SS19: Power Stage win for Loeb

Sebastien Loeb completed the three runs of the Circus Maximus Trier Power Stage, shown live on television around the world, with the fastest time at the wheel of his Citroen DS3 WRC.

His performance means he clinches three world championship bonus points to add to the 18 he secured for finishing second on ADAC Rallye Deutschland to team-mate Sebastien Ogier.

Ogier earned two bonus points with the second fastest time while Citroen privateer Petter Solberg clinched the final bonus point with the third best time through the city centre course - held in dry and sunny conditions - albeit by 0.444s over Ford’s Jari-Matti Latvala.

“It was easy to have punctures in this stage, we had to be careful in some places,” said Loeb, who was 2.0s faster than Ogier.

Kimi Raikkonen’s bid to win the SSS Circus Maximus Trier test for a second time ended when he clouted a kerb at the first corner and picked up a front-left puncture on his ICE 1 Racing Citroen.

“It happened when we went over the kerb,” said the ex-Formula One world champion. “Last year we drove over the kerb but it did not work now. I never have very good luck in Germany, that’s how it is.”

Final standings, after SS19: