Rallye de France Alsace

13:00 That's all from Rallye de France Alsace

Thank you for joining us this weekend - we'll be back for the RallyRACC Rally of Spain on October 20-23.

12:59 Tweet from @Juanlu11RB

@SebOgier congratulatation, the season is open, we will see a wonderful end of season

12:52 Tweet from @schumi84f1

Bravo à @SebOgier et @citroenracing qui remportent le #rallyedefrance ! Ça va étre chaud la fin de saison ! #WRC

12:51 Tweet from @jesouhaite

yeah yeah anyway CONGRATULATIONS AND A BIG YAY to @DaniSordo because he was AWESOME the whole weekend! #WRC #MINI #RallyFrance

12:51 Tweet from @MINImotorsport

Congratulations 2 @DaniSordo and Carlos on another milestone for the #MINI #WRC Team and another straight WRC podium with 2nd place overall.

12:49 Tweet from @TinkerBells_43

Jari-Matti just won the power stage! YIIIIIIIHA! #WRC

12:43 Ogier wins Rallye de France Alsace

We've already had the closest ever finish on the WRC this year, and while Sebastien Ogier's victory margin of 6.3s over Dani Sordo looks comfortable in comparison, this has been a tense and exciting rally. What an extraordinary achievement from the Mini WRC team after just a handful of rallies in the new car. Jari-Matti Latvala takes the maximum bonus points from the Power Stage having ceded fourth overall to his Abu Dhabi Ford team-mate Mikko Hirvonen, making the championship battle incredibly tight. 1 Sebastien Ogier 3h06m20.4s; 2 Dani Sordo +6.3s; 3 Petter Solberg +1m23.8s; 4 Mikko Hirvonen +3m26.6s; 5 Jari-Matti Latvala +3m30.3s; 6 Dennis Kuipers +6m42.0s.

12:41 Ogier third quickest through Power Stage

Sebastien Ogier comes through third quickest with 3m11.9s, but it's enough to cement victory on home soil: "It's a very good feeling. We had some difficulties towards the end and I had not such a good drive on the Power Stage, but it was okay. It [the championship] is still possible now but you will have to ask the team!"

12:40 Tweet from @Officialferm

6th position for dennis kuipers historic performance, never has a dutchman finished so high #wrc #motorstv #rtlgp #RallyFrance

12:38 Sordo second quickest through Power stage

3m11.5s for Dani Sordo - not enough to beat Latvala, and probably not enough to unseat Sebastien Ogier for the lead of the rally: "It's incredible - I'm a little bit disappointed in a way to miss out on the win but we must be pleased to have been pushing for it all weekend."

12:36 Solberg finishes Rallye de France Alsace

Petter Solberg secures his podium position, finishing the Power Stage in 3m14.4s - not quite quick enough to take any of the bonus points, but he's not too dispirited: "This rally we had a chance to fight for a victory. The car has been very good. But this is how it is with the puncture yesterday. Thanks to all the team - we have two podiums in a row now."

12:34 Tweet from @Trackmann

Interesting, Solberg has "handbrake" on his pace notes #wrc

12:33 Latvala quickest through Power Stage

Jari-Matti Latvala seizes the baton - obviously Ford have decided he's best placed to deny Sebastien Ogier those bonus points. He clocks a 3m09.4s through the Power Stage: "Some stages were going really well. I've made too many mistakes and there is work to do, but we made a step forward."

12:31 Tweet from @mburumwangi

Mikko Hirvonen is on fire! Seriously, Ogler and Sordo won't beat that. Maybe Latvala will! #wrc

12:29 Hirvonen laments Power Stage error

Rallye de France Alsace is approaching a sizzling denouement as the rival factory drivers get into the Power Stage. Mikko Hirvonen stops the clock at 3m11.9s, 2.1s faster than Matthew Wilson: "It was a very difficult weekend for me but no matter what, we'll get good points. I think I made a mistake in the Power Stage so we'll see how the others do."

12:28 Kuipers seals best ever result

3m16.7s for Dennis Kuipers - not as fast as Henning Solberg and Matthew Wilson but he's overjoyed after a strong run to his best WRC result: "It's unbelieveable. I never expected this. It's been a great weekend."

12:27 Tweet from @JosBergman

Dennis gestart in de #Powerstage.. Go, Dennis en Fred! Pak die 6e plek en de puntjes! @Officialferm #wrc #rallydefrance

12:25 H Solberg finishes seventh overall

Henning Solberg can't quite beat Matthew Wilson, finishing in 3m15.1s, but he's safe in seventh place overall and pleased with his sealed-surface performance: "I'm happy I'm here and looking forward to the next Tarmac rally. I tried my best on this stage but the tyres are very slippery now."

12:24 Tweet from @FakeSebOgier

Ok, I've got this. #WRC

12:22 Tweet from @manicm78

Those WRC DS3's look awesome #wrc

12:22 Ostberg through Power Stage

Mads Ostberg stops the clock at 3m37.6s, slowest so far - he has a front right puncture, his third in this rally: "I'm pleased with the weekend, a little disappointed with the result - we lost three minutes with punctures. This one was my fault - I was not concentrated and made a mistake. I'm pleased with my Tarmac driving now."

12:21 Tweet from @marti_b

Ken Block getting sideways through the last couple of corners on the Power Stage :) #wrc

12:19 Campana finishes Rallye de France Alsace

Pierre Campana brings the Mini through in 3m17.9s. That's second quickest, but not enough to snatch ninth place from Ken Block: "I'm very happy for my second time in the WRC with the Mini, we've made very good progress."

12:16 Block rocks around the block

3m18.7s for Ken Block. Will it be enough to keep hold of ninth place? "The fans here are amazing, the most enthusiastic out of everywhere," he says. "I've really enjoyed it, having a big fight with Pierre Campana today. It's great to get back in the points - there have been more men on the moon than Americans in the WRC points!"

12:14 Wilson hails sealed-surface improvement

Matthew Wilson completes the Power Stage in 3m14.0s: “We’ve had a really good day today, made some small changes last night. Nothing drastic but on Tarmac when you’ve got no confidence even small changes can be a big help. It’s good to find that confidence ahead of Spain.”

12:08 Tanak takes SWRC win

3m20.7s for Ott Tanak, and it’s a clean run to complete his third SWRC win of the season. It’s been a smooth event since his quickest rival, Juho Hanninen, had to Superally on day one: “Maybe this one wasn’t such a big battle but for sure we’ve got a nice feeling on the Tarmac now so we will fight for everything in Spain.”

12:05 Tweet from @MattJelonek

@WRCcrazy checking in early to re group so that means he drops in ldr board behind Mikko so Mikko gets more points in drivers to champs #WRC

12:03 Tweet from @SiniF1

That black Ford Fiesta is just. Cool. Ford should use it until the end of the season #WRC

12:01 Stage Begin - SS23 Haguenau 2 (4.2km)

Off we go for a final suburban thrash around the streets of Hagenau. There are bonus championship points available for the quickest drivers through here and the top 12 will run in reverse order, with SWRC leader Ott Tanak first on the road.

11:55 Tweet from @OfficialWRC

Petter Solberg is fortunate not to lose more time after an off on stage 19 http://bit.ly/onrOGc #wrc

11:55 Latvala picks up penalty

As expected, the Abu Dhabi Ford drivers have shuffled around. Jari-Matti Latvala checked into TC22A - the time control before the last regroup - two minutes early and collects a two-minute penalty which will drop him behind Mikko Hirvonen overall.

11:54 Tweet from @taagnew

Is this the rally finish that WRR's @voiceofrally will spontaneously combust with excitement? #miniwin @Becsywecsy #wrc

11:25 Tweet from @iPauloV

@kblock43 : What a great #rally you did in #France ! 9th, that's so cool ! And thanks for the pic ;) #KenBlock #WRC pic.twitter.com/cnZSQGHJ

11:00 Tweet from @Gbabyz

@OfficialWRC The soft tyres are gona cost Sordo n MINI tha win..but not a podium..#WRC

10:57 Campana, Block complete SS22

The battle for ninth continues. Pierre Campana stops the clock at 5m59.2s, followed through by Ken Block in 6m00.3s. "It's felt really good," says Block. "I gained seven seconds on Campana this morning so I've got a little cushion going into the last stage. I feel more comfortable in the car now and more confident that it's going to do what I want it to do."

10:49 Tweet from @WRCgerardquinn

SS23 - Powerstage / Haguenau 2 live at 1308hr CET. Bright, sunny and warm now here in Strasbourg. Our pack up has started #wrc

10:49 Top six recap after SS22: Ogier consolidates

Sebastien Ogier may just have done enough to win the Rallye de France Alsace for Citroen, setting joint quickest time in SS22 with Ford's Jari-Matti Latvala. By dint of going 0.8s than his closest rival, Mini's Dani Sordo, he now has a 6.7s lead with just 4.20km of competition to go. 1 Sebastien Ogier 3h03m08.5s; 2 Dani Sordo +6.7s; 3 Petter Solberg +1m21.3s; 4 Jari-Matti Latvala +1m32.8s; 5 Mikko Hirvonen +3m26.6s; 6 Dennis Kuipers +6m37.2s.

10:45 Kuipers ends SS22

Dennis Kuipers completes the stage in 6m04.7s - just 4.20km of competitive stages now stand between him and his best ever WRC finish: “It was unbelievable this morning. I knew it was my big chance and that we had to fight for it. Now I just have to keep my rhythm and not make any mistakes. The rally is not quite over yet.”

10:43 Hirvonen targets Power Stage push

Mikko Hirvonen comes through in 5m57.4s, setting up an interesting tactical conundrum for the Abu Dhabi Ford team as they look to gain a championship advantage: “I have to get some points - go flat out on the next stage and see what happens.”

10:38 Latvala matches Ogier on SS22

Jari-Matti Latvala equals Ogier’s time of 5m50.3s: “If you want to be a good Tarmac driver you have to learn and today’s the day that I’m learning. I think we’ve done very good progress with the car since Germany.”

10:37 Solberg through SS22

Petter Solberg completes SS22 in 5m53.7s, 3.4s off Ogier's time.

10:33 Sordo's tyres overheating

Dani Sordo was up on Ogier in the opening split of that stage but comes through 0.8s in arrears. The soft compound tyres were a good choice for the opening stages today but now they;ve clearly given their best: “This is normal with the soft tyres. They’re really really hot. At the end of the stage the car was slipping around a bit.”

10:31 Ogier through SS22

Sebastien Ogier completes the stage in 5m50.3s and sounds confident of victory now: “It’s okay, I think. I did just the job I needed to do.”

10:28 Tweet from @OfficialWRC

Injured crews on road to recovery http://bit.ly/nYkdSv #WRC

10:27 Stage Begin - SS22 Vignoble de Cleebourg 2 (10.61km)

The longest stage of the day, featuring narrower roads than elsewhere and plenty of junctions. It's also something of a change of scene, passing predominantly through cornfields rather than vineywards.

09:50 Tweet from @aridxon

#WRC Rally France Saturday Highlights bit.ly/oTTeoZ With the Meeke crash and Novikov

09:47 Advantage Block in SS21

Pierre Campana is running out of time if he wants to snatch ninth place from Ken Block - the gymkana legend comes through sixth fastest so far on 2m52.4s, 7.9s quicker than Campana.

09:41 Top six recap after SS21: Ogier edges away

Sebastien Ogier extends his lead over Dani Sordo by one second while Jari-Matti Latvala underlines the growing sealed-surface performance of the Fiesta RS WRC with another stage win. 1 Sebastien Ogier 2h57m18.2s; 2 Dani Sordo +5.9s; 3 Petter Solberg +1m17.9s; 4 Jari-Matti Latvala +1m32.8s; 5 Mikko Hirvonen +3m19.5s; 6 Dennis Kuipers +6m22.8s.

