SS9: Trouble for Delecour as Flodin climbs to third

Patrik Flodin has moved into third overall on the Sibiu Rally after a broken front-right shock absorber slowed François Delecour’s Peugeot 207 Super 2000.

Flodin, in an M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000, was second fastest through stage nine, the mixed-surface Șanta Max test, to climb 1m20.7s ahead of Delecour, who had to drive through stages eight and nine at low speed.

“It was a good drive, it’s like a new day and now we are back at normal pace and enjoying the driving,” said Flodin, who was 1.5s slower than ŠKODA UK’s stage winner and runaway leader Andreas Mikkelsen. “It’s a very good feeling to be here.”

After winning Saturday’s first stage, Sepp Wiegand was slightly more cautious through stage nine in his efforts to preserve second place on the Intercontinental Rally Challenge round. “This stage was a little more dangerous so I slowed down,” said the ŠKODA Auto Deutschland driver, who was third fastest. “It’s better to save our place and not take much risks now.”

Dan Girtofan, who restarted on Saturday morning following his accident on stage two, was fourth fastest despite the intercom in his ŠKODA Romania-backed Fabia failing.

Hungarian Gergély Szabó didn’t start the stage after retiring at the finish of stage eight with a broken right-rear wheel.