Marcus Grönholm’s advantage in the Neste Oil Rally Finland was virtually sealed today, when series leader and nearest challenger Sébastien Loeb dropped more than 30 seconds in the third of eight stages in the second leg. The Frenchman was lucky to maintain his second position and Mikko Hirvonen remains third overnight.

Grönholm, who is bidding for his sixth Rally Finland victory in seven years, started today’s leg with a 12 second advantage and immediately set the pace again. However, while Loeb won the second stage, he then dropped a massive 32.4 seconds in the next when he cut a corner, hit a rock and broke a wheel on the Citroën Xsara. In contrast, Grönholm won the stage and was recorded by the Ford team to be in top gear for a single sustained burst of 46 seconds at an average speed of 171 kph; a phenomenal statistic over gravel forest roads. Grönholm went on to win each of the remaining stages and takes an overnight one minute 7.8 second advantage with just four stages remaining on Sunday.

Mikko Hirvonen has been the model of consistency and looks set to score valuable points for Ford. The Finn has inched further ahead of Peugeot 307 WRC driver Henning Solberg, who is now upholding family honours after brother Petter crashed heavily out of fourth position this morning. Another casualty of the leg was 23-year old Dani Sordo. After a fine performance that saw him run as high as fifth overall in his first Rally Finland in a World Rally Car, the Spaniard also went off the road, rolling the car too badly to continue.

Behind Henning Solberg in fourth is Italy’s Gigi Galli, who has a healthy advantage over sixth placed Janne Tuohino.

Neste Oil Rally Finland – Results after Leg 2
 

1. Marcus Grönholm/Timo Rautiainen		Ford Focus RS WRC	2 hr 23 min 51.2sec
2. Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena		Citroën Xsara WRC	2 hr 24 min 59.0sec
3. Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen		Ford Focus RS WRC	2 hr 25 min 33.7sec
4. Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud		Peugeot 307 WRC	2 hr 27 min 28.2sec
5. Gigi Galli/Giovanni Bernacchini		Peugeot 307 WRC	2 hr 28 min 37.1sec
6. Janne Tuohino/Mikko Markkula		Citroën Xsara WRC	2 hr 29 min 29.3sec

 
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