SS6, Foini: Delecour at the double
Francois Delecour notched up his second stage win in a row by being fastest on the re-run of the 30.29km Foini test. The Ford driver heads into the second day of the rally just 11 seconds off the top of the leaderboard in third
The man claiming that top spot at the end of the first leg is Finland's Marcus Gronholm. The Peugeot driver was quickest on the first run through the stage this morning, and the world champion has strengthened his position by posting the second quickest time on the re-run.
Second place overall therefore is still Subaru's Richard Burns. The Englishman was fourth quickest on the last test of the day, just behind rival Colin McRae. The Ford driver seems to be ideally placed for a move on the leaders on Saturday's stages, lying just 14 seconds off the front in fourth overall.
Kenneth Eriksson fell victim to SS6, losing the turbo boost on his Hyundai Accent WRC2. The Swede finished the stage over two minutes off Delecour's pace and has dropped back four places to lie eighth overall.
Hyundai's problems were confounded when Piero Liatti's Accent suffered an engine failure to put him out of the rally.
Eriksson's slip and Petter Solberg's fiery retirement sees Freddy Loix move up the leaderboard to fifth overall. The Belgian's Mitsubishi Carisma was fifth fastest through Foini and he has pulled away slightly from sixth-placed man Carlos Sainz in the last of the Fords.
The cars now head back to the final service of the day before contemplating the first of Saturday's tests, SS7 Platres.
For SS6 Fioni results click here.
For full results table click here.
For full entry list click here.
For the itinerary click here.
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