SS3: Solberg fastest

Petter Solberg leads Philips Rally Argentina by 20.1s after winning the third stage of the event, round five of the FIA World Rally Championship powered by Nokia.

Solberg, in Ford World Rally Team Fiesta RS WRC, set a time of 37m50.7s through the monster 51.88-kilometre test to grow his overall advantage to new second-placed driver Mikko Hirvonen, who profited when his team-mate Sebastien Loeb suffered two spins in his Citroen Total World Rally Team DS3 WRC.

“I have a lot of oversteer and on the exit of the corner I can’t keep the car on the line,” said Loeb, who slips to fourth overall after taking 26.5s more than Solberg to complete the run.

Solberg, meanwhile, reported having problems of his own. “I hit a bank and bent the rear link. I thought I had a puncture and couldn’t really push because it happened after four kilometres. It was quite a tricky stage to drive like that. I didn’t take any risks.”

Dani Sordo, who is partnering Solberg at Ford on a one-off basis in place of the injured Jari-Matti Latvala, was third fastest, 10.1s down on the Norwegian.

Thierry Neuville reported suffering a brief spin his Citroen Junior World Rally Team DS3 WRC. Nevertheless it was an impressive effort by the young Belgian who was fourth quickest, 13.1s off the leading pace.

Russian Evgeny Novikov failed to get to the 10-kilometre mark after taking a wheel off his M-Sport Fiesta. Team-mate Ott Tanak is also stopped in the stage.

A 30-minute service halt in Villa Carlos Paz now awaits the crews.