SS4: Hirvonen edges ahead of Latvala

Mikko Hirvonen has moved 0.6s clear of Jari-Matti Latvala in the battle for second place on Neste Oil Rally Finland.

Hirvonen, in a Citroen Total World Rally Team DS3 WRC, was second fastest through Friday’s opening run, 0.3s slower than stage winner and team-mate Sebastien Loeb, whose overall advantage has grown to 7.6s.

Despite his stage victory, Loeb wasn’t entirely happy with his driving. He said: “I made a few mistakes, sometimes I was a bit too slow, sometimes a bit too fast. It was difficult to find exactly the right rhythm but finally it’s okay.”

Latvala, who was third quickest, 0.9s down on Loeb, said: “I’m a lot closer but it should not be this way, I should be ahead of him. I was pushing really hard, maybe I was too much sideways at times so I will try to get a little bit cleaner.”

Petter Solberg has climbed from sixth to fourth after demoting Mads Ostberg and Thierry Neuville. Adapta Fiesta driver Ostberg said he pushed too hard and “lost the line” in a few places. Neuville reported a clean run in his Citroen Junior World Rally Team entry.

Chris Atkinson said his intercom wasn’t working properly to the extent he wasn’t always able to hear his co-driver Stephane Prevot’s pace notes. He was ninth fastest and slips to eighth overall behind Russian Evgeny Novikov, who reported a heavy landing on Urria’s famous jump.

Ken Block said his pace notes were too cautious, while WRC Team MINI Portugal driver Paulo Nobre is running a replacement ECU after the original had to be changed in service in Jyvaskyla this morning.

Finnish wildcard Esapekka Lappi was fastest again in the Super 2000 World Rally Championship division and now heads Hayden Paddon by 3.9s. Craig Breen has climbed up to third ahead of P-G Andersson.