12: Ogier
A new quickest time, 6.9sec up on Neuville, and Ogier is sorry to hear about his team-mate's time loss. "That's not good news for Ott. He was doing so well, I hope he can carry on without losing so much. It's important for the championship."

Sat 11:53 - SS12: Neuville
Quickest so far. "I tried to be be cleaner in here - more efficient driving."

Sat 11:52 - SS12: Tanak
More time loss - he's 28sec down on Ogier at the 28km split.

Sat 11:51 - SS12: Breen
Second quickest so far. "Reasonably happy but difficult when you're discovering a road for the first time."

Sat 11:49 - SS12: Tanak
Dropping time with rear left damage!

Sat 11:49 - SS12: Evans
Reports a broken damper

Sat 11:47 - SS12: Hanninen
"My first time on this stage and it was quite slippery - more than I thought. A challenge to keep a good rhythm."

Sat 11:46 - SS12: Lappi
Second fastest so far, 6.2sec off the pace of his Toyota team-mate Latvala. 'It was a clean stage - so finally I had one! The time is not so bad because I didn't do this stage last year."

Sat 11:44 - SS12: Splits watch
Tanak keeping his advantage over Ogier. He is 3.2sec quicker at the 15km split.

Sat 11:43 - SS12: Ostberg
"Struggling a bit with the balance of the car. I concentrated on my driving and I felt I did a good stage."

Sat 11:42 - SS12: Latvala
Fastest through so far, 18.1sec up on Paddon, and Jari-Matti sounds a bit better. "I took some painkillers and they helped. I managed to eat something too - I couldn't keep anything down last night. The medicine is working and I feel 50 per cent better than this morning."

Sat 11:39 - SS12: Splits watch
Tanak 3.3sec QUICKER than Ogier at the 7.7km split.

Sat 11:37 - SS12: Lefebvre
10.8sec off Paddon's pace and Lefebvre says he was caught in Al Qassimi's dust.

Sat 11:36 - SS12: Al Qassimi
"With hard springs it's very slippery. A lot of sliding so not easy. He is 1m45sec slower than Paddon.

Sat 11:33 - SS12: Paddon
Hayden completes 1m33.5s quicker than Gorban. "I enjoyed that. Perhaps I should take up drifting - we're just driving lock to lock. It's a lot of fun."

Sat 11:30 - SS12: Gorban
Through cleanly in 26m47.7s.

Sat 11:12 - SS12: LIVE
Five cars in stage.

Sat 10:54 - Stage info: SS12
Amarante 1, 37.55km. The rally’s longest stage is a fraction shorter than in 2016. It’s wide, fast and flowing but there are plenty of corners among trees which are close to the road. The surface is smooth with a fine layer of gravel on top, but there are also short stretches of asphalt and cobbles. The middle section runs down one side of a valley before returning up the other side and offers great viewing for spectators.

Sat 10:53 - Up next: SS12
The leading crews are at the start of Amarante. Gorban's start time: 1104hrs. Stage notes coming up.

Sat 10:52 - Portugal WRC2 after SS11
1.Mikkelsen 2:06m14.2, 2.Suninen +1m00.4s, 3.Tidemand +1m09.8s, 4.Gilbert +4m36.9s, 5.Tempestini +5m42.9s

Sat 10:49 - SS11: WRC 2 Camilli
"I'm not happy. Stuck in Loubet's dust and another puncture at the front too."

Sat 10:47 - SS11: WRC 2 Loubet
He completes with a dented bonnet and cracked windscreen after an incident near the start of the stage.

Sat 10:43 - SS11: WRC 2 Gilbert
"Slippery on the hard tyres here but they should be better for the next loop."

Sat 10:41 - SS11: WRC 2 Tidemand
1.1sec slower than Suninen. "I tried a bit harder in here but it was slippery. The others are going very quickly now so we need to push on - it's the time to do this now."

Sat 10:39 - SS11: WRC 2 Suninen
Quicker than the overly cautious Mikkelsen by 3.6sec. "An okay stage, no big mistakes. We can improve a bit on the next loop. I will try to drive even faster.'

Sat 10:37 - SS11: WRC 2 Mikkelsen
"Everything is going to plan. A bit careful in here, but it's a new stage and it would be easy to do a mistake. I was too much on the safe side, but we have a big gap so no stress."

Sat 10:35 - SS11: Raoux
"A fabulous stage. Beautiful. Everything is good."

Sat 10:34 - Portugal after SS11
1.Tanak 2:01m41.4, 2. Ogier +6.3s, 3.Neuville +18.9s, 4.Sordo +22.7s, 5.Breen +33.0s Evans puncture. Neuville up to 3rd.

Sat 10:31 - SS11: Meeke
Eighth quickest. "Okay. Steady away. Drive through and try and gain experience."

Sat 10:30 - SS11: Tanak
Stage win for Tanak, 5.2sec quicker than Ogier. "What else can we do? Seb was pushing on the one before. I decided to have a clean good run. Nearly perfect. The tyres feel good for the loop. If we want to be in the front there is really no other option than keep this up."

Sat 10:28 - SS11: Sordo
Fourth quickest here and Dani slips to the same position overall. "Difficult. I tried but it's more slippery than yesterday. I'm doing all I can. Sebastien is flying today..."

Sat 10:26 - SS10: WRC2 Update
Suninen the stage winner - breaking Mikkelsen's dominant run. Suninen gives himself a little more breathing space to Tidemand behind. The gap now 8.3sec.

Sat 10:25 - SS11: Ogier
Quickest so far, 4.7sec up on Neuville. "Good. Happy. A different rally for me today."

Sat 10:23 - SS11: Neuville
Quickest so far. "Better grip here but in the last downhill section I felt I was too slow."

Sat 10:23 - SS11: Breen
Second-quickest.

Sat 10:22 - SS11: Evans
He completes 1m10sec off the lead pace and his front left tyre is destroyed. "It happened in the middle of the stage. I had a moment on a right-hander where I had to avoid a rock on the line. I missed the next corner and went off. I'm lucky to be here."

Sat 10:19 - SS11: Evans
Big time loss showing in the splits. He's 21sec down to Latvala at the 14km split.

Sat 10:18 - SS11: Hanninen
"No issues. A nice stage. Really important to keep it in the line."

Sat 10:17 - SS11: Lappi
The Finn loses time in the final split. What happened? "I stalled the car in a tight corner and could not restart. I had to undo my belts. It took time to get it running, and then do my belts up again. My mistake. It's learning."

Sat 10:15 - SS11: Ostberg
"It was okay, a new stage with varying grip so quite challenging. We are trying something new with the front diff and it's not working so well - we will go in the opposite direction after service."

Sat 10:12 - SS11: Latvala
Quickest so far. "The car is going quite well, it's just that I have had fever and last night I couldn't sleep. The feeling in the body is pretty tired."

Sat 10:09 - SS11: Prokop
"All good for us. Tricky to find a good rhythm here."

