Sebastien Loeb leads after first three stages of Rally Deutschland
Sebastien Loeb holds his habitual lead in Rally Deutschland after the first three stages of the 2012 event
The World Rally champion has won in Germany eight times in his career, with his run only halted when a puncture let his then-Citroen team-mate Sebastien Ogier snatch victory in 2011.
Loeb was quickest on all three Friday morning stages, giving him an initial 13.1-second cushion over Ford's Petter Solberg.
Second is becoming a battle between the two works Ford drivers. Solberg was the only man who could keep Loeb in sight at first, but began to struggle with an unspecified problem as the morning went on.
His team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala rued both a mixed-compound tyre choice for SS1 and an excessively soft set-up, yet gradually raised his pace to end the loop within 5.7s of Solberg.
Citroen Junior driver Thierry Neuville lost a little ground in his pursuit of Latvala with a small error on SS3 and when he slowed to check on Martin Prokop, whose car was on fire. The crew had already got out safely.
Neuville is still fourth, 6.7s behind Latvala.
While one factory Citroen driver dominated, the other struggled. Mikko Hirvonen admitted he had no confidence during the morning and was only fifth, 28s off the lead.
Ott Tanak held sixth until a mistake on stage three dropped him behind Dani Sordo's Mini. Tanak's M-Sport Ford team-mate Evgeny Novikov was the first major retirement, taking a rear wheel off on the opening stage.
Mads Ostberg is back in eighth and troubled by brake problems, while Chris Atkinson holds ninth on his return to the WRC in the Motorsport Italia Mini.
Leading positions after SS3: Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap 1. Sebastien Loeb Citroen 41m22.1s 2. Petter Solberg Ford + 13.1s 3. Jari-Matti Latvala Ford + 18.8s 4. Thierry Neuville Citroen Junior + 25.5s 5. Mikko Hirvonen Citroen + 28.0s 6. Dani Sordo Prodrive Mini + 34.9s 7. Ott Tanak M-Sport Ford + 49.0s 8. Mads Ostberg Adapta Ford + 55.2s 9. Chris Atkinson Portugal Mini + 1m22.5s 10. Sebastien Ogier VW Skoda + 1m54.6s
Previous article
Armindo Araujo to take legal action against WRC Mini squad
Next article
WRC Rally Deutschland: Sebastien Loeb says weather could create lottery
About this article
| Series | WRC |
| Drivers | Sébastien Loeb |
| Author | Matt Beer |
Why the casualty of rallying's evolution should still be cherished
The WRC's support categories are in a process of streamlining that will spell the end of a formalised 2WD world championship-level category. While its relevance to the top level has been questioned for some time, that doesn't mean it should be swept quietly under the carpet
Why WRC's hybrid path could leave it at a crossroads
With all three major manufacturers committing to the World Rally Championship’s hybrid era from 2022, the future of the series is assured for now, but it could lead to trickier twists and turns further down the road
How Tanak froze out the competition at the Arctic Rally
Ott Tanak made up for a disastrous Monte Carlo Rally by leading all the way on the snow-kissed stages of the Arctic Rally Finland and in the process hit back at an event Toyota had been expected to dominate
What to expect from the WRC's venture to the Arctic
This week's Arctic Rally Finland will bring the World Rally Championship into new territory. And, almost without exception, the service park can't wait for the subzero challenge to commence
How Ogier achieved a fitting Monte Carlo farewell
Against pandemic-shaped odds, the World Rally Championship season opener went ahead in Monte Carlo last weekend as a familiar face again took top spot. But for an emotional Sebastien Ogier, his record-breaking eighth win meant more than most
What to look out for in the 2021 WRC
As the 2021 World Rally Championship prepares to launch amid tight COVID-19 restrictions in Monte Carlo, here are the eight things unrelated to the pandemic that you should keep an eye on this year
Evans on the talking points of WRC 2021
He came close to the title last year, and now Toyota's Elfyn Evans gives his verdict on what to expect from 2021 as the World Rally Championship prepares to reconvene for the Monte Carlo season opener
Why Britain's continued WRC absence is a wake-up call
OPINION: With Rally GB dropping off the World Rally Championship calendar for the second year in a row, one of Britain's best-attended sporting events faces an uncertain future. It's an unfortunate situation that points to troubling times ahead
