RACC Rally de Espana

13:54 WRC moves on to Wales Rally GB

The 2011 World Rally Championship will head to Wales next month to bring the season to a close. We're set for a brilliant title fight between Sebastien Loeb and Mikko Hirvonen. Loeb is in pole position having come out on top in Spain, but given the challenging conditions that characterize Wales Rally GB, anything can happen!

13:52 Hanninen is SWRC champion

Juho Hanninen wins the final round of the 2011 Super 2000 World Rally Championship, taking the title with it. "Big thank you to Skoda. I made it difficult in Germany and France, but this is very nice. I'll celebrate this first then look to next year."

13:50 Loeb leads Hirvonen in Spain

Sebastien Loeb wins RACC Rally Espana, the seventh win in Spain of his incredible WRC career. The victory also means that Citroen wins the Manufacturers' championship. Mikko Hirvonen finishes second overall and falls eight points behind Loeb with just one round to run. Jari-Matti Latvala finishes third, with Dani Sordo and Kris Meeke and fourth and fifth.

13:49 Meeke wins the Power Stage

MINI driver Kris Meeke scores three championship points as he wins the Power Stage. "Unbelievable! To beat Dani [Sordo] on this stage is quite something."

13:47 Loeb scores a Power Stage point

"It was really a good rally for us. We've done the perfect race I would say, no mistakes. We have one point too in the Power Stage. We've done the best we could." MINI driver Kris Meeke scores his first ever WRC fastest stage time, as well as three extra championship points. Dani Sordo scores two championship points, meaning Mikko Hirvonen doesn't collect any extra points. Loeb now leads Hirvonen by eight points.

13:46 Loeb wins in Spain!

Sebastien Loeb wins RACC Rally Espana 2011!

13:42 Latvala slows through Power Stage

Ford's Jari-Matti Latvala is set to finish third overall on RACC Rally Espana as he sets a time of 2m 58.1s on the Power Stage, dropping 1.7s to team-mate Mikko Hirvonen. Latvala has been the star of this rally with incredible pace at times. "It's been a fantastic weekend for me. I'm really pleased with the performance I had. We need to push in Wales and try to take the victory there. I'm more and more confident all the time [on Tarmac]."

13:40 Hirvonen completes Power Stage

Ford's Mikko Hirvonen has dropped 10.7s to Kris Meeke on the Power Stage but is on course to finish in second position behind Sebastien Loeb. "I was struggling this weekend for pace. We were not expecting rain so I'll be surprised if we get any points on this [Power Stage]. I can't wait for Rally GB, we always have good pace there."

13:36 Sordo through the Power Stage

Dani Sordo completes the Power Stage with a time of 2m 45.9s, dropping just 0.2s to team-mate Kris Meeke. He looks to be on course to score fourth overall, another strong result for the new team thanks to Sordo's impressive efforts. "It's okay. We had a lot of problems on the first day, but I'm happy. We're in the position we thought we'd be at the beginning of the year."

13:33 Meeke completes the Power Stage

Kris Meeke removes Mads Ostberg from the top of the Power Stage time sheets with a time of 2m 45.7s in his MINI John Cooper Works WRC. This is Meeke's first finish in as a MINI World Rally Team driver and he looks set to score a fine fifth overall, his best ever WRC result. "Fifth place at the end of it all is pretty good."

13:30 Ostberg fastest so far in Power Stage

Mads Ostberg goes top of the time sheets so far in the Power Stage in his Stobart Ford Fiesta RS WRC with a time of 2m 57.2s. "The Tarmac has been very enjoyable. The two last stages have been really good. Overall I'm very happy with the performance and we've set some good times today."

13:27 Henning Solberg through the Power Stage

Ford privateer Henning Solberg looks set to score a strong eighth overall in Spain as he tackles the Power Stage in 3m 2.6s. "It's an okay weekend. I'm happy that we are here."

