SS10: Sordo up to third for MINI

Dani Sordo has demoted Mikko Hirvonen for the final podium spot on ADAC Rallye Deutschland after the Ford driver suffered a right-rear puncture on the daunting Arena Panzerplatte test in the Baumholder military ranges.

The Spaniard has moved 32.9s ahead of his Finnish rival heading to midday service in Trier.

“It’s okay,” said Sordo. “I was a little bit less concentrated in this stage because I started to follow the line [of Hirvonen] so maybe my time wasn’t the best.”

Hirvonen said: “We had nine kilometres to the finish but I have no idea where the puncture happened. Maybe there were some sharp edges in the Tarmac.”

A rare mistake by Sebastien Loeb ensured a fourth stage victory on ADAC Rallye Deutschland for his Citroen team-mate Sebastien Ogier.

“We went straight in a junction,” said Loeb. “I think it would have been okay to brake but I didn’t try, instead of a hairpin left I went right. I lost a bit of time but there was no problem.”

Kris Meeke, in the second MINI, is 2.4s behind Hirvonen. He said: “I didn’t have a great stage and was braking a fraction too late everywhere. I’m not happy with my own time.”

Kimi Raikkonen has moved ahead of Henning Solberg and Dennis Kuipers into seventh overall at the wheel of his ICE 1 Racing Citroen.

“I’ve been driving very bad today but that was better,” said the ex-Formula One world champion.

Standings after SS10: