Thierry Neuville is just one stage away from a maiden Rally de Portugal victory having successfully cleared four of Sunday morning’s five stages. The battle behind the Belgian continues to rage however with Elfyn Evans, Teemu Suninen, Esapekka Lappi and Dani Sordo all vying for the final podium positions.

Today’s route is the shortest and covers 51.53 competitive kilometres over five stages, including two runs over the iconic Fafe test which also runs as the closing Power Stage. Neuville has lost only a couple of seconds of his overnight advantage and is trying to stay in a good rhythm. While he is focused on reaching the finish, the Belgian also admitted to playing the all-important Power Stage according to his feeling going into the points-paying stage. Elfyn Evans is not taking unnecessary risks in second position but still has his chasing team-mate keeping the pressure on. Suninen is now 8.4 seconds adrift of Evans in third with Esapekka Lappi a further 10.7 seconds down the road. Lappi has been pushing hard but the Finn admitted it was almost impossible to catch any seconds on his fellow countryman. Should Suninen maintain position, it would be his first WRC podium finish.

Sordo was third after Saturday, but an overnight 10-second penalty for hitting and displacing two of the three bales in the Porto Street Stage dropped him to fourth behind Suninen. He then lost time in the first stage and dropped behind Lappi and the two have been trading position all morning. In the fourth stage a rock broke the Spaniard’s windscreen and he is now back in fifth, 4.1 seconds adrift. Mads Østberg continues to hold sixth with Craig Breen – road sweeping again today – holding seventh going into the Power Stage.

Rally 2 runners Jari-Matti Latvala, Sebastien Ogier and Andreas Mikkelsen have been saving tyres this morning for a final push and maximum points in the Power Stage, although Latvala and Ogier both won one stage this morning.