From WRC
Sebastien Loeb leads Rally Finland, round eight of the FIA World Rally Championship, following the opening three special stages.
Driving a Citroen Total World Rally Team DS3 WRC, the eight-time world champion holds an advantage of 7.3s ahead of Friday’s action getting underway with the 12.75-kilometre Urria stage at 07:42hrs local time.
Loeb, who chose to run 10th on the road following Wednesday night’s Qualifying Stage, set the pace through the opening Koukunmaa run to take a lead of 1.6s to the Jokimaa superspecial, which Petter Solberg won in his Ford World Rally Team Fiesta RS WRC to narrow the Frenchman’s advantage to 1.5s.
But a stunning time by Loeb through stage three, the 14.22-kilometre Mynnila test, has enabled the world championship leader to edge slightly clear in his bid for a third victory in Finland.
Finns Jari-Matti Latvala and Mikko Hirvonen are tied on time in second and third places respectively with Solberg slipping to sixth after he struggled through stage three with traction issues.
Rising stars Mads Ostberg, who was second fastest through stage three, and Thierry Neuville - third quickest on stage one - are fourth and fifth respectively heading to the overnight halt in Jyvaskyla.
Australian Chris Atkinson, driving a DS3 WRC for the first time, was satisfied with his pace on his first start in Finland since 2008 and only his second appearance of the 2012 season. He is seventh overall ahead of Russian Evgeny Novikov and Estonia’s Ott Tanak.
Rally Finland – Classification after SS3:
1. Loeb-Elena (Citroen DS3 Wrc) in 15'07”1
2. Hirvonen-Lehtinen (Citroen DS3 Wrc) + 7”3
3. Latvala-Anttila (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 7”3
4. Ostberg-Andersson (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 7”5
5. Neuville-Gilsoul (Citroen DS3 Wrc) + 9”0
6. P. Solberg-Patterson (Ford Fiesta Wrc) + 9”2
7. Atkinson-Prevot (Citroen DS3 Wrc) + 15”6
8. Novikov-Giraudet (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 18”2
9. Tanak-Sikk (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 21”1
10. Ketomaa-Stenberg (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 33"1
etc.
Sebastien Loeb leads Rally Finland, round eight of the FIA World Rally Championship, following the opening three special stages.
Driving a Citroen Total World Rally Team DS3 WRC, the eight-time world champion holds an advantage of 7.3s ahead of Friday’s action getting underway with the 12.75-kilometre Urria stage at 07:42hrs local time.
Loeb, who chose to run 10th on the road following Wednesday night’s Qualifying Stage, set the pace through the opening Koukunmaa run to take a lead of 1.6s to the Jokimaa superspecial, which Petter Solberg won in his Ford World Rally Team Fiesta RS WRC to narrow the Frenchman’s advantage to 1.5s.
But a stunning time by Loeb through stage three, the 14.22-kilometre Mynnila test, has enabled the world championship leader to edge slightly clear in his bid for a third victory in Finland.
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| Photo: Citroen Racing WRC |
Finns Jari-Matti Latvala and Mikko Hirvonen are tied on time in second and third places respectively with Solberg slipping to sixth after he struggled through stage three with traction issues.
Rising stars Mads Ostberg, who was second fastest through stage three, and Thierry Neuville - third quickest on stage one - are fourth and fifth respectively heading to the overnight halt in Jyvaskyla.
Australian Chris Atkinson, driving a DS3 WRC for the first time, was satisfied with his pace on his first start in Finland since 2008 and only his second appearance of the 2012 season. He is seventh overall ahead of Russian Evgeny Novikov and Estonia’s Ott Tanak.
Rally Finland – Classification after SS3:
1. Loeb-Elena (Citroen DS3 Wrc) in 15'07”1
2. Hirvonen-Lehtinen (Citroen DS3 Wrc) + 7”3
3. Latvala-Anttila (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 7”3
4. Ostberg-Andersson (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 7”5
5. Neuville-Gilsoul (Citroen DS3 Wrc) + 9”0
6. P. Solberg-Patterson (Ford Fiesta Wrc) + 9”2
7. Atkinson-Prevot (Citroen DS3 Wrc) + 15”6
8. Novikov-Giraudet (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 18”2
9. Tanak-Sikk (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 21”1
10. Ketomaa-Stenberg (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 33"1
etc.