Sat 10:07 - SS11: Lefebvre
"I need to make adjustments to the dampers before the next stage."

Sat 10:06 - SS11: Al Qassimi
"Not easy being third on the road. It very loose - almost like on ball bearings."

Sat 10:04 - SS11: Paddon
"Enjoying it a lot. This one was more slippery than the one before. No pressure for me, so we're trying some things on the car and they feel good."

Sat 09:56 - Stage info: SS11
Cabeceiras de Basto, 22.30km. A new stage this year, but keen-eyed drivers might recognise the section from 7.9km to 11.1km as part of one used in 2015. It is generally sandy based, wide and fast and the soft surface will cut up for the second pass. On the recce a shaded section at 5km was muddy but this will have dried out. At 8km the road widens, with more loose gravel, and heads downhill until a hairpin at 11.1km where it levels out. At 18.8km it’s back to a sandy, narrow road to the finish.

Sat 09:55 - SS11: LIVE
Five cars in. Stage notes coming up.

Sat 09:54 - Portugal after SS10
1.Tanak 1:48m08.8, 2. Ogier +1.1s, 3.Sordo +8.0s, 4.Neuville +9.0s, 5.Evans +14.6s Ogier up to second

Sat 09:51 - SS10: Meeke
Tenth quickest and not in the mood to chat. "A steady run."

Sat 09:50 - SS10: Tanak
3.9sec slower than Ogier and Tanak's lead over his team-mate is 1.1sec. "Seb's doing very well, but I didn't do this stage last year and in one or two places I wasn't fully committed. Let's see. Everyting is possible. We will do out best."

Sat 09:47 - SS10: Sordo
Fourth quickest and he loses second place to Ogier. "I tried to do my best but they are much faster today. I don't know why. At the end I thought I had a puncture at the rear. I tried."

Sat 09:46 - SS10: Ogier
The fight back starts here. Seb is quickest so far, two-tenths up on Evans - and it looks like he'll be up to second place. "It's always good to start a day like this. A clean drive, I'm happy with the car, let's hope we can continue like this. Compared to yesterday, it's a different world in this road position."

Sat 09:43 - SS10: Neuville
1.6sec off Evans's pace. "I'm missing traction on this stage. The road was very polished and I was missing grip. The next stages will be rougher - I'm running stiffer springs to protect the car."

Sat 09:41 - SS10: Brreen
Breen second quickest to Evans, but 8.6sec slower so he loses fifth place. "Unfortunately this stage is just the same as last year - it's hard to fight against knowledge. The next stage is new for everybody so let's see what we can do."

Sat 09:39 - SS10: Evans
Quickest so far - a full 10sec up on Latvala! "A good run overall. A little bit too much sliding in places, but on the whole not too bad." Evans could topple Breen from fifth here.

Sat 09:37 - SS10: Hanninen
Three tenths quicker than Lappi here. "He is doing really really well. This is a really nice stage - a few places too wide but otherwise quite okay."

Sat 09:36 - SS10: Lappi
Eighth overnight and Lappi has his team-mate Hanninen's seventh place in his sights. "For sure I want to try and catch him. I don't know if it's possible but I will try."

Sat 09:34 - SS10: Ostberg
Two seconds off the pace. "It has started okay. We are testing some different set-ups for future events."

Sat 09:32 - SS10: Latvala
He ties joint fastest time with Paddon but his head is down at the finish control. What's wrong? "I feel very weak. I have been fighting a fever since shakedown. I haven't been sleeping. The feeling is very weak. I try to keep going, stage by stage."

Sat 09:28 - SS10: Prokop
"Completely different stages to yesterday, no rocks. Very nice to drive. I'm enjoying."

Sat 09:26 - SS10: Lefebvre
"I have no traction, wheel-spin all the time, it is difficult to push like this."

Sat 09:24 - SS10: Al Qassimi
2.9sec slower than Gorban. "Just steady. An easy rhythm," he says.

Sat 09:22 - SS10: Paddon
55.8sec quicker than Gorban. "The car is working really, really nicely. Apart from the gravel on the road it's a pleasure to drive. Big credit to the team - they changed the whole wiring loom in under two hours."

Sat 09:20 - SS10: Gorban
The Ukrainian first to complete in 11m52.4s. "Very nice road, a little bit slippery, lots of spectators," says co-driver Sergei Larens.

Sat 09:17 - Start intervals
Two-minute intervals today except Gorban - Paddon (3min) and Prokop - Latvala (3min).

Sat 09:12 - SS10: LIVE
Gorban started at 0906hrs - which is earlier than expected.

Sat 09:03 - Stage info: SS10
Vieira do Minho 1, 17.43km. The stage has a little of everything – sandy sections contrast with a clay surface and wide roads are followed by narrower stretches. Some parts have been regraded with dust and dirt placed on top and compacted. It winds its way between big boulders in the opening few kilometres while a new finish section brings challenging corners which the drivers will relish.

Sat 09:02 - WRC Live
Our radio service is LIVE with Becs Williams in the studio and Trevor Agnew and Emyr Penlan reporting from the stage ends. You'll find a link the LIVE CENTRE on the homepage.

Sat 09:02 - SS10: Get set
WRC+ Live tracking shows the lead cars at the pre-start control. Gorban's start time: 0908hrs.

Sat 09:01 - Tyre choices
News from Michelin on the numbers and compounds (hard or soft) their drivers have chosen for the morning loop: Everybody has five soft-compound tyres except Lefebvre who has six.

Sat 09:01 - Time zones
A reminder that all times quoted here are local. That's (UTC +1hr)

Sat 09:00 - Paddon order?
The team retired his i20 Coupe last night but today's start order was determined after SS7, so he is second on the road and not with Meeke in the Rally 2 group. In service Paddon's team replaced his car's wiring loom in an effort to cure the intermittent electrical problem.

Sat 09:00 - Saturday's start order
Crews tackle the stages in reverse rally order today. Here's how the WRC drivers will line up: 1. Gorban, 2. Paddon, 3. Al Qassimi, 4. Lefebvre, 5. Prokop, 6. Latvala, 7. Østberg, 8. Lappi, 9. Hänninen, 10. Evans, 11. Breen, 12. Neuville, 13. Ogier, 14. Sordo, 15. Tanak, 16. Meeke.

Sat 08:59 - Weather update
Another clear, bright and sunny day in Matosinhos. The current temperature of 17˚C. should rise to 26˚C. No rain on the horizon.

Sat 08:59 - LIVE stage
WRC+ users can watch this afternoon's Viera do Minho stage (SS13) LIVE. Streaming starts at 1500hrs local.

Sat 08:58 - Saturday's itinerary
Drivers face two identical loops of three stages north-east of the Matosinhos base, covering 154.56km. It includes the 37.55km Amarante, the longest test of the weekend.

Sat 08:58 - Coming up today
The second full day of competition and the longest of the event.