13:26 Villagra completes RACC Rally Espana

Argentine Ford Fiesta RS WRC driver Federico Villagra reaches the end of the rally with a time of 3m 7.6s on the Power Stage. "It was very difficult, so we're happy to be here today. I'm really happy for the team, they gave me a nice car."

13:23 Novikov reaches the end of the rally

Evgeny Novikov sets the fastest time so far on the Power Stage with a time of 3m 1.2s. "The rally was much better than the previous one. We've had some small problems, but it was fine."

13:20 Kuipers through Power Stage

Dennis Kuipers looks set to finish 10th overall as he sets a time of 3m 6.5s on the Power Stage. "We've had a good weekend. The first day on gravel was difficult and we lost some time. The Tarmac was quite okay."

13:15 Lemes reaches end of Power Stage

S2000 driver Yeray Lemes completes the Power Stage in 3m 11.3s and reaches the end of the rally. Lemes says he's happy with how the rally has gone throughout the weekend.

13:14 Al Qassimi completes RACC Rally Espana

With a time of 3m 11.1s on the Power Stage, Khalid Al Qassimi completes the rally. "I didn't push much. I was not aware that the Power Stage was fully wet, so I was just cruising."

13:11 Stage Begin - SS18 Coll de la Teixeta 2 (4.32km)

Al Qassimi enters the Power Stage!

13:09 Latvala incurs penalty

Jari-Matti Latvala has picked up a time penalty for checking into a time control early. This was an intentional move by the Ford team to promote Mikko Hirvonen to second position as he bids for the 2011 Drivers' title.

12:36 Just the Power Stage to go!

With just the points-paying Power Stage to run, Citroen's Sebastien Loeb leads the rally with a comfortable margin over Jari-Matti Latvala. The young Finn will certainly move aside to allow Mikko Hirvonen to take second overall. The two title rivals will be giving it everything on the Power Stage as they bid to score three extra championship points. Citroen factory driver Sebastien Ogier has stopped in SS17, but Citroen is still on course to secure the Manufacturers' championship today. The Power Stage gets under way at 14:11 local time.

12:34 Loeb completes SS17

Just the Power Stage separates rally leader Sebastien Loeb from victory in Spain as he sets a time of 11m 12.9s on the penultimate test. He'll carry a 24.9s lead into the last stage. "Hopefully we'll have no problems. Just one more stage to go. At the moment it feels good, I think we've had a good weekend. I've come from three bad rallies! Mikko [Hirvonen] will finish second. I think we have to push in the Power Stage."

12:32 Latvala quickest so far

Jari-Matti Latvala sets the fastest time so far on SS17 with a time of 11m 9.6s. "It's a fantastic feeling, I really enjoyed driving this stage."

12:30 Ogier suffers engine problem

Sebastien Ogier has stopped mid-stage due to an engine issue with his Citroen DS3 WRC.

12:30 Hirvonen matches Ostberg in SS17

Mikko Hirvonen sets the joint fastest time so far on SS17, stopping the clock at 11m 15.8s. "It's okay. That stage caught quite a few people out and I'm in no rush. It's very important to push on the Power Stage. I hope it goes well."

12:26 Sordo through SS17

Dani Sordo reaches the end of SS17 with his fourth place secure following Sebastien Ogier's troubles on this stage. He sets a time of 11m 22.9s on the final full-length stage. "I didn't see [Ogier]. It was really difficult with the soft tyres. I hope it will rain."

12:24 Meeke completes SS17

Kris Meeke makes it to the end of Ss17 in his MINI John Cooper Works WRC with a time of 11m 30.5s. "Parts of the last loop we were on the wrong tyres. On this stage I just completely backed off. We'll just cruise around the Power Stage now to bring it home."

12:21 Ostberg reaches stage end

Mads Ostberg sets the fastest time so far on SS17, stopping the clock at 11m 15.8s. "It was a good stage. I want to get through the rally now so no big risks. We need to have a perfect run on the Power Stage [to score points]."

