Day two: 93.28 miles; eight stages

Weather: sunny 15-29 celsius ■ Tanak is struggling on the first loop through the Baumholder military testing area. The balance he found yesterday has gone from the Yaris WRC. Fortunately for him he’ll find it at lunchtime service and come back quicker through the afternoon. ■ The biggest news of the day is a puncture for Ogier in the second run at the 24-mile Panzerplatte test. He changes the offending wheel in 1m38s, but the damage is done and second becomes ninth, widening the gap to 42.8s between Tanak and his nearest rival. ■ Ogier’s problem ensures a miserable Saturday for M-sport, with Evans going off and breaking the front-left suspension. The Welshman had been usefully poised in the middle of a fight for a podium place. ■ The man making the biggest move through day two is the newly titled Panzerplatte King… Sordo. He finds his feet to go fastest on three of the four military road tests and that elevates him from sixth to second. ■ Latvala and Lappi both enjoy better fortunes on day two, moving up the order and setting fastest times. Citroen man Breen is another to go quickest, but he overcooks it on the day’s final test, damaging the suspension and dropping from sixth to 10th.

End of day two:

1 Tanak/jarveoja 2h23m27.1s; 2m22.6s; 2 Sordo/ Del Barrio +43.7s; 3 Latvala/anttila +44.5s; 4 Neuville/ Gilsoul +52.5s; 5 Lappi/ Ferm +58.8s; 6 Mikkelsen/jaeger +1m50.7s.