Sat 08:58 - Good morning
Hello again from Matosinhos and welcome back to our live text coverage of Vodafone Rally de Portugal.

Fri 20:30 - Until then
Keep an eye on wrc.com for our daily wrap up reports and latest WRC news from Portugal. And don't forget WRC+ where your find the full hit of Portugal programmes and onboards. Bye for now.

Fri 20:27 - We will return
On Saturday to bring you all the stage action when the rally resumes. We'll be here from 0908hrs (local) when the opening stage gets underway.

Fri 20:25 - Leaders through
And that's where we'll leave our live text coverage of Vodafone Rally de Portugal tonight

Fri 20:24 - Portugal WRC2 after SS9
1.Mikkelsen 1:40m36.3, 2.Suninen +1m04.5s, 3.Tidemand +1m06.8s, 4.Gilbert +3m48.1s, 5.Camilli +4m14.8s

Fri 20:21 - Portugal after SS9
1.Tanak 1:37m18.5, 2. Sordo +4.6s, 3.Ogier +5.0s, 4.Breen +12.9s, 5.Evans +18.3s

Fri 20:12 - SS9: WRC 2 Suninen
Teemu rounds off the day second in WRC 2 - his Fiesta just 2.3sec ahead of Tidemand's Skoda. "It's good to have a nice fight. I think the first day has been okay. The car upgrades are good and have helps me."

Fri 20:06 - SS9: WRC 2 Camilli
"It's been a difficult day with the broken steering, broken roll bar and a puncture."

Fri 20:05 - SS9: WRC 2 Mikkelsen
More than a minute clear in front in WRC 2 and going flat out here to prove a point. "We pushed like crazy in here because we were fifth quickest on the first pass in an R5 car! This was pretty much perfect. Overall today has been about getting a balance between driving fast and looking after the car. Our lead is nice to see"

Fri 20:02 - SS9: WRC 2 Tidemand
"It's been an okay day, no problems and we are in a good position. Andreas is flying in these rough conditions but there is a long day to come tomorrow. We must stay concentrated. I am thinking about the championship too - I want good points here."

Fri 20:00 - SS9: Al Qassimi
"I don't know what happened here, the car stalled when I went to launch, then at the first couple of corners I had no power at all."

Fri 19:58 - SS9: Prokop
"A good day, but cautious in places because I wanted to get the car back safely. I'm looking forward to tomorrow's stages."

Fri 19:57 - SS9: Lappi
"The morning was surprisingly good, better than I expected because I was not so familiar with the car on dry gravel. The afternoon has been about cruising and surviving. Tomorrow I will try to learn as much as possible. I want to be faster too."

Fri 19:54 - SS9: Lefebvre
"With the puncture and rear diff problem it has been a difficult day."

Fri 19:53 - SS9: Ostberg
A new fastest time for Mads, four-tenths up on Paddon. "I was angry after the first pass. This time I was driving well and it paid off. Anger helped! Okay, I can't hide my disappointment [about earlier] but now I have changed my diaper. I'm ready to go again."

Fri 19:50 - SS9: Hanninen
"The morning was difficult. I was struggling and lost a lot of time. The afternoon was better. I was a bit optimistic with the sort tyres but we are here. Let's see what we can do tomorrow."

Fri 19:48 - SS9: Paddon
Electrical gremlins absent, Hayden shows what might have been with a new quickest time, two-tenths up on Evans and Ogier. "Everything is coming together. The car is feeling good. Okay, this is not the result we want but we are going in the right direction. We have to stay positive."

Fri 19:46 - SS9: Breen
"A bit difficult with the broken damper here but it's the end of a good day. I didn't expect to be fighting so near the top on my first time here in the car. A lot of potential."

Fri 19:43 - SS9: Evans
The Welshman matches Ogier's quickest time. "A good way to end the day!"

Fri 19:40 - SS9: Sordo
"Of course it's good to finish like this. It's very important for tomorrow's road position. It's been a good fight with everyone today."

Fri 19:37 - SS9: Tanak
Second quickest on stage so far, two-tenths slower than Ogier. "I tried to do my best. I'm really happy with the day - the car has been behaving well."

Fri 19:37 - SS9: Neuville
Hopeful of getting an adjusted time for SS7, when he was slowed in Latvala's dust. "We will get another time I'm pretty sure. We lost maybe 20sec."

Fri 19:35 - SS9: Latvala
The end of a difficult day for the Finn who was battling for the lead until his 'soft' roll on stage seven. "For sure it's not nice, but the main thing is we know the Toyota is fast and we can fight for the victories. I know the guys have done a great job with the car, I really appreciate that."

Fri 19:30 - SS9: Ogier
He's through. "I'm happy with my stage. I'm happy with my day too, whatever happens here."

Fri 19:28 - SS9: LIVE
Ogier blasts off the line for a second time

Fri 19:20 - SS8: Results update
Eight cars through and Ogier is still quickest. Neuville 0.2s. Paddon 0.5s. Tanak 1.0s.

Fri 19:11 - Portugal WRC2 after SS7
1.Mikkelsen 1:36m57.9, 2.Suninen +55.2s, 3.Tidemand +1m02.8s, 4.Gilbert +3m37.3s, 5.Camilli +3m44.2s

Fri 19:10 - SS8: Ogier / Latvala / Neuville
Seb the pace-setter so far. Neuville is one-tenth slower, Latvala +5.1sec. We will have driver quotes after the second pass (as SS9).

Fri 19:07 - SS8: Latvala update
His Toyota doesn't have many straight panels but seems to be going okay.

Fri 19:05 - SS8: LIVE
And available to watch live on WRC+

Fri 19:04 - Stage info: SS8/9
Braga Street Stage, 1.90km. Friday ends with two passes through a new street stage in the centre of Braga, which will attract huge crowds. The stages replaces a similar test held in Porto last year.

Fri 19:03 - Up next: Braga
The short street stage the teams recced earlier today. Stage notes coming up.

Fri 18:59 - SS7: WRC 2 Bergkvist
He drops more than three minutes with a second puncture this afternoon. "We got it after 3km. Also a faulty sensor means I am down on power. I hope my luck will turn tomorrow."

Fri 18:57 - SS7: WRC 2 Tempestini
"A very rough stage. We decided to be a bit careful. We didn't want a puncture to destroy our hard work today."

Fri 18:51 - SS7: WRC 2 Guerra
Front-left puncture. "It happened 3km away from the finish, so not so bad. The stage was so rough it is very easy to have a puncture."

Fri 18:47 - SS7: WRC 2 Suninen
A clean run, 11.5sec off Mikkelsen's pace, keeps him second in WRC 2.

Fri 18:46 - SS7: WRC 2 Camilli
1m32s slower than Mikkelsen and he's shaking his hands at the finish control. "I broke the rear anti-roll bar this afternoon and now the power steering has broken. A catastrophic afternoon. I like rally but I don't think it's liked me since Corsica."