12:20 Henning Solberg completes SS17

Henning Solberg sets a time of 11m 31.2s in SS17 in his Fiesta RS WRC. "It was okay. I will push in the Power Stage."

12:19 Ogier stops in stage

Citroen DS3 WRC factory driver Sebastien Ogier has come to a halt 7km into SS17.

12:18 Novikov completes SS17

Evgeny Novikov makes it to the end of the final full-length stage of the rally with a time of 11m 27.3s on SS17. "It's not my stage!" Meanwhile, Matthew Wilson is reported to have removed a front-left wheel from his Fiesta.

12:14 Wilson stops mid-stage

Matthew Wilson's Ford Fiesta RS WRC is reported to have come to a halt in SS17.

12:14 Kuipers climbs to 10th after SS17

With Matthew Wilson stopped in the stage, Dennis Kuipers moves up to 10th position. He sets a time of 11m 25s. "It was a good stage, I'm happy with the car. The Power Stage is a nice stage, I really like it."

12:13 Al Qassimi through SS17

Khalid Al Qassimi reaches the end of SS17 in 11m 45.9s. "We were sliding a little bit for the spectators."

12:11 Lemes completes SS17

Just the Power Stage now stands between Yeray Lemes and the end of his home rally as he sets a time of 11m 50s on the penultimate stage.

12:06 Power Stage five minutes away

The final stage of the 2011 edition of RACC Rally Espana - the live televised Power Stage - will get underway in five minutes. A short downpour of rain has soaked the stage, but with the rain now having stopped, the surface may dry before the lead WRC crews tackle it.

11:59 Stage Begin - SS17 La Mussara 2 (20.48km)

Yeray Lemes enters SS17 in his VW-run Skoda Fabia S2000.

11:54 Penultimate stage five minutes away

The last full-length stage of RACC Rally Espana will start in five minutes, with Yeray Lemes first into the stage. The Power Stage will follow this afternoon.

11:21 Crews head for penultimate stage

The WRC crews are now heading to SS17, the final full-length stage of the rally. It gets under way in a little under 40 minutes' time. Unless rain falls on the stage very shortly, MINI's Dani Sordo is likely to lose fourth position to Sebastien Ogier.

11:18 Loeb completes SS16

Sebastien Loeb reaches the end of the stage having dropped 2.9s to second-placed man Jari-Matti Latvala. "No more to do, just try to stay on the road and not have any punctures. I didn't cut anywhere. I have two soft tyres in the boot because we're not sure [about the possibility of rain]." Loeb now leads by 28.2s.

11:16 Latvala 3.7s slower than Ogier

Jari-Matti Latvala sets the second fastest time so far in SS16 with a 15m 41.6s. "It was okay, I didn't want to take any risks."

11:15 Hirvonen quick through SS16

Ford's Mikko Hirvonen sets the second fastest time so far on SS16, stopping the clock at 15m 49.2s. "Now there's no pressure I don't have to take any risks. Maybe I should have [looked after my tyres a bit more for the Power Stage]."

11:12 Sordo drops 23.1s to Ogier

Dani Sordo reaches the end of SS16 having dropped 23.1s to the charging Sebastien Ogier. The Spaniard's advantage over Ogier is now just 13.7s with two stages to run. "It will be very difficult. We know that with soft tyres the car in much slower. Maybe the next one will have rain, if not we have no luck."

11:10 Ogier flies in SS16

As he chases down Dani Sordo for fourth position, Sebastien Ogier sets a staggering time of 15m 37.9s in SS16. "We knew that Dani Sordo had soft tyres, so we tried to push."

11:08 Meeke through SS16

MINI's Kris Meeke sets a time of 16m 3.9s on SS16, the third fastest time so far. "We had some information that there may be rain in the stage, so we had soft tyres on one side of the car and harder tyres on the other side."

11:06 Ostberg goes faster than Novikov

Mads Ostberg stops the clock at 15m 55.4s to set the fastest time on SS16 so far. "The brakes are working fine now, I was being very careful with them. I didn't push maximum." The Norwegian reports that there are no signs of rain in the stage.

11:04 Henning Solberg reaches stage end

Henning Solberg loses eighth position to Russian youngster Evgeny Novikov on SS16 as he sets a time of 16m 23s. "He was fast in there and I tried my best. I will try to get the position back, but it won't be easy." 3s separate the pair.

11:02 Novikov goes quickest so far

Evgeny Novikov sets the fastest time so far in SS16, stopping the clock at 15m 57.1s. "I was trying to push maximum!"

11:00 Wilson through SS16

Stobart Ford driver Matthew Wilson sets a time of 16m 13.6s on SS16, dropping 4s to stage leader Dennis Kuipers. "We lost three seconds in the first five kilometres. Other than that it was okay."

10:59 Kuipers quickest so far through SS16

Dennis Kuipers goes fastest so far on SS16 with a time of 16m 9.6s. "I had a good feeling. The tyres were getting a bit too warm at the end of the stage."

10:57 Al Qassimi through SS16

Ford Fiesta RS WRC driver Khalid Al Qassimi reaches the end of the stage in 16m 30.1s.

10:55 Lemes completes SS16

Yeray Lemes reaches the end of the Santa Marina 2 stage in the VW-run Skoda Fabia S2000, setting a time of 16m 26.1s. The Spaniard reports the stage is dry.

10:53 Hanninen on brink of SWRC title

Finnish ace Juho Hanninen is just three stages away from winning the Super 2000 World Rally Championship. He'll tackle the remaining stages once the lead WRC crews have passed through.

10:39 Stage Begin - SS16 Santa Marina 2 (26.51km)

Super 2000 driver Yeray Lemes enters SS16 to get the final loop of stages at RACC Rally Espana under way. The top drivers have been reversed in anticipation of the Power Stage.

10:34 Latvala prepared to step aside for Hirvonen

As the WRC crews prepare to tackle the final loop of stages this weekend, second-placed man Jari-Matti Latvala has said that he will make way for team-mate Mikko Hirvonen: “I would expect we will change with Mikko at some point and Mikko will climb up to second and I will be third. Because Mikko will get much better chances for the championship in Wales [I am prepared to do that]. It’s never a nice feeling I can tell you but that’s something that needs to be done and that’s it. I just need to accept it.”

08:47 Villagra, Van Merksteijn through SS15

Federico Villagro and Peter Van Merksteijn set times of 2m 40.7s and 2m 42.5s respectively on SS15 as the lead WRC crews head back to service. The competition will resume later on this morning, with Sebastien Loeb leading Jari-Matti Latvala by 31.1s, to bring RACC Rally Espana 2011 to a close.

08:38 Kuipers, Al Qassimi complete SS15

Dennis Kuipers sets a time of 2m 41s on SS15, dropping 4s to the stage leader, while Khalid Al Qassimi stops the clock at 2m 42.1s, having had a crowd-pleasing moment at the end of the stage.

08:33 Wilson reaches end of first loop

Matthew Wilson sets a time of 2m 42.8s on SS15, which forms the Power Stage this afternoon.

08:29 Novikov through SS15

Citroen DS3 WRC driver Evgeny Novikov sets a time of 2m 40.3s on SS15.

08:28 Henning Solberg completes SS15

Henning Solberg sets a time of 2m 40.5s, dropping 3.5s to the stage leader. "It's okay, I tried my best. The car is okay."

08:26 Ostberg 3.6s slower than Loeb

Mads Ostberg continues to struggle with brake issues as he sets a time of 2m 40.6s on SS15.

