LOEB DRIVING FINE LINE IN WALES

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, Dec 7, 2008 | by GEOFF JOYNER

FORD'S Jari-Matti Latvala stretched his lead over Citroen's Sebastien Loeb yesterday, in the second leg of the season-ending Wales Rally GB.

Frenchman Loeb has already clinched his fifth drivers' title in a row.

But his team need to score seven points in the season-ending round in Britain to be sure of taking the manufacturers' crown from Ford.

With that in mind, Loeb could afford to allow the Finn to pull clear and play safe in second place with his own Citroen team-mate Dani Sordo third and a further 13 seconds behind after Special Stage 12.

Norway's former champion Petter Solberg was in fourth place for Subaru.

"It's tricky but I'm driving like I feel," Loeb, who has never won in Britain, told the official wrc.com website at service after the 11th stage.

"I'm just trying to find a comfortable rhythm - but if I slow down too much I risk losing confidence and don't have full control of the car.

"So I prefer to stay concentrated and stay in my usual rhythm. We're still having some big moments!"

Ford's Mikko Hirvonen, winner in Wales last year, put himself out of contention for victory when he rolled his car and lost more than four minutes on Friday. He was in 13th place after the 11th stage.

Italy's Valentino Rossi, the charismatic MotoGP world motorbike champion driving a Ford in his third competitive appearance in the rally world championship, was in 16th place.

Rossi said: "Compared to yesterday these stages are better - more normal!"

"There's still some ice around but it's not like yesterday. Today it's possible to enjoy things more."

Leading positions after Special Stage 12: 1. Jari-Matti Latvala (Fin) Ford 1hr 26mins 33.900secs, 2. Sebastien Loeb (Fra) Citroen 1:26:42.300, 3. Dani Sordo (Spa) Citroen 1:26:55.300, 4. Petter Solberg (Nor) Subaru 1:27:19.900, 5. Mads Ostberg (Nor) Subaru 1:28:02.800, 6. Per-Gunnar Andersson (Swe) Suzuki 1:28:15.200, 7. Henning Solberg (Nor) Ford 1:28:26.400, 8. Francois Duval (Bel) Ford 1:28:30.500, 9. Toni Gardemeister (Fin) Skoda 1:29:28.500, 10. Matthew Wilson (Gbr) Ford 1:30:30.600.