SS6: Quartet for
Latvala in Wales

Stage data: SS6, Myherin 2 (27.88 kilometres)

Stage description:
By Ford World Rally Team co-driver Chris Patterson: “The stage has remained unchanged for the last couple of years which is something we really enjoy as drivers. We have a record to break because we know the stage is unchanged. It climbs up a brand new road built for the wind turbines and because there’s trucks going in there all the time it’s super smooth and super wide and if you can get a good clean line through you’ll have a really good stage. That’s about 50 per cent of the stage. Then you slot off to the right and it gets a lot more narrow and a lot rougher. You have to be careful with the stones that just seem to fall off the slde of the road. If it’s wet then it’s very slippery under the trees where you have a layer of grime.”

How the action unfolded:
Jari-Matti Latvala continues to set the pace on Wales Rally GB after clocking the fastest time on the day-closing Myherin test, his fourth stage win in succession and the sixth for Ford’s Fiesta RS WRC.

Latvala, from Finland, edged factory Ford team-mate Petter Solberg by 0.3s to grow his overall advantage out front to an impressive 12.1s heading to the overnight halt in Cardiff. “I’ve been trying to push and I’m pleased with my performance,” said Latvala. “I haven’t had this feeling for a long, long time.”

FIA World Rally Championship leader Sebastien Loeb was third quickest, 6.0s adrift of Latvala in his works Citroen. “It was the same as on the previous stage. I was flat out everywhere but we have no chance [against the Fords] because the grip is so low. But I’m not concerned, I don’t need to win.”

Mads Ostberg continued his strong start to Rally GB with the fourth quickest time, with Ott Tanak fifth fastest and Mikko Hirvonen sixth. “We are losing time,” said the Finnish Citroen driver. “We really don’t have any grip against the Ford boys. I really tried to push hard but it was so slippery and now I destroy my tyres.”

Craig Breen was once again the fastest Super 2000 World Rally Championship runner. The Irishman’s lead in the category after six stages is more than one minute.