SS8: Latvala closes gap to first place

Jari-Matti Latvala has proved that he won’t give up on winning Rally Australia without a fight after clocking the fastest time on Friday’s final gravel test to cut Ford team-mate Mikko Hirvonen’s lead to 6.6s.

With rain returning following a brief respite, Latvala was 2.9s quicker than Hirvonen in his works Fiesta RS WRC. He said: “It didn’t affect my driving because the road was slippery enough already.”

Hirvonen said: “It’s good because it wasn’t raining so much for me on the stage. The conditions have been like hell, unbelievably slippery.”

Hayden Paddon continues to lead the Production Car World Rally Championship in seventh overall, one place behind Team Abu Dhabi’s Khalid Al Qassimi.

Daniel Oliveira did not start the stage after damaging the radiator of his Brazil World Rally Team MINI John Cooper Works WRC on the previous run.

Following a regroup at the Coffs Harbour regional airport, crews will tackle two runs of the Castrol EDGE Super Special Stage from 18:30hrs local time. The mainly asphalt test takes place in the jetty area of Coffs Harbour.

Standings after SS8: