Latvala takes first stage win

Citroen may be first and second in the classifications, but Ford keeps setting best stage times. After Mikko Hirvonen, now it is third overall Latvala who got the better of the two Sebs.

Latvala’s best time puts the Ford Fiesta RS WRC to within 7.1 seconds of rally leader ,Sébastien Loeb. Sébastien Ogier, who could be thinking about tomorrow is at 1.8 seconds to his team mate and surely target times will become the main topic of discussion between driver and team. As first car in the stage, Loeb can’t slow like the others, if he were to roll out off the accelerator, those behind will most likely follow in kind.

Petter Solberg runs alone in fourth at nearly 28 seconds, while Mads Ostberg is reeling in Jari Ketomaa with just 7 seconds separating the two young bloods.

SS7
1 Latvala
2 Hirvonen +0.2s
3 Ogier+1.3s
4 Loeb +2.3s
5 Ostberg +2.5s
6 P. Solberg+2.8s
7 Ketomaa+5.0s
8 Meeke+5.4s
9 Tanak+5.9s
10 Hanninen+6.3s

AFTER SS7
1 Loeb
2 Ogier+1.8s
3 Latvala+7.1s
4 P. Solberg+27.9s
5 Ketomaa+47.2s
6 Ostberg+54.2s
7 Sordo+1:03.8s
8 Meeke+1:09.7s
9 Hanninen+ 1:12.5s
10 Tanak+1:18.3s