Rally GB: Loeb takes the lead

Sébastien Loeb, after nine specials and with only seven remaining, placed itself in a favorable situation before tackling the second loop of this second day of the Rally of Great Britain. While he was somewhat in difficulty in the last kilometers of SS7, the first special of the day, the Frenchman gained more than ten seconds on Mikko Hirvonen in the following two sections.

During SS7, however, Mikko Hirvonen was able to be fast, worrying the five-time world champion in the general classification. “ It's a good fight, but it was really difficult here, it was raining a lot and I got a branch stuck under my windshield wiper after five kilometers?, confided the Frenchman at the end of this special, where he lost more than two seconds on the Finn, who closed to less than three seconds of the Alsatian in the general classification.

During SS8, it was Mikko Hirvonen who was hampered, losing more than ten seconds on his rival, in just fifteen kilometers. At the finish of the special, the Finn did not wish to comment on his performance, while Sébastien Loeb was delighted with a route where he made no mistakes. “ I was really fast. After being a little light in SS7, I was able to go hard. I feel really good and the car is perfect. »

In the longer SS9, the five-time world champion repeated his performance, gleaning his sixth scratch time of the weekend, pushing Mikko Hirvonen back by more than twelve seconds. It is therefore in a favorable situation, with a twenty-five second lead, that the Frenchman will tackle the second loop of the day (start at 16 p.m.).

However, Sébastien Loeb, who has been under pressure since the start of the weekend, will have to be careful of the relaxation that his comfortable lead could bring him. Leader of Rally GB since the start of the event, the Frenchman is still a virtual world champion.