Fri 18:43 - SS7: WRC 2 Mikkelsen
7.2sec quicker than Tidemand. "Very rough and tricky and the tyres were moving around. A clean stage. I'm taking no risks and using my eyes in the corners to avoid the rocks."

Fri 18:40 - SS7: WRC 2 Tidemand
"At least we are here! I found it hard to find any rhythm. I tried to avoid all the big rocks. Still a long way to go. We keep going like this."

Fri 18:36 - SS7: Paddon
He's though with the loss of almost 11 minutes. "The car just stopped again and we couldn't start it. We did everything we could, checked every wire. Then it started. An intermittent electrical problem. That's our rally ruined now and I'll be sweeping the road tomorrow. We have to stay positive and try to make the most of the opportunity to test. I can't buy any good luck at the moment."

Fri 18:32 - SS7: Lefebvre
"We noticed a problem with the diff this afternoon. I'm looking forward to tomorrow."

Fri 18:30 - Portugal after SS7
1.Tanak 1:33m41.4, 2. Sordo +3.6s, 3.Ogier +6.2s, 4.Breen +10.8s, 5.Evans +18.1s. Meeke, Paddon and Latvala drop back.

Fri 18:29 - SS7: Ostberg
"It was okay. Not really enjoyable for me now. A clean stage but not fun."

Fri 18:26 - SS7: Hanninen
"It's okay but rough and difficult on the tyres near the end. I'm happy to have this kind of afternoon after my morning."

Fri 18:24 - SS7: Paddon update
Moving again.

Fri 18:22 - SS7: Meeke update
Broken suspension. Stopped for the day.

Fri 18:21 - SS7: Paddon update
Stopped at 16km. Mechanical issue. Crew trying to solve it and restart the car.

Fri 18:20 - SS7: Meeke update
Stopped again.

Fri 18:20 - SS7: Breen
"I broke a damper three or four kilometres into the stage. We only lost a few seconds, which is a surprise because the damper is completely broken. A shame, it looks like we had a good package."

Fri 18:18 - SS7: Meeke update
Moving again.

Fri 18:17 - SS7: Evans
"I struggled in here with the rhythm. Could have been better."

Fri 18:16 - SS7: Meeke update
Stopped with a puncture at 12km.

Fri 18:15 - SS7: Paddon and Meeke
Both stopped in stage. More to follow.

Fri 18:15 - SS7: Latvala
Latvala completes 4m47sec off the pace. His car has rolled. "At the beginning of the stage, in the second braking, the car didn't stop. I don't know why - it felt strange. We hit a bank, onto two wheels and we rolled. We damaged the exhaust, we had no ALS and had to use road mode."

Fri 18:13 - SS7: Tanak
"We had some damage on the previous stage and it made the car really difficult drive here. At least we're through."

Fri 18:12 - SS7: Neuville
He's in - 16.5sec slower than Ogier and very frustrated. "I was stuck behind him for more than 5km and almost went off three times myself! He was driving more slowly than my grandmother. I do not understand why he carried on. We have to see with the stewards now."

Fri 18:09 - SS7: Latvala update
He stops in stage to let Tanak pass.

Fri 18:09 - SS7: Ogier
Seb completes in 19m22.8s and jumps straight out of the car to inspect his tyres. "I'm happy with my day. I didn't do any mistakes and I tried as hard as I could. This one was difficult. Okay, it will be a different story tomorrow. Let's see how many cars we have in front of us then."

Fri 18:04 - SS7: Neuville
Hyundai report that Neuville lost time in Latvala's dust before he was able to pass.

Fri 18:03 - SS7: Araujo's verdict
From the zero car: "Very rough and difficult. The road is a little bit destroyed. Lots of rocks on the line. Hard for the tyres and the dampers."

Fri 18:01 - SS7: Latvala update
Still going, but at the 12km split he is 2m50sec slower than Ogier.

Fri 18:00 - SS7: Latvala update
Passed in stage by Neuville.

Fri 17:57 - SS7: Latvala
The Finn 1m43.2sec slower than Ogier at the 5km split. WRC TV crew reports damage to his car.

Fri 17:55 - SS7: LIVE
The last 'proper' stage of the day - and a cruel one according to Meeke. Ogier has reached the opening split.

Fri 17:51 - Portugal after SS6
1.Tanak 1:14m16.6, 2. Latvala +0.1s, 3.Paddon +3.7s, 4.Breen +4.8s, 5.Meeke +6.2s. Another lead change!

Fri 17:47 - Tight at the top!
Tanak becomes the sixth different driver to lead in six stages. Less than nine seconds covers the top eight!

Fri 17:45 - SS6: Lappi
18.8sec off the pace. "Really bad. I got a hole in the intercooler on the previous stage. I tried to fix it but I'm losing power. Missing some boost."

Fri 17:44 - SS6: Lefebvre
He has another rear-left puncture. "I touched nothing. I don't know what happened," he says.

Fri 17:41 - SS6: Ostberg
Sounding very down after his puncture on the previous stage. "We got through it but I've lost the power in myself, to be honest. It's so disappointing. It's no fun to compete here unless you are fighting. I love to compete - not be where I am now."

Fri 17:39 - SS6: Lappi
WRC TV crew at 4km report front end damage to Lappi's car. Driving slowly.

Fri 17:37 - SS6: Hanninen
There is some damage to the front wing of his Toyota.

Fri 17:35 - SS6: Meeke
9.5sec off the pace here and Meeke loses the lead to Tanak. "I got a slow puncture at the end of the last stage so I had to play a game here. The next stage is cruel on the tyres so I took it easy here to protect them."

Fri 17:32 - SS6: Paddon
Up to fourth place now. "Not too bad. I struggled here with a compromise of tyres but I hope it puts us in good shape for the next stage."

Fri 17:30 - SS6: Breen
Slowest time so far. "I had to put the two hards at the front and it took a long time for them to come on. Not very good. We seem to be struggling a bit with tyre wear."

Fri 17:28 - SS6: Evans
Four-tenths off Neuville's stage leading pace. "All pretty good but we don't know how our tyres will be for the next one."

Fri 17:27 - SS6: Sordo
Third quickest on stage so far pulls him exactly level with Ogier overall. "Not a good stage. I should have taken four softs and two hards."

Fri 17:25 - SS6: Tanak
A decent time, second quickest to Neuville, but Tanak isn't hanging around to chat about it. "Very rough, something is bent in the front, we have to go now."

Fri 17:23 - SS6: Neuville
Quickest so far. "I have softs at the rear and it was moving quite a lot. I try to do my best. Was it the right choice? Let's see after the next stage."

Fri 17:21 - SS6: Latvala
Eight-tenths slower than Ogier. "Okay. A little bit more understeer than this morning, otherwise okay. Some places I try to be careful with the tyres not to overload them."

Fri 17:19 - SS6: Ogier
"We pushed as much as we can but it's difficult. Not so easy. The tyre choice was okay, but being first on the road is maybe worse than this morning."

Fri 17:14 - SS6: LIVE
Ogier, Latvala, Neuville, Tanak and Sordo in stage.

Fri 17:00 - Up next: SS6
The leading crews are at the start of Caminha. Ogier's start time: 1706hrs.

Fri 16:58 - Portugal after SS5
1.Meeke 1:03m48.3, 2. Latvala +0.2s, 3.Tanak +1.3s, 4.Breen +1.9s, 5.Paddon +4.6s. Ostberg puncture

Fri 16:55 - SS5: Ostberg
Ostberg reaches the finish but he's lost more than 3min to the leaders. He holds his head in his hands. What happened? "We had a puncture. A slow one. I thought we could go to the end but we couldn't. After 1km we were on the rim. We had to stop and change it. The rim was broken so it took a long time."

Fri 16:51 - SS5: Lefebvre
"A remarkable job by the team to fix the car. We have some understeer in some corners, so some changes to make now."

Fri 16:49 - Ostberg update
Moving again

Fri 16:45 - SS5: Ostberg
WRC+ live tracking shows his car stopped at 20.3km

Fri 16:44 - SS5: Meeke
Third quickest here and Meeke takes the rally lead by two-tenths. His car's front tyres are badly worn but he is carrying two spares. "Let's see how we can manage them over the loop," he says. "I have two spare tyres to bring into play. Let's see how it plays out."

Fri 16:42 - SS5: Paddon
Quickest so far, 4.2sec up on Latvala. "It's going to be difficult but I think we've made a good choice this afternoon." Hayden is also pleased with the results of diff and suspension tweaks made in service.

Fri 16:40 - SS5: Breen
He's carrying two spare tyres in the car and is feeling the extra 23kg.

Fri 16:38 - SS5: Evans
"We're trying the softs here but the stage is so rough and we were very aggressive on them. In some places they worked well, in others not so well. I'm pretty sure the splits will look strange."

Fri 16:35 - SS5: Sordo
"I have four soft tyres here had to be a little bit careful. We made some set-up changes and the car feels better."

Fri 16:34 - SS5: Tanak
Quickest so far with hards on the front and softs at the rear. Sounds like those hards took a while to warm up. "I went wide a couple of times near the start. After that all okay," he says.

Fri 16:32 - SS5: Neuville
1.7sec off Latvala's pace. "It worked well but the stability is very bad and in the rough sections you can get a surprise. I think my [mixed] choice is good for the loop."

Fri 16:30 - SS5: Latvala
4.1sec quicker than Seb on a full set of softs. "This stage is the hardest of the loop for the tyres, the mid section is very abrasive. I tried to take it easy not to overload them. It was okay, I have a good feeling with the tyres."

Fri 16:28 - SS5: Ogier
First to complete, in 15m45.5s, and Seb is straight out of the Fiesta to inspect his tyres. He had softs on three corners, and a hard on the front right. "Not so bad, the car was moving a lot though, I think it was the soft tyres and nothing else."

Fri 16:22 - SS5: Stage report
From Armindo Araujo in the road opening zero car. How does it compare to the morning pass? "More rocks on the surface. More ruts in the braking zones."

Fri 16:18 - Lefebvre update
The Frenchman back on the stages this afternoon after an impressive repair job in service. Essential work overran but two minutes, so Lefebvre is carrying a 20sec penalty.

Fri 16:09 - SS5: LIVE
Ogier is underway.

Fri 16:07 - Weather update
Clear, bright and sunny in Matosinhos right now. The temperature is up to 18˚C.

Fri 16:03 - Tyre choices
News from Michelin on the numbers and compounds (hard or soft) chosen for the afternoon loop. And it's a mixed bag. Meeke: 3H+2S. Breen/Lefebvre: 4S+2H. Ogier/Tanak/Neuville/Paddon: 2H+3S. Sordo: 4S+1H. Latvala/Hanninen: 5S

Fri 13:25 - Next stage: 1609hrs
That's Ogier's time for Viana do Castelo - the opening stage of the afternoon loop. We'll take a live text break until then.

Fri 13:19 - Service Park TV
You can watch teams re-prep their cars in service via our live stream cameras. You'll find a link in the LIVE CENTRE

Fri 13:18 - Midday service
Ogier will be first to reach the 30-minute midpoint service. His arrival time: 1425hrs.

Fri 13:16 - Up next: Recce & Regroup
Unusually, cars are off for a quick recce now. They will make notes for tonight's Braga Street Stage before heading back to Matosinhos for a pre-service regroup.

Fri 13:14 - SS4: WRC2 Greensmith
He completes with the loss of six minutes. What happened? "The rear diff exploded about 1km into the stage. I hope to get back to service."

Fri 13:12 - SS4: WRC2 Arai
"We lost engine power. It feels like no anti-lag. It's hard to keep the car on the road."

Fri 13:11 - SS4: WRC2 Loubet
Reports problems with the turbo pop-off valve - leading to a lack of engine power.

Fri 13:07 - Portugal WRC2 after SS4
1.Mikkelsen 49m44.6, 2.Tidemand +35.9s, 3.Suninen +38.3s, 4.Camilli +53.5s, 5.Gilbert +1m52.5s

Fri 13:06 - SS4: WRC2 Ptaszek
"The set-up is not working in these soft and sandy conditions. The car is not turning in. It's impossible to drive like this."

Fri 13:05 - SS4: WRC2 Gilbert
"I'm confident, but I need to do more kilometres to get used to the car and the tyres."

Fri 13:02 - SS4: WRC2 Heller
The Chilean reports a broken handbrake.

Fri 12:58 - SS4: WRC 2 Raoux
A hydraulic problem leaves him with no power steering and manual gear shift.

Fri 12:57 - SS4: WRC2 Guerra
"The stage is okay but the time is not so good. The gas pedal is broken and I've tied a rubber hose round it to fix. But I don't feel confident."

Fri 12:52 - SS4: WRC2 Greensmith
WRC+ Live tracking shows his car stopped 5km in.

Fri 12:51 - SS4: WRC2 Suninen
19.6sec off Mikkelsen's pace here and Suninen drops behind Tidemand to third in WRC 2. "I was struggling with the softness in the corners."

Fri 12:49 - SS4: WRC2 Camilli
"It is already very, very rough and we are not really set-up for these conditions. We need to make the car higher for the afternoon."

Fri 12:47 - SS4: WRC2 Mikkelsen
9.4sec quicker than Tidemand here and Mikkelsen leads at the midday break. "Its been a good loop. A bit too careful on the second stage, but here a good pace again. A good clean morning."

Fri 12:45 - SS4: WRC2 Tidemand
"No problems. Okay, the guys are pushing very hard but it's a good start for me. This is a long rally."

Fri 12:44 - Portugal after SS4
1.Latvala 48m07.1, 2. Meeke +0.5s, 3.Tanak +1.2s, 4.Breen +1.4s, 5.Ogier +4.8s

Fri 12:41 - SS4: Al Qassimi
"We are here, trying to learn the car with every stage, building the confidence."

