Latvala admits he is struggling

The Ford driver is running fourth on the World Rally Championship opener, just 13 seconds off the final podium spot, which is currently held by top-running Citroen driver Petter Solberg.

Over the course of the morning's four stages, Latvala's Ford dropped seven tenths of a second to the Norwegian.

"I'm struggling," said Latvala. "I still can't find the rhythm at all. I had the rhythm very well on the test, I felt good and everything was working, but here it is not so good."

The Finn underlined the fact that his Fiesta was running well, without any problems.

"The problem is me, not the car," continued Latvala. "I feel like every time I see another driver's time and it's faster than mine, I want to take that time back.

"I'm being too aggressive with my style. I need to calm down and find my rhythm."

Latvala arrived in service with no front bumper for the second time on the event following a moment on the final stage.

Ford team director Malcolm Wilson said: "Jari's not at his best today. He doesn't seem as relaxed. We'll work on him!"

Latvala's afternoon did not get off to the best of starts, with a big rush to get out of service on time.

Ten minutes into the 30-minute service, the mechanics noticed oil leaking from the steering rack and began a complete change of steering assembly. The M-Sport mechanics did it all on time, allowing the Finn to continue without penalty.