Wrc.com stage summary
Stage data: SS16, Baptism Site 1 (10.50 kilometres)
Stage description:
By Citroen Total World Rally Team co-driver Julien Ingrassia: “This will be the final stage as well as SS16 and it will probably be the most interesting ‘power stage’ of the year. It’s only a few kilometres long so it’s the perfect size. Most of it is run on the same route as SS7 and SS10, but in the reverse direction. It’s flat and fast and the cameras will catch a good view of it. We’re sure to have fun inside the car. For the ‘power stage’, if you get there then you know you’ve almost made it to the end of the rally. If you feel good you can go for it and get some points - they may count at the end of the year. The last three kilometres are on dirty Tarmac with some trees coming over the road, but it’s still quite fast. The last corner could be interesting as well because you go flat out then you have to go hard on the brakes just after the finish line.”
How the action unfolded:
Citroen Total World Rally Team’s Sebastien Loeb delivered a timely reminder of his absolute pace on the morning’s final stage, going fastest of all with a time of 5m21.7s and taking 2.2 seconds out of Ford’s Jari-Matti Latvala, who continues to occupy second place overall.
“It’s a good time in this stage,” said Loeb. “But when it’s slow, we’re slow; when it’s quick, we’re quick. I don’t know if it’s the set-up of the car. We have to push to pass second position again - this morning was our chance and we lost it.”
“On these stages Loeb is incredibly quick but I’m still fighting,” said Latvala.
Loeb’s team-mate Sebastien Ogier remains in the lead of the rally and dropped very little time on this stage despite running first on the road. He set an identical time to privateer Citroen driver Petter Solberg, three seconds slower than Loeb. With four stages left to run his overall lead stands at 18.9 seconds.
“It’s not bad, I think,” said Ogier. “We did a good job this morning. I made some small mistakes but I had no choice - I had to push.”
“I’m trying,” said Solberg. “I’m happy with the speed but we have to be realistic. The car is going quite well and I’m pushing, doing everything I can. This is just a customer car.”
Mikko Hirvonen, in fifth place overall and over two minutes in arrears after having to run first on the road yesterday, shifted his focus to the bonus points that are up for grabs on this afternoon’s Power Stage, which is run on an identical route. He essayed a steadier run, 5.3 seconds slower than Loeb, taking the opportunity to check his pace notes.
“It’s been going okay today and it’s made me feel better,” said Hirvonen. “It’s like a high-speed recce for the Power Stage this afternoon where we hope to take some extra points.”
M-Sport Stobart Ford driver Matthew Wilson continued to reel in the Ice 1 Racing Citroen of former Formula 1 champion Kimi Raikkonen. He was sixth fastest on the stage, 4.3 seconds faster than Raikkonen.
“We had quite a scrappy one in the last stage and that was much better,” said Wilson.
Key moment:
Hirvonen makes a tactical call to prepare for this afternoon’s Power Stage, where extra championship points are available.
Credit: World Rally Championship (www.wrc.com)
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