SS9: Solberg sets the pace in Sweden

Citroen DS3 WRC driver Petter Solberg has gone fastest on Saturday’s second stage as the battle for the overall lead on Rally Sweden intensifies.

Solberg, whose stage victory was his first on the event this year, thought he’d failed to post a competitive time when he completed the high-speed stage.

“I didn’t get any proper rhythm at all and the [low] sun was very bad,” said the 2003 world champion, who is now 42.9s adrift of overall leader Mads Ostberg. “I knew I lost a lot of time because I could have gone much faster and they could be much faster behind me.”

Mikko Hirvonen, driving a Ford Fiesta RS WRC, is now just 3.9s behind fellow Fiesta driver Ostberg, who has led the world championship season-opener since the first stage on Friday.

Ostberg again reported struggling by cleaning a line through the soft surface snow, which was particularly apparent midway through the 14.23-kilometre test. Hirvonen, meanwhile, said it had been hard to see where he was going in the low-lying sun.

World champion Sebastien Loeb lost vital seconds when he nudged a snow bank in his Citroen DS3 WRC. The impact inflicted light cosmetic damage to the front of his car.

Standings after SS9: