Loeb regains the lead on SS10

Sebastien Loeb regained the lead of Wales Rally GB on Stage 10 after setting a time 6.4 seconds quicker than anybody else though the mixed surface Four Ways Crychan section.

Running first on the road, the Frenchman edged 5.3sec ahead of Petter Solberg - who had taken the lead from him two stages earlier on Radnor.

“I’m happy with my performance in there,” said Loeb. “I went straight on at a junction and stalled my engine on the previous one (SS9) so I was trying hard to get back in the right rhythm. The time looks good.”

Solberg dropped 8.5sec to the Frenchman throughout the stage - losing most of it in the opening 11km tarmac section. “He was purposely cutting the corners and leaving mud on the road,” explained the Norwegian. “He knows what he’s doing and it’s just like I expected. That made things difficult for me but things will be more even on the second pass through.”

Jari-Matti Latvala got closest to Loeb’s time, despite feeling his driving was too ragged in the slippery conditions. “On the stage before I made a couple of mistakes, probably because I was pushing too hard. Although things were better in this one I made a few mistakes again.”

Mikko Hirvonen was fourth fastest, with Dani Sordo - who stalled at a hairpin - rounding off the top five times.