Rally - Day 3 closes

With Volkswagen ‘twins’ Sebastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala well in command at the head of the field, less than half a minute covers the next three crews after 16 Stages on this year’s Wales Rally GB.

Thierry Neuville is third in the Ford, but coming under increasing pressure from Andreas Mikkelson in the third Polo R and Mads Østberg in a Fiesta R5 - who got a telephone call from his Dad, Morten Østberg!

According to Mads: “Dad said if I wanted to finish where I was then carry on with the car as it was. But he told me if I wanted to improve then I should fully open the (suspension) rebound. I’ve always listened to him and I did so again!”

But the star of the show? That surely has to be Dani Sordo. Remember, the Citroen driver started the rally with a 5 minute penalty, and he has blasted his way through the glaur and the murk to hold seventh place overall at the overnight Halt this evening. He now lies 1 minute and 3 seconds behind Martin Prokop in the Czech National Team Fiesta. So who’d bet against a top six finish for Sordo tomorrow – over 32 miles of stages remaining?

Young Elfyn Evans continues to lead WRC2 by a full minute from Jari Ketomaa, but Mark Higgins is dropping back a wee bit with a few car niggles.

That brings today’s third Leg to a close with the fourth and final Leg starting tomorrow morning (Sunday) at 06.45 Hrs, after a 15 minute service when the crews drive out of Parc Ferme.

Leaderboard after 16 (of 22) stages:

1, S. Ogier, 2h 33m 47.6s

2, J. Latvala, 2h 34m 07.9s, +20.3

3, T. Neuville, 2h 35m 02.0s, +1:14.4

4, A. Mikkelsen, 2h 35ms 22.0s, +1:34.4

5, M. Østberg, 2h 35m 29.3s, +1:41.7

6, M. Prokop, 2h 40m 29.6s, +6:42.0

7, D. Sordo, 2h 41m 33.1s, +7:45.5

8, E. Evans, (WRC2), 2h 43m 07.1s, +9:19.5

9, J. Ketomaa, (WRC2), 2h 44m 06.9s, +10:19.3

10  M. Higgins, (WRC2), 2h 44m 42.6s, +10:55.0