Loeb extends lead

Loeb extends lead… Planzerplatte claims more victims

Sébastien Loeb heads to the final day of Rallye Deutschland with a commanding 1:42.2 lead from Jari-Matti Latvala.

The championship leader had an easy time of it this afternoon. Loeb never put a wheel wrong and now is headed for a 9^th triumph in Germany. Ott Tanak was the star of the first two tests post service, taking his first two WRC tarmac scratch times. The Estonian was on his way to a fantastic fourth overall place. Then Markko Martin’s protégée got bitten on Planzerplatte 2.

After the infamous stage claimed Petter Solberg and Thierry Neuville on the first pass, a hidden Hinkelstein brought Tanak’s rally to an instant end. The Fiesta RS hit one of the tank blocks and had a wheel ripped off. A few moments later, Dani Sordo was stopped in the stage with front and side damage as well a radiator leak. Then another few minutes later, then 9^th place Peter Van Merksteijn rolled at the same area as Tanak’s situation….chaos.

Those behind on the road were stopped and the rest of the field was held at the start line. Only five cars completed the stage ahead of the accident with Chris Atkinson the last to put in a proper run. Nasser Al-Attiyah, Evgeny Novikov and others were released but carried on at a reduced speed.

Mikko Hirvonen is third ahead of Mads Ostberg and Atkinson. A crazy day in Germany and who knows what will happen tomorrow on the final three stages and 65.89kms.

SS12
1 Loeb
2 Latvala +0.7s
3 Hirvonen +3.0s
4 Ostberg +14.6s
5 Atkinson +46.0s

After SS12
1 Loeb
2 Latvala +1:42.2s
3 Hirvonen +2:12.7s
4 Ostberg +2:53.2s
5 Atkinson +6:59.0s