RallyRACC, SS9: Sébastien Loeb (Citroën), keeps a winning pace

(22/10/2011)

Jari-Matti Latvala (Ford). RallyRACC 2011

After the first pass to today's three stages, Sébastien Loeb-Daniel Elena (Citroën DS3 WRC) improved by 2.2 seconds the 30.6-second advantage with which they finished the first day of the 47 RallyRACC Catalunya-COSTA DAURADA, Rally de España 2011, that this Saturday, October 22nd, is holding the second of its three stages.

The current World Championsh won the first two stages, confirming their superiority in that surface. Apart from dominating the Spanish round with two fastest times, Sébastien Loeb became the driver with most stage victories in World Championship history, with a total of 802 up to stage 8, one of the few records the French driver did not yet have.

After Loeb, Jari-Matti Latvala's (Ford) performance was also worth mentioning, as he set the second fastest time in the two first stages and won the third, which also shows his good form. The Finn was always ahead of Dani Sordo (Mini), also very fast while he pursues his aim to catch Mikko Hirvonen (Ford), who seemed to have difficulties to stop the Spaniard's attack.

Another puncture for Sébastien Ogier (Citroën), today in the long El Priorat stage, which again forced him to stop and change the wheel, losing more than one minute and a half, which will most probably leave him out of the podium.

Neither Petter Solberg nor Kimi Räikkonen, both with Citroën, were able to start again today. Thrilling battle in SWRC between Nasser Al-Attiyah (Ford) and Juho Hänninen (Skoda) and in PWRC between Patrik Flodin (Subaru) and Michal Kosciuszko (Mitsubishi).

Today the Toro Rosso's Formula 1 driver, Jaime Alguersuari, will visit the RallyRACC service park and will meet Dani Sordo.