Loix says catching Hanninen will be hard

Freddy Loix admits he can’t go faster in his bid to catch Juho Hänninen in the battle for victory on the Geko Ypres Rally.

Loix started day two trailing his Finnish rival by 26.8s but has slipped 38.2s behind the ŠKODA Motorsport driver after going 11.4s slower than Hänninen through Saturday’s opening test.

“I’m pushing very hard, I’m quite on the limit but I was a lot on the rev limiter,” said Peugeot 207 driver Loix. “I couldn’t do more.”

Pieter Tsjoen has strengthened his grip on third overall following Andreas Mikkelsen’s exit, which will be of relief to the multiple Belgian champion Pieter Tsjoen, who feared he would have been unable to fend off the 23-year-old, who had started day two 13.4s behind.