Frenchman Sebastien Ogier was holding off the challenge of reigning world champion and compatriot Sebastien Loeb after Saturday’s six specials at the Rally of Portugal.
Going into the final day, Ogier, bidding for a second straight win here, held a 37.6 second lead over his stablemate after Finnish contender Mikko Hirvonen suffered a puncture which has all but wrecked his challenge.
Hirvonen’s mishap also sparked a spat with Loeb as the former promptly set out again on the road just in front of Loeb, the Finn’s Ford Fiesta throwing up dust clouds which marred the Frenchman’s viewing field.
Loeb, who came to Portugal having won in Mexico to bolster confidence which had been sagging after a disappointing sixth place in the season-opener in Sweden, was furious and showed as much by making contact with Hirvonen’s rear bumper at the stop control.
“I had hoped he would stop and let me through,” said the Frenchman, who estimated he lost a good 30sec as a result with Hirvonen coming back out right on the limit of the two minutes drivers are allowed to change a wheel.
He vowed to try to to wrest control back on Sunday but admitted that “I think he (Ogier) will keep the lead he has. For sure it will be very difficult to catch him because there’s not so much cleaning happening and he is far in front so there is nothing to do.”
Despite the Hirvonen incident both Citroen and Ford were playing down the affair.
“Everybody is here to win. We have spent a lot of time with the teams to ensure they are capable of a wheel change in less than two minutes,” said Malcolm Wilson, head of M-Sport, which prepares and runs the Fords.
Ogier, who will have to deal with the loose surface gravel as he sets out first on the final day, told reporters: “For the moment it’s perfect but there are still 100 kilometres to go and we saw a lot of problems for a lot of drivers.”
Hirvonen barely needs to bother waiting for Sunday as he now stands only fifth 5 minutes 32 seconds off the pace - a huge margin to make up - having been only 11 seconds behind overnight leader and fellow Finn Jari-Matti Latvala.
Loeb, targeting an eighth world title, went into the race nine points behind championship leader Hirvonen, who after his puncture then suffered broken rear suspension on stage 13, meaning Matthew Wilson slipped ahead of him into fourth.
“We could have been in the fight but now it’s just very disappointing,” said Hirvonen.
Latvala meanwhile had problems of his own as, following an earlier driveshaft failure, he then had to change his wheel after a final stage puncture and goes into the final day 4:14.6 adrift of Ogier in third place.
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