09:33 Tweet from @sackrebleu

Dear World Rally Radio, did we do something terrible to you? Because otherwise I cannot explain that Scherzinger song. #WRR #WRC

09:31 Tweet from @SebOgier

J’ai publié 29 photos sur Facebook, dans l’album Rallye de France 2011 http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.256247914419874.68451.181412151903451&l=dc2ed2917e

09:30 Tweet from @DovenbyHall

What does everybody think of Henning's new co-driver? ;-) http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=777303&l=f8a00c2ece&id=106632069379854

09:29 Tweet from @citroenracing

What a battle between @DaniSordo and #Ogier as Ogier bests Dani by 1 sec on SS21. So his lead on Dani is back to 5.9 secs. #MINI #WRC

09:26 Latvala has a moment on SS21

Another quick stage from Jari-Matti Latvala, 0.1s faster than Ogier on 2m47.2s: “It was okay but I went a little wide at one of the junctions. It’s a lot closer than it was in the morning.”

09:25 Solberg rues corner-cutting

2m50.1s for Petter Solberg, 2.8s down on Ogier: “It was not so bad, less dusty. I cut one corner because the poles were not there and I heard a big knock at the front of the car.”

09:24 Sordo slides on SS21

Dani Sordo comes through a second slower than Ogier on 2m48.3s - with only 15km left he’s going to have to push now: “I went wide and lost a little bit of time. Now it will be a little more difficult because the conditions will be more for his tyres.”

09:21 Fog lifts in SS21

Sebastien Ogier completes the stage in 2m47.3s and reports improved conditions: “That was better. No fog this time.”

09:20 Stage Begin - SS21 Graviere de Bischwiller 2 (5.52km)

A second run through this 50/50 gravel stage. It's fast and there's also a jump towards the end.

09:09 Top six recap after SS20: no change at the top

Jari-Matti Latvala's stage win has no effect on the overall standings and a dead heat between Sebastien Ogier and Dani Sordo leaves the battle for the lead equally static. 1 Sebastien Ogier 2h54m30.9s; 2 Dani Sordo +4.9s; 3 Petter Solberg +1m15.1s; 4 Jari-Matti Latvala +1m32.9s; 5 Mikko Hirvonen +3m15.0s; 6 Dennis Kuipers +6m15.4s.

09:02 Hirvonen completes SS20

Mikko Hirvonen comes through the stage in 3m14.9s. When will Jari-Matti Latvala get the call from the team to move over?

09:01 Tweet from @WRCgerardquinn

SS20 - JML comes through fastest so far of the top 4. He's annoyed at his drive on the last stage where he had a spin. #wrc

09:00 Tweet from @RobinVRally

“@Officialferm: We loved the live tv coverage yesterday on wrc.com WE WANT MORE ! #wrc #Rally #rallydefrance” Me Too!!

08:59 Latvala quickest through SS20

Jari-Matti Latvala notches up another stage win with 3m11.6s, but he’s locked in self-beration mode: “I’m just very angry with myself because I made a mistake on the second 10km stage and lost 10 seconds. Then I would be having a good battle with Petter.”

08:58 Tweet from @FakeSebOgier

@sowi1 Careful I have feelings you see.

08:57 Tweet from @sowi1

What @danisordo shows now in #WRC is absolutely MEGA!!!!!

08:55 Solberg ends SS20

Petter Solberg gets through the stage cleanly - it may be short, but like yesterday's Mulhouse stage there are plenty of kerbs to catch drivers out - and his time of 3m13.8s reflects a cautious approach: "I was a bit too careful there."

08:52 Sordo matches Ogier through SS20

The plot thickens! Dani Sordo can’t beat Ogier’s time through this suburban stage. It’s a dead heat: “I just have to keep the pressure on.”

08:50 Ogier completes SS20

3m12.0s for Sebastien Ogier: “No problems at all there. In this one we had to be a bit careful but it seemed to be better. Dani is pushing hard and has had a good drive this morning.”

08:49 Stage Begin - SS20 Haguenau 1 (4.2km)

First run of the day through what will be the bonus point Power Stage later. With the lead of the championship in the balance, this will be a fiercely contested one!

08:14 Tweet from @Greg_Beerlandt

Novikov #Crash SS11 France http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCmc7SRvo38&feature=youtu.be

07:55 Tweet from @planetemarcus

#WRC Rally France go to SS21 some part of fog near Strasbourg !

