SS15: Latvala makes a move on third

Ford driver Jari-Matti Latvala started Sunday’s opening stage in Germany with an attempt on the third place of Sebastien Ogier.

The Finn started the test 16.6sec adrift of the Citroen driver, but by the fourth split point he’d reduced the gap by 4.4sec. By the end of the stage, however, he had lost all but two-tenths of that advantage.

Latvala said he was had been too cautious near the end and had struggled with low engine revs in hairpins. Ogier was also having problems in hairpins. The Frenchman reported his C4 WRC was stalling in them - as it had on Friday.

Rally leaders Sebastien Loeb and Dani Sordo had trouble-free runs through the stage, setting the second and sixth fastest times respectively. Petter Solberg was the stage winner.

Malcolm Wilson moved ahead of Kimi Raikkonen into sixth place after the Finn missed two junctions in the stage.

Swede P-G Andersson lost the lead of the S-WRC competition after breaking a wheel on a kerb. He dropped three minutes changing the wheel, allowing Patrik Sandell, also in a Skoda Fabia S2000, into first place. Martin Prokop is 3.4sec behind in second.

Monster World Rally Team driver Ken Block retired on the road section from the Service Park to the start of Dhrontal. The American was 10km into the 37km journey when his Ford’s alternator belt broke.

After bright sunshine on Friday and Saturday, Sunday dawned partly cloudy and rain had fallen on the stages overnight. The roads had dried by the time drivers started SS14, but further showers are possible later today.