Fri 12:38 - SS4: Prokop
"A nice stage. I've changed something about my driving and the car sits well in the corners. I'm enjoying a lot."

Fri 12:36 - SS4: Lefebvre
He's though, but his car's right-rear wheel has no rubber on it. He'll swap that now for another punctured tyre and try to make the 100km journey back to service - as well as the recce of the Braga Street Stage. It's a long shot.

Fri 12:31 - SS4: Lappi
Cleanly though, but frustrated to be stuck behind Lefebvre's damaged Citroen. "I was stuck behind his car for the last 6km. In the dust I couldn't see anything."

Fri 12:30 - SS4: Ostberg
"I didn't feel so good. A difficult feeling with the car - I felt it was everywhere. With these tyres its a bit of a learning exercise." Mads is 13.2sec off the leading pace.

Fri 12:28 - SS4: Lefebvre
He's still going - driving through with the punctured right-rear tyre worn down to the rim.

Fri 12:26 - SS4: Hanninen
Slowest through so far. "A bit disappointed. I tried to keep in the clean line, but I'm spending too much time in the loose."

Fri 12:24 - SS4: Meeke
Kris matches the fastest times of Breen and Tanak. So that's a three-way tie. "Happy. A good run. People talk about road cleaning here but there is none. I'm struggling in the ruts. It's tricky to drive this far back in the start order."

Fri 12:22 - SS4: Paddon
7.4sec off the pace of Tanak and Breen. "I struggled with the car in here. The road has a very different character to the others. It's okay. We have a different set-up for the afternoon and it should be better."

Fri 12:20 - SS4: Breen
Joint quickest with Tanak. "I enjoy every stage - when I push the pedals the car does exactly what I want. I must sound like a broken record!"

Fri 12:18 - SS4: Evans
15.6sec off the pace. His car has a right-hand rear puncture. "I didn't notice anything, just an alarm on the dash and shortly after we knew about it," he says.

Fri 12:16 - SS4: Sordo
"Some problem with the car. All the time it is sliding a lot at the rear. I try to do my best but I can't keep the speed in the corners. It is not normal."

Fri 12:14 - SS4: Tanak
Quickest so far. "Happier than before, a small change to the car has improved the balance."

Fri 12:12 - SS4: Neuville
Eight-tenths slower than Ogier. "Difficult to find the right rhythm here. You have to be sliding all the time - it's not the driving I like. A smooth, clean stage but not enough. I think we should have been quicker than Seb."

Fri 12:10 - SS4: Latvala
3.3sec slower than Ogier. "This wasn't the best for me on the recce. Not the easiest. I had to make a lot of changes to my notes so I can see where I am losing time."

Fri 12:08 - SS4: Ogier
He's through and expects to lose more time in the dry, loose conditions. "Still happy with my loop. I did the best I could. No mistakes, I couldn't have pushed any more. We have to fight."

Fri 12:00 - SS3: WRC 2 Mikkelsen
Looks like another stage win for Andreas despite a more cautious approach. "It's so rough, I was really careful in this one. Not exactly flat out but a good enough pace to be fast. That's okay."

Fri 11:59 - SS3: WRC 2 Tidemand
The Swede unwilling to get drawn into a battle with class leader Mikkelsen. "Andreas is taking time out of me in many places, but we think of the championship and carry on like this."

Fri 11:54 - Portugal after SS3
1.Latvala 28m48.6, 2. Meeke +5.0s, 3.Tanak +5.7s, 4.Breen +5.9s, 5.Evans +7.2s. Lefebvre crashes

Fri 11:52 - SS3: Al Qassimi
Six minutes late out of service this morning so running out of order. "I was cautious to begin with. This one was better, just a stall in a hairpin. Getting to know the car more."

Fri 11:48 - Stage info: SS4
Ponte de Lima, 27.46km. Like the previous test, Ponte de Lima is driven in the opposite direction to last year. It is best known for being the stage in which Hayden Paddon and Ott Tänak crashed 12 months ago when the Kiwi’s Hyundai i20 burned out. The roads are wide and smooth but extremely twisty, with hardly a straight to speak of. There are plenty of surface changes as it includes sandy gravel, cobblestones, concrete and asphalt.

Fri 11:47 - SS4: LIVE
Ogier began the stage at 1146hrs. Stage notes coming up.

Fri 11:42 - SS3: Lefebvre
He completes with the loss of more than two minutes. His car looks battered and has a front-left and right-rear puncture. "On a fast section I lost the rear and touched a bank. We make one roll. I have two punctures and only one spare." He leaves to investigate but that looks like game over today for Stephane.

Fri 11:40 - SS3: Ostberg
"It was okay. Difficult, though. Lefebvre had a massive one. I nearly went off in the same place."

Fri 11:38 - SS3: Lefebvre update
Moving again but his car is damaged. Broken windscreen. Bonnet buckled.

Fri 11:36 - SS3: Lefebvre
WRC+ live tracking shows his car stopped at 15.6km.

Fri 11:36 - SS3: Hanninen
"Really, really nice stage. The grip was changing a bit but generally quite okay."

Fri 11:34 - SS3: Meeke
Kris sets exactly the same time as Ogier. "Not bad. The car felt good in here. There are deep ruts already - you have to commit to your line."

Fri 11:33 - SS3: Paddon
Slowest of the nine cars through. 9.7sec off Latvala's pace. What happened? "The car stopped 2km before the finished. We lost all power, had to stop, reset, and start again. Hey, we're not going to get frustrated by it."

Fri 11:31 - SS3: Breen
Fifth quickest so far and on top lyrical form: "I'm on top of the world looking down on creation," he gushes. "It's a nice place to be right now."

Fri 11:28 - SS3: Evans
Second quickest. "Not perfect, we haven't got massive grip. Sliding around in there. Sometimes oversteer - sometimes understeer."

Fri 11:26 - SS3: Sordo
"It was good. I tried to push harder. Difficult to maintain this speed but I will try."

Fri 11:24 - SS3: Tanak
Second quickest so far. "Struggling to get the car to turn in."

Fri 11:24 - SS3: Neuville
2.5sec slower than Latvala. "I think on the previous stage I wasn't driving hard enough. I'm struggling to keep the rear in the line. To carry the speed here you need to drive sideways - not what I like."

Fri 11:22 - SS3: Latvala
4.3sec quicker than Ogier. "That should be good," he says. Latvala also reveals that a back injury almost prevented him from starting today. "Yesterday night I wasn't sure if I would drive today. Luckily we have a good team and my recovery started overnight. I'm not 100 per cent - about 97," he says.

Fri 11:18 - SS3: Ogier
He's through in 10m29.5s. "Very slippery for us in here. I'm going to struggle. I couldn't push as hard as I could on the stage before."