08:23 Meeke completes morning loop

Kris Meeke stops the clock at 2m 39.3s on SS15 in his MINI John Cooper Works WRC. "Quite positive. I'm not taking any chances because I want to get to the finish. We'll give it a go on the Power Stage."

08:22 Ogier through SS15

Sebastien Ogier sets a strong time of 2m 37.5s on SS15 as he bids to consolidate fifth position. "We had some problems with the brakes on that one."

08:20 Sordo completes last stage of the loop

Dani Sordo reaches the end of the final stage of the morning in a time of 2m 39s having struggled with power steering issues.

08:18 Hirvonen through SS15

Mikko Hirvonen completes SS15 in a time of 2m 40.2s, dropping 3.2s to Sebastien Loeb. "I tried different tyres for the Power Stage. I didn't work out, but at least we know now."

08:16 Latvala drops 1.7s on SS15

Ford's Jari-Matti Latvala drops 1.7s on SS15, which forms the Power Stage this afternoon. "It was a bit too much [time to lose], I though I was driving well. I got on the throttle a bit too early in some places."

08:14 Loeb completes SS14

Sebastien Loeb reaches the end of the short SS15 in 2m 37s. "It was okay. I tried to do a good stage to see how it is working. The car is okay. A few little mistake, which we'll have to correct."

08:12 Stage Begin - SS15 Coll de la Teixeta 1 (4.32km)

Sebastien Loeb enters SS15, which will be used as the Power Stage later on today.

07:59 Carlos Del Barrio describes SS15

"It was run last year but for 16km. The first 4.3 kilometres beside the main road is the old main road but it is now closed for the public. It’s constant uphill, very wide. The Tarmac is not new but only with little bumps."

07:55 Praise for Meeke

MINI World Rally Team technical director Dave Wilcock has praised Kris Meeke's performance so far on RACC Rally Esapan: "Kris has been neat and tidy and shown he is developing very well. Comparing his times to Mikko, we are very, very pleased with his pace. Clearly he is doing a good job, the obvious intention is to get him to the end of the rally and he is very much focused on that. It’s a big day tomorrow so let’s see what happens.”

07:53 Wilson through SS14

Matthew Wilson sets a time of 11m 46.9s in his Ford Fiesta RS WRC on SS14. The lead crews are preparing to tackle the final stage of this morning's loop, which gets under way at 12 minutes past the hour.

07:50 Henning Solberg, Novikov complete SS14

Henning Solberg and Evgeny Novikov set times of 11m 54.1s and 11m 59.4s on SS14.

07:45 Ostberg reaches stage end

Mads Ostberg sets a time of 11m 25s, beating factory driver Kris Meeke in SS14. "It was a lot better. We had to bleed the brakes between the stages. Very enjoyable, it's very fast and flowing. At the top of the mountain there's a little bit of mist."

07:44 Meeke completes SS14

Kris Meeke reaches the end of SS14 in 11m 28.1s, dropping 14.5s to the stage leader. "Quite happy. Definitely a lot of places I could have gone faster, but I don't want to make any mistakes at this point of the rally."

07:41 Ogier second quickest so far

Sebastien Ogier sets a time of 11m 14.9s on SS14, the second quickest so far. "It's okay, no problem. It's a bit too much [to Dani Sordo]. I hope it will rain."

07:40 Sordo reaches stage end with puncture

Fourth placed man Dani Sordo drops 29.2s to stage leader Mikko Hirvonen with a right-rear puncture. "I don't know exactly but I felt in a really slow corner."

07:37 Hirvonen quicker still

Mikko Hirvonen goes even faster than his team-mate through SS14, setting a time of 11m 13.6s. The Finn appears to have rediscovered some Tarmac form this morning. "It's just small things. I finally realised how to drive this car on Tarmac."

07:35 Latvala 1.7s quicker through SS14

Jari-Matti Latvala chops 1.7s from the deficit to Sebastien Loeb on SS14 with a time of 11m 15.9s. "It was a good stage. We lost a little bit towards the end where it was a bit more technical."

