Wilson targets Power Stage joy for Solberg

Ford team boss Malcolm Wilson has targeted victory on the event-closing Power Stage for lead driver Petter Solberg and says his squad will do all it can to boost the former world champion’s chances on the 4.15-kilometre test.

Solberg is currently on course for four points in his chase of the 2012 FIA World Rally Championship powered by Nokia drivers’ title. However, he could score three bonus points by setting the fastest time through the Power Stage Amarok Copina, which goes live at 15:21hrs local time and uses the closing section of the famous El Condor run.

“It’s gone really well for Petter this morning and he’s really made his experience show,” said Wilson. “He’s had a good run through the stages and if he can push a bit more then hopefully he can get one more position [and finish seventh]. We will try to give him the best possibility to win the Power Stage and certainly that would help ease a bit of the pain from the weekend if he could win that.”

Solberg was leading the event when he broke his Fiesta’s steering arm striking an errant rock on stage four and retired from Friday’s action. He started the South American round four points behind Sebastien Loeb in the drivers’ table.