Hirvonen in control with one stage to go

Rally leader Mikko Hirvonen extended his advantage over Dani Sordo by eleven seconds on the first two stages of the afternoon.

And ahead of the final 43km Jordan River stage, The BP-Ford driver looks on course for his first WRC win of the season and the fifth of his career.

Victory in Jordan would move Hirvonen into the lead of the 2008 drivers’ championship.

At the end of SS21, Hirvonen said tyre preservation was of critical importance on rally’s longest day. “It’s very difficult, because I kept sliding wide on corners, but I’m trying to save the tyres as much as possible,” he said.