Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

WRC Rally Argentina: Kris Meeke rebuilds lead into final day

Kris Meeke re-established his Rally Argentina lead as an accident in which spectators were injured marred Saturday afternoon's loop

Rally organisers said an undisclosed number of fans were taken to hospital in Cordoba for treatment after being hurt when Hayden Paddon rolled his Hyundai.

That accident led to the cancellation of the Capilla del Monte stage and meant the shortened Characato test was the only one to run after midday service.

Meeke's lead had shrunk from over a minute to just 32 seconds over Citroen team-mate Mads Ostberg during a messy morning.

But he rebuilt it to 38s on SS10, despite a scare when he had to restart the DS 3 when an alarm came on after a watersplash.

Prior to that slight delay, he had been vying with Volkswagen's Andreas Mikkelsen for the stage win.

Ostberg initially pushed hard to keep pressure on Meeke, before easing his pace in the very rough conditions and deciding to make certain of his second place.

That position remains under some threat from Jari-Matti Latvala's VW, although the Finn could only take 6s off Ostberg on SS10 and starts Sunday's short two-stage leg 25s adrift still.

Latvala is no longer being challenged from behind, though, as Dani Sordo's Hyundai stopped with a mechanical problem just a few miles onto Characato, having closed on the VW in the morning.

Sordo's team-mate Thierry Neuville has moved up to fifth behind Elfyn Evans, gaining two positions at once by vaulting Martin Prokop just as Sordo retired. Given the attrition, Sordo will still be in the top 10 with penalties applied if he can restart for Sunday.

Pacesetter Mikkelsen remains a long way from the points as he runs under Rally2 following his Friday incidents.

His World Rally champion team-mate Sebastien Ogier is even further behind now, having limped through SS10 with broken power steering.

Sunday's deciding leg is just two runs of the 10-mile, but notoriously rough, El Condor stage.

Follow the Rally Argentina decider with AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live from 1.45pm UK time on Sunday

LEADING POSITIONS AFTER SS10:

-

Be part of the Autosport community

Join the conversation
Previous article WRC Rally Argentina: Kris Meeke's lead over Mads Ostberg shrinks
Next article WRC Rally Argentina: Kris Meeke ends British drought with first win

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe