Despite the passage of seven stages today, the second leg of Wales Rally GB brought no changes to the general rankings. Mikko Hirvonen and Ford teammate Marcus Grönholm continue to lead the proceedings while Citroën Sport's Sébastien Loeb solidly holds on to a potentially title-winning overall third position.
However, the man of the day was without any doubt Jari-Matti Latvala. At the controls of a Stobart Ford Focus, the Finn accomplished the fastest times on six out of seven stages, only relinquishing the Millennium Stadium challenge to Grönholm.
Fords in the lead
The Finnish drivers left their mark on the rally's second leg: aboard their Ford Focus cars, Jari-Matti Latvala, Mikko Hirvonen and Marcus Grönholm occupied the first three positions of almost every stage today.
Hirvonen was able to maintain the time gap that separates him form teammate Grönholm, which has hardly changed since last evening. It would be easy to guess that a certain 'Gentleman's Agreement' has been concluded between the Ford team drivers, who have no reason to push each other.
Hirvonen is free to fight for victory, while Grönholm's intention is simply to finish on the first or second step of the podium... and hope that Loeb does not finish in the points zone. The objective of the day was therefore a station-keeping goal.
Jari-Matti Latvala's objective was quite different. After losing ten minutes and retiring on yesterday's last stage due to a windshield wiper malfunction, the Finn returned under SupeRally rules with a mission.
After falling down to 15th place overall, he knew very well that a points-scoring finish was surely out of the question. With that in mind, a demonstration of talent was therefore in order – and he could not have done better today within the Welsh forests.
By taking every 'real' stage of the day, with the exception of the Millennium Stadium track in Cardiff, he proved his abilities in the best possible manner. It also allowed the Stobart Ford driver to move up from 15th to 12th position in the general rankings.
Four stages away from a fourth title
Sébastien Loeb has no reason to attack for victory on this rally, and he has not been doing so. The works Citroën C4 driver is concentrating on keeping pace, keeping to the road, and keeping his car in good shape. A fifth-place finish is more than enough, and for the time being he is comfortably settled in third.
Holding a steady course straight to the last step of the podium would be more than a mission accomplished. The Frenchman stands 39.5 seconds behind Grönholm, over a minute ahead of his closest pursuer. The last leg should be almost pressure-free for him.
Of course, nothing is over until it's over, as the saying goes... especially in Great Britain. Loeb once partnered with Carlos Sainz, who certainly had the occasion to take some time out and relate his past misfortunes on this event.
Dani Sordo went through the trails without committing any errors as he got acquainted with the Welsh tests at the wheel of his Citroën C4; he often reached the top five in the process. The Spaniard is not taking any risks and holds on very easily to his fifth overall place.
Subarus in search of setups
The works Subaru drivers are doing their best in difficult conditions as their Impreza WRCs continue to prove themselves hard to tame. As they dealt with understeering problems, Petter Solberg and Chris Atkinson consulted with their engineers in order to find the magic setup formula. They never really found it.
Without feeling confident on the slippery trails of the Welsh forest, delivering a good performance falls in the category of unlikely happenings. Other issues also appeared, such as Atkinson's windshield fogging up and Solberg's headlights shutting off.
Both drivers gave their best nonetheless. The Norwegian held on to fourth place while the Australian moved up one notch to sixth position, although he could still lose it to seventh-placed Matthew Wilson.
Stohl, Pons and Solberg in the top ten
Manfred Stohl, who finished second overall last year, is far from that position on this edition. The OMV Kronos Citroën driver never found the right feeling with his Xsara and is simply holding on to the eighth spot on the leaderboard.
In ninth position, Xevi Pons lost time today due to windshield washer problems affecting his works Subaru. Mads Ostberg's Adapta AS Subaru Impreza completed the top ten at the end of the second leg.
Two loops over the same two stages will conclude the 75th edition of Wales Rally GB tomorrow, with the first launch taking place on the Brechfa route at 7:46.
Sunday will also mark the final chapter of Marcus Grönholm's remarkable WRC career, as he holds the slight chance of a third title crown at the back of his mind.