Fri 11:12 - SS2: WRC2 Update
Overnight leader Mikkelsen thumps in another terrific time - 14.5sec quicker than second-placed Suninen here. Mikkelsen's lead over the Finn is up to 16.1sec.

Fri 11:04 - Stage info: SS3
Caminha, 18.03km. Caminha runs predominantly in the open with spectacular views over the Atlantic Ocean near the start. Much of the forest has been destroyed by fire and this improves driver visibility. It is a mix of tight twisty roads and faster flowing sections with a few small crests. The surface is bumpy but it’s fast in places with several long straights. The stage is identical to 2016, but driven in the opposite direction.

Fri 11:03 - Up next: SS3
Lead crews are making the 20km journey to the start of Caminha. Ogier's start time: 1106hrs. Stage notes coming up.

Fri 10:55 - Portugal after SS2
1.Paddon 18m21.0, 2. Latvala +2.4s, 3.Meeke +3.1s, 4.Østberg +4.6s, 5.Breen +5.8s

Fri 10:52 - SS2: Lappi
Just 9.1sec off the pace on his first gravel stage in a World Rally Car. That's a decent start for the Finn. "The road was good near the start but it got more slippery and softer towards the end. I think my time is surprisingly good. I was expecting to lose more."

Fri 10:49 - SS2: Ostberg
Sixth fastest. "Starting to dig a lot in there, some deep ruts, and I had to slow down to avoid some big, big rocks. The conditions are mixed. In other places the road is cleaning."

Fri 10:48 - SS2: Lefebvre
15.5sec off the leading pace. "I thought I felt a puncture. I must check the tyres before the next one."

Fri 10:45 - SS2: Hanninen
"Okay. We drove the stage clean. The last part is quite soft - I was hesitating in some places." Ninth fastest.

Fri 10:43 - SS2: Meeke
Third quickest, 1.2sec off Paddon's pace here. "Happy. A good start. Nice rhythm. The car seems to be working well. Happy cars mean happy drivers."

Fri 10:42 - SS2: Paddon
Quickest so far for Paddon and co-driver Marshall. "I'm really focused on driving clean and tidy. Not a lot of grip. The road is okay in the open wide sections but I was too tentative in the narrow parts where it's getting soft and sandy."

Fri 10:39 - SS2: Breen
A positive start for the Irishman who slots third quickest so far. "The car is an absolute pleasure. I have never driven anything so awesome in my life. It does exactly what I want. Feeling really good."

Fri 10:38 - SS2: Evans
Fourth fastest. "The grip was really low, not easy. We're still in the ballpark but it was a tricky start. There was a lot of moisture in there - perhaps that's why it didn't suit me."

Fri 10:36 - SS2: Sordo
Quickest at shakedown yesterday, Dani completes 7.3sec off Latvala's pace. "I tried to do my best without mistakes. There are some wet places in there. We will try to do better on the next pass."

Fri 10:33 - SS2: Tanak
Second quickest so far, 2.9sec slower than Latvala. "Some parts in the forest are getting pretty soft now, not so easy. Generally I have a good feeling with the car. I try and improve now."

Fri 10:32 - SS2: Neuville
A good start to the stage but he ends 11.8sec off Latvala's pace. The car looks fine. What's up? "I don't know. I had a feeling that I did a good stage time but no. If I lost time at the end I don't know why."

Fri 10:29 - SS2: Latvala
4.6sec quicker than Ogier. "Generally quite good but the first corner was a surprise - there was lots of very fine gravel and it was very slippery. After that the grip improved and it got better."

Fri 10:27 - SS2: Ogier
He completes in 15m49.9s. "I'm happy with my stage. Whatever the time I know I cannot go faster than that."

Fri 10:25 - SS2: Stage report
Courtesy of zero car driver and 2009 PWRC champ Armindo Araujo. "Very good condition. Smooth. Expect the surface will be a little loose for the first cars."

Fri 10:20 - SS2: Splits watch
Latvala 5.8sec quicker than Ogier to the 11.9km split. How much is Ogier suffering on the loose gravel?

Fri 10:13 - Start intervals
Drivers will start at two-minute intervals.

Fri 10:12 - SS2: LIVE
Ogier started on schedule. He and Latvala are in stage and underway.

Fri 10:02 - SS2: Get set
WRC+ Live tracking shows the cars at the pre-start control. Ogier's start time: 1009hrs.

Fri 10:01 - WRC Live
Our radio service is LIVE with Becs Williams in the studio and Trevor Agnew and Emyr Penlan reporting from the stage ends. You'll find a link the LIVE CENTRE on the homepage.

Fri 10:01 - Stage info: SS2
Viana do Castelo, 26.70km. Last year’s stage is extended by 10.9km to offer a tougher challenge. It is the fastest test of the day and one with plenty of loose surface gravel to hinder early starters. It begins on a sandy surface before a short section of cobblestones at 4.6km. There are several other surface changes and plenty of climbing before the road narrows in the second half, with twisty sections among trees.

Fri 10:01 - Tyre choices
All Michelin-shod World Rally Cars have five soft-compound tyres for this morning's loop.

Fri 10:00 - Time zones
A reminder that all times quoted here are local. That's (UTC +1hr)

Fri 10:00 - Friday's start order
Championship order today. Here's how the WRC crews will line up: 1. Ogier, 2. Latvala, 3. Neuville, 4. Tänak, 5. Sordo, 6. Evans, 7. Breen, 8. Paddon, 9. Meeke, 10. Hanninen, 11. Lefebvre, 12. Østberg, 13. Lappi, 14. Al Qassimi.

Fri 10:00 - Weather
It's a beautiful morning in Matosinhos. Clear skies and lots of sunshine. The temperature is 15˚C and should hit 17˚C later. WRC TV camera crews report the temperature at the end of SS2 is 10˚C.

Fri 09:59 - Watch SS8/9 LIVE
WRC+ users can watch tonight's Braga stage LIVE. Streaming starts at 1900hrs local [1800hrs UTC].

Fri 09:59 - Friday's itinerary
Competitors journey up the coast towards the Spanish border for three stages near Viano do Castelo. After service in Matosinhos, the loop is repeated before two runs through a new asphalt street test in Braga. It adds up to 148.32km of competition.

Fri 09:58 - Coming up today
After Thursday's short, super special opener in Matosinhos, the rally really gets going today with a full day of gravel stage competition.

Fri 09:58 - We're LIVE
Reporting from the WRC service park to bring you all the news from the stages of the championship's six round.

Fri 09:58 - Good morning
Hello again from Matosinhos and welcome back to our live text coverage of Vodafone Rally de Portugal.

Thu 20:42 - We will return
On Friday to bring you all the action from the rally's first full day. We'll be here from 1009hrs (local) when the opening stage gets underway. Bye for now.

Thu 20:41 - Leaders through
And that's where we'll leave our live text coverage from Vodafone Rally de Portugal for tonight

Thu 20:41 - Portugal WRC2 after SS1
1.Mikkelsen 2m40.4, 2.Suninen +1.6s, 3.Tidemand +2.4s, 4.Camilli +4.3s, 5.Campos +5.4s. Ptaszek crashes out.

