Sainz tops shakedown

Sainz, who would win a record-breaking 27th rally if he was successful in Spain this weekend, was a comfortable six tenths of a second faster than Marcus Gronholm's Peugeot, with Citroen team-mate Sebastien Loeb third quickest.

Ford's optimism about its chances for the weekend, following Markko Martin's victory in Corsica, were dealt a minor blow as the Ford Focus RS appeared to struggle on the short Coll de Buc test. Francois Duval was fifth overall, almost two seconds slower than Sainz, while Martin had three troubled runs and was only 14th quickest.

With Loeb having clinched the world championship in Corsica, Citroen chiefs have made it clear that there will be no team orders between their two drivers in Catalunya this weekend and that both Loeb and Sainz will be free to attack for victory as much as they want.

Sainz said in the build-up to the event: "When you have a free hand, you can take more risks and try to drive even faster. But it's still important to be at the finish. My objective will be to end the season on the highest note possible. Yes, I want to win in Catalunya."