Latvala ready to push for victory

Ford team director Malcolm Wilson said he had not decided what the tactic would be for the final day - with Latvala 27.7 seconds off Loeb's lead position.

The Finn, however, says he is ready to risk all in an effort to collect his first World Rally Championship win since Rally d'Italia last year.

Latvala said: "I would like to go for it, but, of course, we have to talk with the team. We are in a position where we have to give pressure. Can we win? I don't know, but it would be good to try.

"It's not an easy situation, you need to take risks [to win] and sometimes it can help more, but okay sometimes you can also lose some time. I think the team wants to win as well - it's always nice to have the win."

Latvala added that the 27 seconds separating him and Loeb would not easily be overcome, adding: "He [Loeb] is the best man to drive first car on the road, he cannot be fast tomorrow, but if everything goes very well and you can make a good clean run, it is possible to catch him. But, like I said, he is the best man to drive in this position - we need to get everything perfect tomorrow."

Wilson said he was surprised at Citroen's tactics through the second day.

He said: "I suppose, looking at the time that's been pulled back from third place you'd have to be surprised at his [Loeb's] decision to lead the rally. And I'm stunned at what happened with Ogier.

"They have admitted it was a mistake, but I don't know how it happened. Jari has done another great job today and if he continues to drive this way then, it's not going to be easy to win, but it's not out of the question."

Wilson added that the odds still favoured Loeb, who won the last round of the championship in Mexico.

"'With the margin he's got and the kilometres left to run, you'd still have to favour Sebastien," said Wilson, "but we'll see what tomorrow brings. Right now Jari hasn't extended himself to be where he has, he's been neat, braking in a straight line and driving within himself.

"We'll talk tonight and make a decision in the morning, but with Mikko [Hirvonen] not scoring so many points as we would have liked, we have to think to the championship position - it's not an easy decision."

The only possibility of a change in the running order would come if Ogier suffered a mechanical problem on the 14-mile road section out to the first stage in the morning, which would force Latvala to run second on the road.