07:54 Tweet from @Officialferm

We loved the live tv coverage yesterday on wrc.com WE WANT MORE ! #wrc #Rally #rallydefrance

07:51 Block still pushing in SS19

The battle for ninth is just as hotly contested as the one for the lead. Pierre Campana is first through in 6m05.7s, but Ken Block answers with 6m04.3s. They're now separated by 4.9s with Block in ninth.

07:49 Ostberg third quickest in SS19

Mads Ostberg continues to deliver the goods this morning, coming through in 5m59.9s - over 10s quicker than erstwhile M-Sport team-mate Henning Solberg's 6m10.1s. At this rate Ostberg could overhaul Solberg for seventh place, though over 30s separate them at the moment.

07:46 Top six recap after SS19: Sordo closes in again

A close finish is in prospect in the Rallye de France Alsace. Dani Sordo has scented a whiff of victory and another stage win brings him closer to Sebastien Ogier - once again, though, has he done enough? 1 Sebastien Ogier 2h51m18.9s; 2 Dani Sordo +4.9s; 3 Petter Solberg +1m13.3s; 4 Jari-Matti Latvala +1m33.3s; 5 Mikko Hirvonen +3m12.1s; 6 Dennis Kuipers +6m08.2s.

07:42 Tweet from @MINImotorsport

2 stages into Sunday @DaniSordo has cut #Ogier's lead from 9.5 secs to just 4.9 secs. Tremendous work by Dani & Carlos. #WRC #MINI

07:42 Hirvonen through SS19

Mikko Hirvonen takes another step closer to a safe points haul with a 6m05.4s, followed through by Dennis Kuipers in 6m08.9s. After his heroics in SS18 Kuipers just needs to cruise to the finish - he has over 30s in hand over Henning Solberg.

07:41 Tweet from @RallyRikus

If #WRC finishes like this, Championship Open! Loeb 196, Ogier 192, Mikko 191 with Powerstage points still up for grabs! 2 Rounds remain :)

07:39 Tweet from @Evan_Rothman

I'm looking forward to see how the Pierre Campana vs Ken Block battle for 9th unfolds. Just 3.5ec between them! #WRC

07:37 Latvala completes SS19

Perhaps as a sign of how hard Sordo and Ogier are pushing, Jari-Matti Latvala comes through third fastest in 6m00.5s, 5.9s off Sordo.

07:36 Solberg spins in SS19

Petter Solberg has had a spin near the start of the stage and finishes in 6m18.9s, 24.3s down on Sordo's benchmark time.

07:34 Sordo quickest, Solberg in trouble

Dani Sordo completes in 5m54.6s, 1.5s quicker than Ogier, while Petter Solberg has lost over 20s in the opening split after a spin. Ogier's lead now stands at 4.9s but there's only one 4.2km stage to go before we start this loop again.

07:30 Ogier through SS19

Sebastien Ogier clears the stage in 5m56.1s but he's under pressure form Dani Sordo, who is faster in both splits.

07:28 Stage Begin - SS19 Vignoble de Cleebourg 1 (10.61km)

After a brief regroup, battle is rejoined in the second longest stage of this morning's loop - long perhaps not being the most apposite word since it's a frantic 10.61km blast.

07:27 Tweet from @Officialferm

YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS PICTURE... See who is 2e on the stage #rallyedefrance #wrc #erc #irc #rtvoost #rtlgp #rtl7 http://yfrog.com/nx13wgj

06:50 Tweet from @rachelcavers

Congratulations to @OfficialFERM driver Dennis Kuipers for posting a second-fastest stage time. Go Dennis! #WRC

06:46 Top six recap after SS18: Sordo narrows the gap

A quick time for Dani Sordo brings him closer to overnight leader Sebastien Ogier, but was it quick enough to capitalise on Ogier's conservative start to the day? Fourth-placed Jari-Matti Latvala showed what was possible winnging the stage with a time 4.4s quicker than Sordo. 1 Sebastien Ogier 2h45m22.8s; 2 Dani Sordo +6.4s; 3 Petter Solberg +50.5s; 4 Jari-Matti Latvala +1m28.9s; 5 Mikko Hirvonen +3m02.8s; 6 Dennis Kuipers +5m55.4s.

