Rallying: Sol gets hot

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, Sep 19, 2004 | by DERICK ALLSOP

TITLE leader Sebastien Loeb and defending champion Petter Solberg were locked in a titanic battle last night.

Norwegian Solberg, who admits only victory will give him a chance of keeping the World Rally Championship, launched a spectacular attack on the Frenchman.

Loeb's Citroen was just 10 seconds ahead of Solberg's Subaru, while the other big names were two minutes back down the slippery roads of South Wales.

A group of pro-hunt protesters delayed the rally for 25 minutes, but nothing could stop Solberg's charge.

Solberg, winner of this event for the past two years, said: "I'm pushing like hell and went off the road at one point because I braked too late into a corner, but it cost me only about six seconds.

"Seb did just what he did on Friday. He went very fast in the morning but we've come back and it's going to be a great fight."

Loeb, 30 points clear of Solberg going into this, gasped: "I'm not happy because Petter is faster than me even when he goes off! I will try to win, but there is no point taking unnecessary risks."

Solberg was confident of making up the overnight 8.4-second deficit to Loeb but watched the Citroen pull further away yesterday morning. Loeb was quickest on two of the first three stages to lead Solberg by 17.2 seconds and the Subaru driver had to dig into his reserves of determination.

By then double world champion Marcus Gronholm's hopes had been destroyed.

The lanky Finn, desperate to put pressure on Loeb and Solberg, went off the road, ripping a wheel off his Peugeot.

Gronholm struggled through the stage on his three remaining wheels and retired, complaining: "I can't see the corners of this car - and it's now undriveable."

That blunder lifted Ford's Markko Martin to third place, but he conceded he had no hope of catching the leading pair. The Estonian driver said: "I'm in no man's land. We have large gaps in front and behind us and it doesn't look as though I can match the pace of Solberg and Loeb. We've been over the limit a few times."

During the afternoon Martin couldn't even match the pace of the chasing pack. An engine gremlin slowed the Focus and effectively ended his challenge.

Mark Higgins was Britain's top driver, eighth in his Focus.

Matthew Wilson, 17-year-old son of Ford boss Malcolm, was closing on a top 15 finish in another Focus.

Wilson senior said: "I know he's my son, but I genuinely believe he is fully capable of a WRC drive in the future."