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SS5 : Loeb quickest again to take Mexico lead

Ahead of teammate Ogier

By Franck Drui

4 March 2011 - 20:08

Sebastien Loeb has won the final stage of the opening loop of tests on Rally Guanajuato Mexico this morning to take the overall lead.

Armed with a Citroen DS3 WRC, Loeb was 1.3 seconds faster through the short, all-asphalt street test close to the indoor service park in Leon. He now heads team-mate Sebastien Ogier by 1.3s after Ogier could only manage the fourth best time.

Petter Solberg was second fastest with Jari-Matti Latvala third quickest in his Ford Fiesta RS WRC as he looks to make up the time he lost with a puncture on stage four.

World championship leader Mikko Hirvonen was fifth quickest on the stage, 0.3s faster than Mads Ostberg, at the wheel of another Fiesta.

Crews now have a 30-minute service halt in Leon before stage six, Alfaro 2, gets underway.

Standings after SS5:

Pos.	Driver	Car	Time
01	S. LOEB / D. ELENA	Citroën DS3 WRC	43m24.0s
02	S. OGIER / J. INGRASSIA	Citroën DS3 WRC	+0.7s
03	P. SOLBERG / C. PATTERSSON	Citroën DS3 WRC	+18.4s
04	M. HIRVONEN / J. LEHTINEN	Ford Fiesta RS WRC	+40.9s
05	M. WILSON / S. MARTIN	Ford Fiesta RS WRC	+1m38.0s
06	E. NOVIKOV / S. PRÉVOT	Ford Fiesta RS WRC	+1m43.4s
07	H. SOLBERG / I. MINOR	Ford Fiesta RS WRC	+1m56.5s
08	D. KUIPERS / F. MICLOTTE	Ford Fiesta RS WRC	+2m31.7s
09	J. LATVALA / M. ANTTILA	Ford Fiesta RS WRC	+2m40.2s
10	N. AL-ATTIYAH / G. BERNACCHINI	Ford Fiesta S2000	+2m40.9s
11	O. TANAK / K. SIKK	Ford Fiesta S2000	+2m52.4s
12	M. PROKOP / J. TOMANEK	Ford Fiesta S2000	+2m59.3s
13	B. GUERRA / D. CUE	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X	+4m23.1s
14	J. HÄNNINEN / M. MARKKULA	Skoda Fabia S2000	+4m39.8s
15	M. ØSTBERG / J. ANDERSSON	Ford Fiesta RS WRC	+4m57.9s