06:40 Block moves up in SS18

Ken Block told Wrc.com last night that he was up for a big fight today, and he's as good as his word. 2m56.2s equals Mads Ostberg's time through SS18 and is 10.5s quicker than Pierre Campana, with whom he was battling for ninth place. Job done, then - he's now 3.5s ahead of Campana.

06:39 Araujo stopped in stage

Timing and GPS tracking data indicate that Armindo Araujo has come to a halt in his privately entered Mini before the first split. This settles his battle for sixth with Dennis Kuipers and promotes Henning Solberg to seventh place.

06:37 Tweet from @citroenracing

VIDEO. La vidéo de samedi est dispo, starring Jean-Paul "Coco" Chiaroni http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0oHdfmuNpI #WRC #rallyedefrance

06:34 Ostberg fourth quickest in SS18

Mads Ostberg fell out of the top six after suffering two punctures earlier in the event, and he struggled yesterday with a wheel alignment problem, but he's on flying form this morning - 2m56.2s puts him between Dani Sordo and Petter Solberg on overall pace through this mixed gravel/asphalt stage.

06:32 Tweet from @MINImotorsport

Salut, ca va from #RallyFrance for the 3rd and final day. Can @DaniSordo regain the overall lead from Séb #Ogier? #WRC #MINI

06:32 Tweet from @WRCgerardquinn

Service at start of day and end of day only. Live Powerstage at 1308hr CET - Haguenau 2, 4.20Km #wrc

06:31 Tweet from @OfficialWRC

Listen to the podcast for the second day of Rally France 2011 http://bit.ly/bMjKsc #wrc

06:30 Quick start for Kuipers

One can only speculate as to what Dennis Kuipers has had for breakfast as he brings the FERM Powertools Fiesta through in 2m54.6s - second fastest through the stage so far and 0.8s faster than Dani Sordo!

06:28 Steady as she goes for Hirvonen

Mikko Hirvonen is aiming to collect points from this event to capitalise on the absence of Sebastien Loeb, and he finishes the stage at a canter in 3m00.3s: “I try to keep it like this so no worries. It’s foggy and there’s some gravel so I’m trying not to make any mistakes. It’s all about the championship.”

06:26 Latvala fastest through SS18

Jari-Matti Latvala goes fastest on 2m51.0s, 4.4s quicker than Sordo. He’s on soft tyres, which seems a calculated gamble so that he can be quick this morning before he has to cede position to team-mate Mikko Hirvonen: “When we have gravel it’s always a good feeling. In the afternoon we might lose a bit [on the soft tyres] but for now they’re the right option.”

06:23 Solberg reports visibility trouble

2m57.1s for Petter Solberg: “The dust was very bad. It was very tricky - one of the spare tyres is quite loose in the back and moving around a lot. I used the hard tyres - they were too hard for this stage but they will be better later."

06:21 Sordo gambling on soft tyres

Dani Sordo is pulling out the stops this morning, running on the soft compound tyres and only carrying one spare. He completes the stage in 2m55.4s, 3.1s quicker than Ogier: “It’s not bad - I lost some time. There’s a little bit of dust in the air in the stage. I tried to push hard. It’s not bad but I need to do better.”

06:20 Cautious start for Ogier

Sebastien Ogier comes through in 2m58.5s - Dani Sordo is 3.3s up on him at the first split: “On the gravel I drove carefully - I don’t ant to take risks.”

06:19 Tweet from @Becswecsy

One of fave pressers of the year - hope they included it all - #WRC France 2011: Saturday Press Conference http://bit.ly/rk6b66 #wrc

06:18 Stage Begin - SS18 Graviere de Bischwiller 1 (5.52km)

Good morning and welcome to live coverage of the final day of action in the Rallye de France Alsace. Gravel sections await in this morning's rapid-fire succession of stages and it's currently misty. Dust hanging in the air will be a problem for drivers running later on the road.