Rally of Ireland: Citroen's triple world champion Sebastien Loeb was in unstoppable form today after winning the three morning stages to take a comfortable lead in Rally Ireland.
Loeb, who is on course to take the overall lead in the
championship after Ford's Marcus Gronholm crashed out of the
season's penultimate rally yesterday, was 50.7 seconds clear of
Spanish team mate Dani Sordo after the 13th stage.
Finland's Jari-Matti Latvala was third for the Stobart Ford
team, a further 47.5 seconds adrift.
Gronholm leads Loeb, who is chasing his fourth successive
championship, by four points with only the Rally of Britain
remaining after Ireland.
The Finn was not able to rejoin the rally on Saturday for
safety reasons after the crash, in which he was unhurt, damaged the
roll cage of his car.
Ford can still clinch the manufacturers' championship this
weekend if Finland's Mikko Hirvonen scores at least three points.
They lead Citroen by 34 with 36 still to be won.