SS18: Stage win for recovering Loeb
Loeb claims stage win, Latvala to start first on Sunday.
Jari-Matti Latvala will be forced to clean the road on the final day of Rally Australia after completing Saturday’s last gravel test at the head of the field.
With the standings after the 13.79-kilometre test being used to determine the running order for day three, leader Latvala will sweep away the loose surface gravel on Sunday. “I’m not worried about running first, I just need to keep the car on the road,” said the factory Ford Fiesta pilot, whose advantage out front stands at 22.6s.
Petter Solberg was once again faster than both factory Fiesta drivers and is now 37.4s behind second-placed Mikko Hirvonen. However, his time was 1.2s slower than the standard set by factory Citroen pilot Sebastien Loeb, who claimed his first stage win of the day in his DS3 WRC.
Following a regroup, crews will tackle two runs through the Castrol EDGE Super Special Stage in Coffs Harbour. The first 3.77-kilometre test goes live at 18:30hrs local time.