Ogier pulls further ahead at Rally GB

Sebastien Ogier won four of the six stages to build a 20 second lead over Volkswagen team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala in the second leg of Wales Rally GB.

After a commanding win in the opening Hafren test by almost 10sec, the Frenchman was fastest on all three afternoon tests in a Volkswagen Polo R. Thierry Neuville, second after the opening leg in a Ford Fiesta RS, could not live with the pair and is over a minute back in third.

Tricky conditions in the forests of mid-Wales with a slimy layer of mud cleaned during the first pass, leaving wet and polished stones on the surface when they were repeated.

“It was more slippery this afternoon than this morning and it was hard to stay on the driving line. But we used the lines quite well,” said Ogier.

Latvala made a cautious start but ended the morning by winning the Myherin test.

“I really pushed hard and there wasn’t much left to give. I found it hard at the beginning where it was very slippery but I got a good feeling as things went on. Maybe I just took too long to wake up,” said Latvala.

Neuville followed his usual strategy of perfecting his pace notes in the morning loop, but admitted there was no more speed to find this afternoon.

“I did my best and I think I drove very well. But there was so little traction on the slippery stones,” explained the Belgian.

Robert Kubica rolled his DS3 out of seventh in the opening stage and Mikko Hirvonen compounded a disastrous rally for the factory Citroen squad by doing the same two stages later after a pace note error. Hirvonen will not restart tomorrow.

A very steady day for Australia’s Molly Taylor who climbed from 30th to 22nd.

For Leg three drivers face 98.42km of action.

LEG 2 – Wales Rally GB