SS12: Tanak
closes on third

Stage data: SS12, Riba-roja d’Ebre 2 (14.20 kilometres - asphalt)

Stage description:
By Prodrive WRC Team co-driver Carlos del Barrio: “Eighty per cent of this stage is the same as last year, but we have two kilometres new at the beginning, which was as road section last year. It’s very fast but then we start with the old part, which is very twisty with uphill and downhill. It uses the Tarmac part of stages three and five from Friday but in the opposite direction. You tend to have more gravel on the corners on this stage but we have good memories from here because last year we did the scratch time.”

How the action unfolded:
Ott Tanak has compounded a miserable day for Mads Ostberg by snatching fourth place from the overnight leader on Saturday’s final stage with a rapid run.

Tanak was 0.4s quicker than RallyRACC-Rally de Espana leader Sebastien Loeb and 9.2s faster than Ostberg to move 2.6s in front of the Norwegian, who is at the wheel of a similar Ford Fiesta RS WRC.

“It’s very good,” said Tanak, who is now 14.7s behind third-placed Mikko Hirvonen, in a Citroen DS3 WRC. “I was a bit cautious in the beginning but for sure I was taking some risks after that. It’s damp and dirty in some places, the car feels really good and I have a very good feeling.”

Ostberg said: “It’s been absolutely horrible for me. I have not got a clue what is happening. There must be something wrong because the car is impossible to drive.”

Hirvonen was 4.0s adrift of Tanak’s pace. He said: “It’s been a good day, slowly getting better but I always want more so I am not completely happy.”

Meanwhile, Loeb’s advantage over second-placed Jari-Matti Latvala increases to 27.0s heading to the overnight halt in Salou.