WRC: Sebastien Loeb still in control with one day remaining

From the World Rally Championship

Citroen driver Sebastien Loeb completed today's second day of the Rally of Great Britain with a commanding lead of 30.2 seconds, and perfectly on course to wrap up a sixth consecutive World Rally Championship title on Sunday.

Loeb began Saturday's competition with a 5.3sec lead over Ford's Mikko Hirvonen, the only driver able to challenge him for the 2009 crown, but although the Finn was faster on the first stage in both the morning and the afternoon loops, Loeb stretched further ahead on each of the other four speed tests.

Loeb's Citroen team-mate Dani Sordo holds third overall, 49.9sec behind Hirvonen, after a trouble-free and consistent run in the team's second C4 WRC. The Spaniard began the day fourth but moved up a place on SS7 after wiper problems affected the man ahead, Petter Solberg.

Solberg ended the day fourth, 24sec behind Sordo. The Norwegian lost time on the opening loop of stages when the wipers broke on his Citroen C4 WRC. Despite losing more time later on, when he slipped off the road, the former champion remained philosophical about his day.

Classification after day two :

1. Loeb-Elena (Citroen C4 Wrc) in 2.32’21”4
2. Hirvonen-Lehtinen (Ford Focus RS Wrc) a 30”2
3. Sordo-Marti Citroen C4 Wrc) a 1'20”1
4. P. Solberg-Mills (Citroen C4 Wrc) a 1'44”1
5. Ogier-Ingrassia (Citroen C4 Wrc) a 4’21”6
6. H.Solberg-Menkerud (Ford Focus RS Wrc) a 5’22”8
7. Wilson-Martin (Ford Focus RS Wrc) a 6’30”0
8. Latvala-Anttila(Ford Focus RS Wrc) a 8’02”5

etc.