Solberg won't settle for second

The Subaru driver was determined to win this event after the team had struggled badly on the preceding asphalt rounds. Solberg was fastest in SS1 and SS3, but then hit a gatepost in SS4 and knocked co-driver Phil Mills' window out, causing the Impreza to fill with dust.

He subsequently received a 10 second penalty for checking in late at the time control before SS9. Solberg had stopped on the road section to change the front and rear tyres around (a standard procedure to even out tyre wear) but the operation was carried out on soft ground and the car fell off its jacks, leading to Solberg's late arrival at the next stage.

Three punctures, two of which led to completely flat tyres after the mousse insert broke up, and an overshoot in SS10 cost Solberg even more time, yet he ended the day with Loeb still in sight.

"It's been a very interesting day, a lot has happened to us, but it's good fun fighting at the top and winning stages, that's where we belong," Solberg said.

"The gap between me and Sebastien is less than 20 seconds now, of course it's hard not to imagine where I could have been without losing time here and there today, but that's the game and we have two days still to come.

"I'm feeling very good about things and am really looking forward to tomorrow."

"His stage wins have proved our competitiveness on gravel," added Subaru's sporting director Luis Moya. "We believe it is still possible for Petter to achieve his target of the rally win."