Thu 20:40 - SS1: WRC2 Ptaszek
Disaster! He crashes his Skoda Fabia R5 on the very first corner and rips off both left-hand wheels! Crew okay, but that's game over for Hubert today.

Thu 20:14 - Portugal after SS1
=1.Neuville 2m36.6, =1. Østberg +0.0s, 3.Paddon +0.1s, 4.Evans +0.4s, 5.Sordo +0.5s

Thu 20:10 - SS1: Camilli vs Bergkvist
Cleanly through, fourth and sixth-quickest respectively in WRC 2.

Thu 20:08 - SS1: Raoux vs Tidemand
We're back to the WRC 2 category now and Tidemand takes an easy heat win. His time is 2.4sec slower than category leader - and Skoda team-mate - Mikkelsen

Thu 20:00 - SS1: Latvala vs Ogier
The main event is a clash between the two former VW team-mates. Ogier is quicker, after Latvala drifts VERY wide on the opening lap, but neither can touch the pace of Ostberg and Neuville who lead overnight. Ogier says: "Everyone in the team is pushing to give me the best chance here, and of course I will try my best, but the truth is we'll probably lose some time on the first day with our road position. We'll see what we can do." Latvala says understeer was the cause of his lurid moment.

Thu 19:54 - SS1: Meeke vs Neuville
Joint-fastest for Neuville! He completes in the same time as stage leader Ostberg. "A great atmosphere to start the race, I hope it will be all like this," he says. "Meeke is 2sec slower.

Thu 19:49 - SS1: Breen vs Tanak
Breen wins the heat with Tanak four-tenths behind. They slot seventh and eighth quickest respectively. "The atmosphere is electric! I'm quite happy, glad to be back," says Breen. Tanak says: "They have watered the surface a lot so it's very slippery in places."

Thu 19:46 - SS1: Hanninen vs Sordo
Sordo wins the heat in the fourth-quickest time, to the delight of the crowd. "A very nice stage. Tomorrow we have some difficult stages but this was really nice for the spectators - good fun." Dani fields more questions about his underwear at the finish control. "Maybe now it's time to stop talking about this - the story is getting too big," he pleads. Head to the news section for all the latest on Dani's undercrackers.

Thu 19:38 - SS1: Evans vs Lefebvre
Evans wins the heat in the third-quickest time so far. "A difficult start, a lot less grip than I expected. A long weekend ahead, I'm concentrating on a nice clean rally," he says. Lefebvre completes 1.1sec slower.

Thu 19:34 - SS1: Ostberg vs Paddon
An extremely close battle goes Ostberg's way by 0.1sec. The crowd goes crazy. "I went a bit crazy too," says Mads, who is competing on DMACK tyres this weekend. "It was a close one. I saw after one lap it was close, so I pushed more on the second. A few small mistakes but I'm happy with the time!"

Thu 19:28 - SS1: Al Qassimi vs Lappi
Lappi's tops the times so far on his first stage in the Yaris WRC. His time: 2m39.2. "This is the perfect place to make my World Rally Car debut," he says. "Two years ago I had my R5 debut here. I am not nervous - just normally excited. I have been preparing for this for six months, so I am ready. We need to build our speed through the event and through the season." Al Qassimi is 5.4sec slower.

Thu 19:23 - SS1: Gorban vs Prokop
Our first World Rally Car contest pits Prokop's 2016-spec Fiesta against Gorban's similar spec MINI. Neither can match Mikkelsen's pace in an R5. Prokop slots third fastest on his first rally for seven months. "It's nice to be back in the WRC - I was missing it," he says.

Thu 19:19 - SS1: Mikkelsen vs Suninen
A big dose of extra pace now as two stars of WRC 2 hit the stage. Mikkelsen goes quickest in 2m40.4s. "Okay, not perfect but a pretty good start to the rally," he says. Suninen admits to a small mistake in the first lap.

Thu 19:16 - SS1: Campos vs Fontes
Former Portuguese champion Campos takes the win here in another R5 Skoda. The new time to beat: 2m45.8s

Thu 19:09 - SS1: Meireles vs Barbosa
Barbosa wins the opening duel between two Skoda Fabia R5s. His time to beat: 2m46.3s

Thu 19:07 - SS1: LIVE
And the first pair of cars are on stage. Spectators giving plenty of support for this all-Portuguese clash.

Thu 19:05 - WRC Live
Our radio service is LIVE with Becs Williams in the studio and Trevor Agnew and Emyr Penlan reporting from the stage ends. You'll find a link the LIVE CENTRE on the homepage.

Thu 18:22 - Next stage: 1903hrs
Next stage: 1903hrs That's when the first pair of cars will be on stage. We'll take a break from our live text until then. Bye for now

Thu 18:22 - Stage info: SS1
Lousada, 3.36km. A fan-favourite super special stage that opens the action for a third year. Two cars at-a-time run alongside each other on the mixed surface Lousada rallycross circuit. Two laps provide great entertainment for the 35,000 fans.

Thu 18:22 - Tyre choices
All Michelin-shod World Rally Cars have five soft-compound tyres for this evening's stage

Thu 18:21 - Time zones
A reminder that all times quoted here are local. That's (UTC +1hr).

Thu 18:21 - Thursday's start order
The all-Portuguese pairings of Meireles/Barbosa and Fontes/Campos will open the show followed by a WRC 2 duel between Mikkelsen and Suninen. After that, the WRC boys will take to the track. Here are the pairings: Prokop/Gorban, Lappi/Al Qassimi, Paddon/Østberg, Evans/Lefebvre, Sordo/Hanninen, Tanak/Breen, Neuville/Meeke, Ogier/Latvala.

Thu 18:21 - Weather
It's a beautiful evening here in Matosinhos. Clear skies overhead and with sunset at 2047hrs there's still some sunshine around. The temperature is 17˚C.

Thu 18:20 - Watch SS1 LIVE
WRC+ users can watch tonight's opening stage LIVE. Streaming starts at 1900hrs local [1800hrs UTC].

Thu 18:20 - Thursday's itinerary
After a start ceremony in front of the picturesque Castle of Guimarães, and a spot of archery instruction for the drivers (yes really), the nearby rallycross circuit at Lousada hosts the opening head-to-head competition.

Thu 18:20 - Coming up this evening
A dose of super special action. A Rally Portugal aperitif to get us in the mood before the three days of action that follow.

Thu 18:20 - We're LIVE
Tapping away in the WRC service park to bring you all the news from the stages of the championship's six round.

Thu 18:19 - Evening all
A warm boa noite from Matosinhos and welcome to our live text coverage of Vodafone Rally de Portugal. Can it really be three weeks since Argentina?

Tue 13:59 - Vodafone Rally de Portugal 2017
Watch the Preview Magazine (26min.) on wrcplus.com