07:33 Loeb completes SS14

Sebastien Loeb sets a benchmark time of 11m 17.6s on SS14. Both factory Ford drivers look set to better that time. "It's okay. There was a little bit of humidity in the fast section of the stage so I took it a little bit easy. In case it rains we have soft tyres in the boot."

07:30 Fords quick on the splits

The Ford World Rally Team drivers, Jari-Matti Latvala and Mikko Hirvonen, are setting the pace on SS14. Both were 2.7s quicker than Sebastien Loeb to the second split.

07:22 Stage Begin - SS14 La Mussara 1 (20.48km)

Rally leader Sebastien Loeb enters SS14 with a 31.1s lead over Jari-Matti Latvala.

07:16 Carlos Del Barrio describes SS14

"It is very, very fast and not so wide for the first 11km. Then we head into a downhill, which is fast at the beginning but then there are more or less five kilometres with lots of corners where [Sebastien] Ogier went off last year. It’s low-speed and not so good for the brakes. The last two kilometres are again flat out. The surface is keen with no possibility for cuts. It’s a demanding stage because you have two different situations."

06:43 Crews head for SS14

As the remaining WRC and the first S2000 drivers tackle the opening stage of the loop, the lead crews are heading for SS14, which gets under way at 22 minutes after the hour. Meanwhile, Khalid Al Qassimi reports that MINI driver Armindo Araujo has left the road, but was fortunate to be propped up by a tree. Both driver and co-driver were unhurt.

06:42 Kuipers, Al Qassimi complete SS13

Dutchman Dennis Kuipers sets a time of 16m 37.2s on the opening day of the final day at RACC Rally Espana. Meanwhile, Khalid Al Qassimi stops the clock at 17m 0.2s. Ken Block is reported to have left the road, although both he and his co-driver are unhurt.

06:38 Block stops in the stage

Ken Block has stopped 3km into the stage in his Monster World Rally Team Ford Fiesta RS WRC.

06:37 Wilson reaches stage end

Matthew Wilson powers through SS13 in his Ford Fiesta RS WRC with a time of 16m 40.5s, 45.2s behind Sebastien Loeb. "Very, very lucky at the start, we were nearly off. I don't know how I kept it on the road. I just outbraked myself."

06:34 Novikov completes SS13

Russian youngster Evgeny Novikov reaches the end of SS13 in 16m 34.7s in his Citroen DS3 WRC, dropping 39.4s to the stage leader. "For me it was very difficult because the stage was new for me, but everything is fine."

06:32 Henning Solberg through SS13

Henning Solberg loses a big chunk of time in SS13 as he sets a time of 17m 4.7s, 35.6s behind fellow Fiesta driver Mads Ostberg. "No problems, I just drove through. I'm happy."

06:30 Ostberg completes SS13

With a time of 16m 29.1s, Ford Fiesta RS WRC driver Mads Ostberg reaches the end of SS13. "I destroyed my brakes quite early. I was not able to get them back at all. About halfway through there was basically not brakes left, so I had to slow down."

06:27 Meeke completes opening stage of the leg

MINI's Kris Meeke drops 18.3s to the stage leader with a time of 16m 13.6s on his first competitive run through this test. "It's interesting in the dark. I'm reasonably happy with the time, losing less than one second per kilometre."

06:25 Ogier through SS13

Sebastien Ogier completes SS13 in 15m 55.3s, the fastest time so far. "It's a surprise, we slowed down at the end. We had a feeling something was wrong with my front tyres."

06:24 Sordo completes SS13

Dani Sordo reaches the end of the first stage of the day with a time of 16m 1.3s. "I think after this stage it's impossible [to catch Mikko Hirvonen]."

06:23 Carlos Del Barrio describes SS13

"The first run of this stage will be in the dark for the top drivers. It’s a well-known special stage. I don’t say it’s easy but what is true is since 10 years ago we have passed through this stage in both directions and we know it pretty well. It’s very nice for the spectators also. The road is quite wide but in the middle there around 7km or so that are bumpy, quite twisty, tricky, some other kind of road. It’s narrow also. Then it continues with smooth Tarmac to the end but it’s quite twisty also. It has a good average speed."

06:22 Hirvonen through SS13

Having set the early pace in SS13, Mikko Hirvonen finishes the stage 2.5s slower than Sebastien Loeb. "It's a good start. Finally finding some rhythm and understanding how to drive this car. I've been really struggling with it, but maybe I'm getting the hang of it."

06:20 Latvala drops 3.5s on SS13

Jari-Matti Latvala drops 3.5s in his bid to catch Sebastien Loeb on SS13. "I did a mistake. I didn't realise how quickly a corner was turning, I thought I was going to overshoot so I pulled the handbrake and had a big sideways moment. Sebastien [Loeb] is unbelievably quick." The Finn now trails Loeb by 31.1s.

06:19 Loeb completes SS13

Rally leader Sebastien Loeb reaches the end of the dark SS13 with a time of 15m 55.4s. "That was fun, but it was not easy because the stage is fast. You have to concentrate. The grip was good." Meanwhile, Mikko Hirvonen is slipping back on the split times a little.

06:10 Hirvonen setting the pace

The early split times from SS13 suggest that Ford's Mikko Hirvonen is setting the pace in this opening stage of the day as he bids to hold of Dani Sordo. The Finn is bettering Sebastien Loeb in the splits, who in turn is a little ahead of Jari-Matti Latvala.

06:06 Loeb impressed by Latvala's pace

Sebastien Loeb has been impressed by the pace set by Ford's Jari-Matti Latvala on yesterday's Tarmac stages: “Sébastien came up to me after the last stage to shake my hand and congratulate me on my time. It was a great feeling to have the seven-time world champion congratulate me for beating him on his favourite surface. Tomorrow I will try to pressurise him. I can’t make up the time in normal circumstances but I will push hard and see what happens."

06:05 Sordo promises to push hard

MINI's Dani Sordo has said that he'll push as hard as he can to hunt down Mikko Hirvonen and the last podium position: “It has been a really good day, there have been no problems and I am very happy to have a fastest stage time. The battle with Mikko for the podium is very tough, as he is a bit far away in terms of times and the gap is now 37 seconds. However, my plans for the final day are to push Mikko really hard and fight him for the podium. It would be really nice to be on the podium here on my home rally, but I am realistic about what I have to do.”

06:02 Stage Begin - SS13 Santa Marina 1 (26.51km)

Sebastien Loeb enters SS13 to get the final day of the rally under way. Jari-Matti Latvala will seek to pressurize Loeb from the start. The Finn is almost without pressure today; he'll be moved aside later on today to allow team-mate Mikko Hirvonen to score as many points as possible for his championship bid, so Latvala is free to push as hard as he can, knowing that if he bins his Fiesta RS WRC, not much will be lost.

05:57 Latvala Vs Loeb

Meanwhile, the headline battle today will be between rally leader Sebastien Loeb and Jari-Matti Latvala. The Frenchman leads the Finn by 27.6s after 12 special stages. With six tests to run today and a little over 100km in competitive distance, Latvala doesn't have quite as much time as he'd like to hound down the rally leader. Ordinarily, we'd have to say that Loeb's position looks fairly secure, but given Latvala's inspired performance yesterday, we might just see something special from the Ford number two today.

05:55 @MikkoWRC on Twitter

"been finding it difficult to find how to drive this car on tarmac... it's very different to how focus was..." Mikko Hirvonen admitting there that he's not getting the most out of the Ford Fiesta RS WRC on Tarmac. Hi task for the final day of RACC Rally Espana is simply to hold off MINI's Dani Sordo, who has his sights trained on a home podium.