Loeb on the brink of victory

Solberg began the day in an upbeat mood, despite power steering problems in SS13 and a spin on SS14 yesterday leaving him 37.3 seconds behind Loeb. Many regarded the 37.9 kilometre Leon stage as the toughest test of the event, and Solberg hoped that the cool conditions of the morning would suit his Pirelli tyres and allow him to close in on Loeb.

But instead Solberg found himself struggling with brake difficulties and lost another 12.6 seconds to Loeb.

"I didn't have any brakes for a long, long time so it was very, very difficult," said Solberg. "It would have been difficult to take Loeb anyway, unless he makes a mistake."

With just the 18km Silao stage and a final run through the Nextel Superspecial remaining, it looks like nothing can stop Loeb now.

"We had a good stage," said Loeb. "I didn't push hard in the end, I just tried to take a good line and not to make a mistake."

Loeb's near-certain win could give him a six point championship lead over Marcus Gronholm, who is still pushing to get back into the drivers' points after rolling on Friday.

"I'm trying for eighth position and one point," said Gronholm, who is now ninth, 21 seconds behind eighth placed Toshi Arai. "That's the goal."