Rally GB: Leg Two begins

Loeb currently enjoys a 30-point lead in the championship standings and has no need to push this weekend's event. Someone may have forgot to tell him that, though, for he developed a lead early in the rally and held an 8.4s cushion over Solberg after leg one.

"I need some points," the Citroen star said when asked why he was going so quickly. "Solberg is catching me, and it will be difficult to keep him behind me, but we will see. I'm driving like I feel and sure sometimes it's too much, but that's the same for everyone. The best way for me to keep my concentration, I think, is to keep pushing."

Solberg had been running third for much of the first day losing time with a suspension problem. But three stage wins propelled him in front of Gronholm for second as he hunts down his third consecutive Wales Rally GB win this weekend.

"It will not be easy, and there will be a good fight until Sunday like usual, but I'm going to do it," he said. "After curing the suspension problems from the opening stages, I've got a comfortable pace, and there's more in reserve. I've got a good feeling with no worries."

Gronholm is still in with a chance of victory, the Finn is 7.5s off Solberg, but he admits that the conditions have been worse than he expected.

"I have been in ditches on every stage - it's that slippery," he explained.