Rally Australia

07:06 And thats a wrap!

Rally Australia is over and Mikko Hirvonen has won his third consecutive WRC event down under! Jari-Matti Latvala comes in second as Petter Solberg is back to form picking up the final podium spot. With the two Citroens crashing out on Friday the championship fight is back on for Hirvonen. Congratulations to Kiwi Hayden Paddon crowned the 2011 Production World Rally Champion! Catch all the action from Rallye de France in three weeks right here on WRC Live Text... thanks for tuning in!

07:05 Loeb takes three bonus points after Powerstage win

Loeb wins Powerstage. Latvala second, Solberg third.

07:02 Latvala finishes 2nd in Powerstage and 2nd overall for Rally Australia

"Its a great result for the team and of course it would have been great to win the rally but not this time it didn't happen for me. Hopefully another time for me."

06:59 Mikko Hirvonen wins Rally Australia for the third consecutive year!!!

"Yeah I do like this place it has been kind to us. But it's only because of a kind team that I have won. A big thanks to Jari-Matti for what he has done and for putting back in the Championship game. I need to go away and continue on the pace if I want to win this Championship now."

06:57 Petter Solberg second quickest on Powerstage and third overall on Rally Australia!

"Very happy to be back on the podium. I have been waiting a long time for this but it's great for the team and it's good to be properly on the pace again. Thanks to the whole team this has been an excellent weekend!"

06:54 Wilson equals best result as co-driver Martin scores best WRC finish in 4th!

"That was an absolutely horrible day to get through because we had such big gaps in front and behind us but its great to get to the end and equal my best WRC result!"

06:50 Khalid Al Qassimi best finish in WRC 5th overall!

It feels fantastic to finish with my best ever result in the WRC here in Australia. The car was fantastic all weekend and it has been the perfect rally all round."

06:48 Loeb fastest through Powerstage thus far!

"On this Rally the team made a choice because now there is big pressure from Mikko because of our mistakes on Friday. I had a big push in there so lets see what happens with the rest of the drivers to come through."

06:44 Ogier finishes Rally Australia slower than Block on Powerstage

"I have team orders and I respect it. I'm sorry I have no more comment."

06:42 Henning Solberg finishes Powerstage with two punctures!

"I got the punctures after the water-splash. I was going for it in there but now I will have to drive very slowly back to service!"

06:38 Hayden Paddon wins four rallies in a row and the PWRC title for 2011!!!

"It's been absolutely perfect this year. This weekend has been tough but we've done it! Less than a year ago we had no money and no campaign and now thanks to all the support we're here as PWRC Champions and hopefully it means bigger things to come!"

06:32 Van Merksteijn Jr clears SS26

"I'm really happy to come here this weekend. I didn't know what to expect when I came here but these stages are really cool and really fast plus the people are really nice and the weather is great!"

06:28 Ken Block first through Powerstage

"I had a pretty good rally besides Friday. I had to build confidence back in my notes yesterday. These are amazing stages especially Day 2. I really appreciate all the support of the fans in Australia."

06:24 Stage Begin - SS26 Clarence 2 (4.58km)

Here we go! The final stage of Rally Australia is underway! This is the event's Power-stage so an additional three bonus championship points are up for grabs for the quickest driver around the 4.58km test. Two points for second quickest and a final point for the third fastest driver around this stage.

05:37 That wraps SS25

The deal seems sealed with Hirvonen set to take his third consecutive Rally Australia win with only one stage remaining. Latvala is second with Petter Solberg third as crews head to the final stage of Rally Australia, the 4.58km Power-stage with a maximum three bonus points on offer for the winner of the test. Stay tuned for the final stage of an amazing rally on WRC Live Text.

05:34 Top-5 fastest through SS25

Hirvonen, P Solberg, Loeb, Latvala, H Solberg

05:17 Top-5 overall classification PWRC

Hayden Paddon, Kosciuszko, Saliuk, Guerra, Gorban

05:16 Ogier comes in over 10 minutes late!

“I was told by the team to slow for Loeb to go ahead. This was a team order and I respect it.”

05:13 Paddon just 4.58km away from a 2011 PWRC title!

"We had a little moment in there where I smacked it into a bank but luckily we got away with it!"

05:07 Ken Block through SS25

"The first stage I didn't like as much as this one. It's a pretty cool stage with lots of fast stuff and jumps. The mistake with the note on Friday meant I had to drive conservatively yesterday but today's been a lot more enjoyable."

