SS14: Loeb cuts Solberg’s advantage

Sebastien Loeb has slashed Petter Solberg’s advantage in the battle for second place on Wales Rally GB to 1.4s following a determined display through Sunday’s opening test.

Loeb, in a Citroen Total World Rally Team DS3 WRC, was 4.9s quicker than Ford driver Solberg to move to within touching distance of the runner-up spot. “There are still five stages to go so we have to try,” said Loeb, after he claimed his second stage win of the event.

Solberg added: “He has taken time out of me. I was pushing and maybe I did one small mistake.”

Out front, Jari-Matti Latvala’s lead stands at 26.8s. The Finn, in a Ford Fiesta RS WRC, was 2.7s slower than Loeb through the stage.

Fourth-placed Mads Ostberg is in trouble with a suspected engine glitch on his Adapta Fiesta. After going 9.2s slower than stage winner Loeb, Ostberg said: “I don’t have slightest idea what is happening but the engine is not running as it’s supposed to. It’s not running clean but I’m able to drive so I’m pushing like hell.”

Evgeny Novikov lost time when briefly went off the road after missing his braking for a hairpin turn nearing the stage finish. The Russian lost approximately 30 seconds. Ott Tanak, his M-Sport team-mate, was also in trouble when he spun into a bank in a narrow section.

The Estonian reported a lengthy delay as he tried to get pointing in the right direction. He is now 37.9s adrift of fifth-placed Citroen driver Mikko Hirvonen having started the day 12.0s behind his Finnish rival.

Matthew Wilson, the leading British driver on the event, is being hampered by a misfire, particularly when accelerating from second and fourth gears.

Chris Atkinson backed off after a gearbox issued developed on his MINI John Cooper Works WRC, which the Australian suggested was due to a sensor problem.

Jan Habig is back in action under Rally 2 rules following his exit on Saturday’s first stage when he slid off the road and got stuck in a ditch.

Sebastien Ogier reported an impact on a compression in his Volkswagen Motorsport Skoda Fabia Super 2000.