WRC: Sebastien Loeb leads day 2 in Catalunya

From the World Rally Championship

Defending World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb leads the Rally de Espana this evening and remains on course to rack up a fifth consecutive win on this event when the third and final day concludes tomorrow (Sunday).

Loeb enjoyed a trouble-free day at the wheel of his C4 WRC and was locked in a thrilling inter-team tussle with his Spanish team-mate Dani Sordo for almost all of the day's six stages.

The only exception was the final section of the day closing SS12, where Sordo slowed deliberately in order to give Citroen its pre-rally objective of a one-two placing - headed by team leader Loeb.

If the positions stay as they are through the six remaining stages, Citroen will secure the 2009 WRC manufacturers' crown. In addition, Loeb will have done all he can ahead of a drivers' title showdown with Mikko Hirvonen on the last round in Wales.

BP Ford Abu Dhabi Team leader Mikko Hirvonen rounded off the day where he started it - in third place, and slowly dropping further behind the two drivers ahead.

From the first stage today Hirvonen knew he had little chance to get the second place he wanted here on driving alone, but pressure from the two Citroen drivers behind meant he had to keep on pushing.

Classification after Day 2:

1. Sébastien Loeb (Citroen C4) – 2h24’01’’3
2. Dani Sordo (Citroen C4) + 1’’5
3. Mikko Hirvonen (Ford Focus) + 48’’5
4. Petter Solberg (Citroen C4) + 1’10’’9
5. Sébastien Ogier (Citroen C4) + 1’30’’9
6. Jari-Matti Latvala (Ford Focus) + 2’31’’7
7. Mathew Wilson (Ford Focus) + 5’52’’6
8. Federico Villagra (Ford Focus) + 6’43’’0
Etc.