05:03 Henning Solberg clears SS25

"It's OK, I came through with a dong, dong, dong all the way through the stage because of the broken damper but it's OK we are here, one more to go."

05:00 Loeb finishes SS25

"Yes I know what is going on. Ogier is slowing so that I can take the extra drivers' point because the team have made the decision that Mikko is the biggest threat to the Championship now."

04:59 Ogier 5 mins late into start

We will soon find out why when Ogier completes stage...

04:58 On Twitter - @RallyAustralia

Ogier has definitely had issues. He was 5mins late into the start of SS25 Plum Pudding #WRC #RallyAustralia

04:56 Al Qassimi cruises through SS25

"I was going so slow in there that I forgot the gear I was in sometimes. But all I need to do is be cautious and finish and this will be my best ever result in WRC."

04:53 Wilson through to end of Plum Pudding

"I drove like a granny in there! But I have no reason to push or take risks. One stage to go now."

04:51 Solberg clears SS25

"We just drove sensibly in there. I took care of the tyres so we can try in the Power-stage but for me I must concentrate first on finishing on the podium here. This is very important for my team."

04:49 Hirvonen takes Rally lead!!

"Unfortunately Jari-Matti lost his chances for the title already and we agreed in service that he would help me. But if he still had a chance to win the championship we would fight level. I am very grateful that he has helped my chances of trying to win the championship this year."

04:34 Latvala slows for teammate to leave ahead

"Yes I stopped before the yellow board. We decided as a team that Mikko is in a better position to win the Championship so he needs all the points and of course I will help him. Of course like every driver who wants to win a rally you need a passion for it, but I need to see the bigger picture and help Mikko."

04:31 On Twitter - @RallyAustralia

The second serving of Plum Pudding is about to start - the penultimate stage of @RallyAustralia Who will lead at the end?

04:23 Stage Begin - SS25 Plum Pudding 2 (30km)

The monstrous Plum Pudding stage is underway for the second and final time today. Will Hirvonen catch Latvala on this final major test of Rally Australia? Stay tuned to WRC Live Text to find out!

03:44 SS24 done and dusted

That's a wrap for the final pass over the Bucca stage. Crews now head to Plum Pudding for the final run over the 30 kilometre test. Sebastien Ogier has moved up to 9th overall gaining one further drivers' point and will be searching to make-up one more position over the final two stages of Rally Australia coming up shortly on WRC Live Text!

03:42 Top-5 overall classification PWRC

Hayden Paddon, Kosciuszko, Saliuk, Guerra, Gorban

03:41 Top-5 overall classification (diff from leader)

Latvala, Hirvonen +13.4s, P Solberg +56.9s, Wilson +7m51.2s, Al Qassimi +11m33.1s

03:39 Top-5 fastest times through SS24

Hirvonen, Ogier, Loeb, P Solberg, Latvala

03:38 Paddon clears SS24 and is two stages away from claiming the 2011 PWRC title!

"This is one of the slowest count-downs I've ever had! We'll cruise through the next one and then bring it home."

03:35 Final WRC driver Ken Block clears SS24

"I struggled with that stage the first time through and then a little bit again this time around. I really like the next two stages though and I'm really enjoying myself."

03:33 Van Merksteijn Jr clears SS24

"We had some tricky moments in there but I am starting to enjoy it a lot now."

03:32 Henning clears stage 6th fastest

"We have a broken shock absorber from the roll this morning so now I'm taking it easy in here."

03:27 Loeb through third quickest

Loeb completes with a 7m15.7s

03:26 Ogier second fastest through stage

"Everything is good, the car is working well."

03:24 Al Qassimi two stages away from best ever WRC finish

"The conditions are better than this morning but it's quite narrow in there so you have to be really precise and keep it clean."

03:21 Wilson through to stage end

The Brit is just two stages away from equalling his best WRC finish of 4th overall.

03:19 Petter clears stage 0.7s quicker than Hirvonen

"Yeah now I have to see if the others will make any mistakes thats all I've got. Mikko asked me at the start of the stage if I will push and I said of course I will go flat out."

03:17 Hirvonen 6.3s faster than Latvala

"I took some time out of Jari-Matti there and I was going flat out so now I'll see if I can catch him in the next stage."

02:59 Latvala through SS24

"I just took it very, very slowly in there. There is not much competition left now."

02:57 Stage Begin - SS24 Bucca 2 (14.83km)

We are underway!

01:01 Crews head back to Service Park

That concludes the final stage for the morning loop of three stages. Just a repeat of the loop is all that remains of Rally Australia 2011! Stay tuned for the conclusion of of this action-packed event right here on WRC Live Text!

00:59 Top-5 overall classification (diff from leader)

Latvala, Hirvonen +19.7s, P Solberg +57.6s, Wilson +7m24.0s, Al Qassimi +11m05.8s

00:58 Top-5 fastest times through SS23

Loeb, Ogier +0.1s, Solberg, +0.6s, Latvala +1.0s, Hirvonen +1.0s

00:57 Paddon clears SS23 and remains in firm lead of PWRC

"We are taking it reasonably easy now we have a decent lead. Just looking to protect the lead this afternoon now."

00:53 Ken Block 6th fastest through SS23

"We were concerned for Henning and Ilka at the start of the stage so it made me drive a bit cautiously through there but I'm pretty happy with the time."

00:52 Henning clears stage with smile after rolling in stage!

"I think it will be OK for this afternoon. I came in too fast, that was my fault so I am sorry to Ilka. We are both OK."

00:50 Van Merksteijn Jr clears stage

"This isn't the hardest stage if the rally and it was fun to drive."

00:48 Henning Solberg rolls onto roof!

Car pushed back onto wheels after a low-speed roll on a right hand corner! Car moving again!

00:46 Loeb goes fastest on SS23 by 0.1s

"I just wanted to confirm some pace-notes in there. We pushed a little bit but we can give more this afternoon on the Power-stage."

00:43 Ogier clears SS23

"I didn't drive so well in here and made a few mistakes but I'll fix this for the Power-stage this afternoon."

00:40 Al Qassimi slowest through SS23

"A little bit cautious in there but it's still hard to find a good rhythm when your just trying to consolidate position."

00:38 Wilson clears SS23

"It's a lot more open with a few water splashes. We took it easy this pass and made a few changes to the notes in preparation for the Power-stage this afternoon."

00:36 P Solberg quickest! 0.4s faster than the Fords

"It was good but it's quite a difficult stage in some places. It's going to be a big Power-stage and it's quite important we do well this afternoon. It's not easy but still great fun."

00:35 Hirvonen clear of SS23 - small damage to rear bumper, same time as Latvala

"It is different to the rest of the stages on this rally but fairly good grip so no problem."

00:34 Latvala through SS23 but with moment

"I came too fast into one corner and lost time. I'll have to change my approach on that corner for the Power-stage this afternoon."

00:33 Stage Begin - SS23 Clarence 1 (4.58km)

We are underway for the first running of Clarence! This is a test for the Power-stage this afternoon!

00:30 Paddon extends PWRC lead

Paddon now leads PWRC by 49s over Kosciuszko. Saliuk remains third.

00:29 On Twitter - @RallyAustralia

Confirmed that Oliverira (Mini) has also had an incident on Plum Pudding. Car heavily damaged but crew OK #WRC #RallyAustralia

00:09 On Twitter - @RallySportLive

SS22 Novikov rolled in this stage, crew is OK. @SebOgier is now 10th of the overall classification. #WRC...

23:59 Top-5 overall classification (diff from leader)

Latvala, Hirvonen +19.7s, P Solberg +58.0s, Wilson +7m17.6s, Al Qassimi +10m51.4s

23:55 Top-5 fastest times through SS22

Latvala, Solberg, Hirvonen, Ogier, Loeb

23:53 Loeb clears SS22

"I stopped and nearly hit Novikov's car so we fully stopped to make sure everything was OK which is why the time was slow. It was slippery in the middle of that stage but the first part was very fast."

23:50 Ogier clears stage Novikov big crash

"Novikov had a big crash and the car was in the middle of the road so we had to slow right down. Plus we stopped to ask Evgeny if everything was OK and he was which is the main thing that everything is alright with them."

23:49 Novikov has rolled!

Both driver and co-driver are OK. Incident happened approximately 7km into the 30 kilometre test.

23:47 Al Qassimi clears SS22

"I carried good speed at the start but the middle of the stage was quite muddy and very slippery. No problems in that stage."

23:44 Novikov and Oliveira stopped in stage!

Novikov slowing competitors behind him with all drivers losing around 20s on split point 3.

