Second step: the DS3s put on the show

From the first kilometers of the SS11, Sébastien Loeb left his young teammate no chance Sébastien Ogier. The Alsatian erased his 2”3 delay to take control of the rally almost twenty seconds ahead. “We knew that our second position on the road gave us an advantage over Ogier. We were able to take the opportunity to take the lead,” summed up Sébastien Loeb. “These twenty seconds of lead do not allow us to breathe. We have to keep attacking if we want to be in a position to win tomorrow. At the same time, it will be necessary to preserve mechanics that have been put to the test. »

Unfortunately for the crew of DS3 n°1, a gearbox control pin immobilized the DS3 at the start of Ibarilla 2 (SS15). “We managed to repair it quickly, using one of the rear bumper retaining pins. Congratulations to Daniel, because it was he who had this genius idea,” underlines the seven-time World Champion. Loeb started 5 minutes late, which earned him a 50” penalty.

Ogier therefore regains the lead in the general classification, without much enthusiasm. “I learned that Seb had shown up late when Ibarrilla arrived. Even if I virtually regained the lead, it was not good news, because that's not how I want to win? recognizes the Gapençais, not without fair play. But “Seb 2″ was not spared from mechanical problems either. He lost a lot of time in Duarte 2, “not because of sweeping, but because of a drop in power linked to an ignition malfunction. » This mishap allowed Loeb to erase part of his penalty and return to 10”5 in the general classification.

The great performances of Petter Solberg, author of 4 scratch times, confirm the formidable efficiency of the DS3 on gravel. The Norwegian moved up to 5th place overall, thus erasing the disappointment experienced during the first day when a mechanical problem seriously delayed him.

The last day of the Mexico rally brings us a nice mano a mano between the two Citroën drivers, separated by only 10”5. The Fords of Hirvonen (+1'30"4) and Latvala (+2'43"8) now seem too far away to hope to play the leading roles.