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Latvala: Third in points will suffice

Jari-Matti Latvala has admitted he is unlikely to be able to catch Sebastien Ogier for second place in the World Rally Championship on this week's Rally GB

Ford driver Latvala starts the Cardiff event 11 points behind his Citroen rival and five points ahead of Petter Solberg. It is the Norwegian he will be focusing on in Wales.

"My target at the start of the year was to make the top three in the championship," said Latvala. "I have been fourth in the championship for the last two years and wanted third at the start of the year.

"Petter will be pushing me hard and I am 11 behind Ogier; in normal conditions, it is not going to be so easy to catch him. The main thing is to hope for third. If I want to get that, I need a good result here."

Ogier said: "This season has gone better than we expected at the start of the year. We are second now and this is the way we want to finish the year, but there is still work to do: Jari-Matti and Petter will push me hard.

"I have the chance to see what to do. It's not really my plan [to worry about the fight for second]. It's the last race with the C4 WRC and I want to take pleasure with the car one more time."

Having completed the recce for the final WRC round of the season, the crews are now faced with driving the roads competitively in quite different conditions following today's heavy rain in South Wales.

Latvala added: "I don't mind the water in the stages and the muddy conditions, but I prefer to drive in the rain - that way you know where you are with the grip. It's more comfortable like that."

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