23:43 Solberg clears SS22

"It was very tricky and muddy in parts. It's very hard to write pace-notes at 70km/h then come in here for the first time and go flat out. I had an OK stage."

23:42 Loeb and Ogier dropping time

Two Citroens drop times on third split point.

23:41 Hirvonen 2.4s slower than Latvala

"Didn't find a good rhythm in there. It was a bit more technical than the last stage but we will have to see what Petter is doing behind us."

23:38 Latvala clears SS22 in 16m26.3s

"This stage I kept the rhythm going to see how I was feeling. It's a very difficult stage to be honest and I had a bit of a moment in there where I ran a little wide so I'm going to have to stay focussed."

23:26 7 drivers into stage

Latvala, Hirvonen, Solberg, Wilson, Al Qassimi, Noviko and Ogier all into stage.

23:23 Stage Begin - SS22 Plum Pudding 1 (30km)

The longest stage of the event is underway. Latvala is currently into the action!

22:45 SS21 complete

Crews are now making their way to Plum Pudding, the longest stage of Rally Australia at 30 kilometres in length!

22:43 Top-5 overall classification PWRC

Paddon, Kosciuszko +19.0s, Saliuk +2m33.8s, Guerra +3m37.3s, Gorban +10m15.3s

22:40 Two-wheel-drive class Leader Harry Hunt clears stage

"About 5 kilometres into that stage we lost all boost, so maybe a turbo pipe has come off or something. It's a shame but at least we have made it to the end of the stage."

22:38 Top-5 overall classification (diff from leader)

Latvala, Hirvonen +17.3s, P Solberg +56.3s, Wilson +6m14.9s, Al Qassimi +9m49.0s

22:36 Australian Brendan Reeves clears SS21

"Car is really good. Yesterday we just had a small fuel pump issue which is a big shame. It was great in that stage, there was heaps of grip!"

22:34 Top-10 fastest times for SS21

Hirvonen, Solberg, Ogier, Latvala, Loeb, H Solberg, Novikov, Wilson, Van Merksteijn, Al Qassimi

22:32 Kosciuszko clears 16s slower than Paddon in PWRC

"We had some pace-note problems on this stage so I wasn't so confident. We're not going to take too many risks in this position. The car is perfect now after our problems from yesterday."

22:29 PWRC leader clears SS21

Hayden Paddon "The car is good this morning and we fixed all the issues overnight. I was a bit tentative this morning, maybe it was a bit too early of a start but everything's feeling good. Five stages to go."

22:23 Ken Block clears stage

"The sun was right in my eyes for a lot of that stage so I took it pretty cautiously. I wan't to make sure I get through all the stages today so I backed off a little bit in there."

22:21 Solberg through SS21 after restarting today under SupeRally

"Yeah it's difficult to find motivation but I will try and find my rhythm and go flat out today!"

22:20 Loeb clears SS21 fifth fastest

"It's starting to get muddy so I took it a bit easy in the second half of the stage. We'll try and keep a good rhythm all day and push hard in the power-stage."

22:18 Ogier third fastest

"Everything is OK. We don't need to take too much risk so we are using this to learn the stages. I'll keep pushing though because someone could make a mistake and we could finish with some drivers points."

22:16 Novikov through 5th quickest

"The sun was too low in places which made it hard to drive sometimes. It was a bit slippery too, so I maybe was a bit cautious at times."

22:14 Al Qassimi clears SS21

"That's a good stage in there and we're just looking to find a good balance and a nice pace to get through today with a level head."

22:13 Wilson through SS21

"Its an awesome stage in there. I just need to find a good rhythm without taking any stupid risks with the position we are in."

22:08 Hirvonen 5.4s quicker than Latvala

"That's so so fast in there. I'm going flat out today, I'm right on the limit i can tell you that!"

22:01 Latvala clears SS21

"The beginning of the stage was slippery but towards the end the grip was getting better as the tyre got some more heat into it."

21:58 Stage Begin - SS21 Bucca 1 (14.83km)

Bucca 1 is underway. Hirvonen and Latvala live on stage!

21:54 Day 3 ready for Rally Australia action!

We are set for the final six stages of Rally Australia here at the Coffs Coast region in News South Wales. Will the two Fords be able to hold on or will Petter Solberg take charge and break a wining drought of over five years? Find out here on WRC Live Text as crews are about to embark on the opening test this morning.