Ogier and Latvala free to fight for Portugal win

Jari-Matti Latvala and Sebastien Ogier will be free to fight each other for victory at Vodafone Rally de Portugal after their Volkswagen team confirmed there would be no team orders.

Rally leader Latvala will take a 9.5sec advantage into Sunday’s decisive final day, with fellow Polo R driver, defending champion Ogier [pictured], hot on his heels.

As it stands, it’s a result that would net Volkswagen a valuable 43 points in the manufacturers’ championship - but team boss Jost Capito said he had no intention of ordering his drivers to hold station.

"The top four drivers each want to win, and we will let them fight," he said. "Of course manufacturer points are a consideration but it’s important for the sport that we let them go for it. I think we will see a fantastic showdown tomorrow."

Sunday’s leg is the shortest of the rally, and includes just three stages and 54.65 competitive kilometres. After the 269.53 kilometres tackled so far, the time difference between Ogier and Latvala equates to just 242 metres.