WRC: Rally Argentina

Steve · Apr 18, 2012

Sordo to compete in Ford in Argentina (Prodrive.com)

18/4/2012

The Ford World Rally Team is confirming this morning that Dani Sordo will replace the injured Jari-Matti Latvala in the Fiesta WRC at the next round of the World Rally Championship in Argentina next week. Latvala was forced to withdraw after breaking his left collarbone in a cross-country ski-ing accident while training in northern Finland last week.

We have given permission for Dani to compete in the Ford in order to help M-Sport out of this difficult situation and to give fans the chance to see Dani in action once more. It will of course give Dani more valuable competitive driving time as he prepares for his IRC round in Corsica next month in the Drive-Pro MINI S2000 and then the Prodrive WRC Teamâ€™s next event in New Zealand in June.

Carlos del Barrio was originally due to co-drive Eliseo Salazar in Argentina in his debut in the MINI WRC; Marc Marti will now take his place (subject to FIA approval).

Dani Sordo said: â€œI am really excited about going to Argentina. When you are a rally driver all you want to do is to compete, so I am really happy that Prodrive has given me the chance to drive the Ford. I was second the last time I competed in Argentina, but as I will be learning a new car, it will be difficult to repeat this.â€

Ford World Rally Team director Malcolm Wilson said: â€œWeâ€™re fortunate to have a driver of Daniâ€™s calibre to join us. His experience at Rally Argentina was a key factor in the decision, having started the rally five times and finishing second in 2009. The agreement is for one rally only, and I would like to thank the management of Daniâ€™s current team [Prodrive], who were extremely gracious in helping us in such challenging circumstances.â€

Dani and Carlos will join regular pairing Petter Solberg and Chris Patterson for the four-day Rally Argentina, which will be based in Carlos Paz on 26 - 29 April.
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minimark · Apr 18, 2012

Bye bye Dani......

Justa Jim · Apr 18, 2012

minimark said: ↑

Bye bye Dani......
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It is really sad in a way. The program got off to such a fantastic start, then (as they say in the aviation world), it was "spin, crash and burn". :frown2:

Jim

minimark · Apr 18, 2012

Originally Posted by minimark
Bye bye Dani......
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It is really sad in a way. The program got off to such a fantastic start, then (as they say in the aviation world), it was "spin, crash and burn". :frown2:

Jim
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...don't think it has hit the ground just yet Jim, but I fear it's tail is on fire and heading for the trees....

Justa Jim · Apr 18, 2012

^^^ :lol::lol::lol::lol:

Jim

Steve · Apr 19, 2012

Q&A: Eliseo Salazar (WRC.com)

19 Apr 12

Eliseo Salazar will make his debut in the FIA World Rally Championship powered by Nokia in his native South America next week. He spoke to WRC.com ahead of his first event in a Prodrive MINI John Cooper Works WRC.

Having done so much in your career, whatâ€™s the appeal of contesting a world championship rally? â€œWell after the triple crown that is the Indy 500, Le Mans and the Monaco Grand Prix I did the Dakar and it became the magic square. Iâ€™ve been racing rallies in Chile for the last seven years when I retired from IndyCar. Rallying in Chile is big because we donâ€™t have a proper race track and after Dakar came to South America it became even bigger. I had this opportunity suddenly from Prodrive, from David Richards who I know from the Formula One days, to race in Argentina. If I was 30 years younger I would do the full season but Iâ€™m not.â€

Who has made your participation in Argentina possible? â€œIâ€™ve had now for the last 17 years Cristal, the largest selling beer in Chile, supporting me but this is with a twist because we are promoting the Cer0, the non-alcoholic beer from the same brand. We just passed a very strict drinking and driving law in Chile so we want to be on that front and say you can still drink beer but a non-alcoholic one.â€

What experience do you have driving rally cars? â€œI started with the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII but now I am up to the Evo X although most of the time it was with the Evo IX. I won some super stages but itâ€™s not like a full-time career. Rallying is quite big in Chile and we go to different regions. I was kind of the established star doing this but I never thought I would have this opportunity in the WRC. I am taking it with a lot of respect and being very humble.â€

Since switching from circuit racing to rallying what has been the hardest thing youâ€™ve found? â€œBy far the pace notes. Thatâ€™s the big question mark. Iâ€™ve done different systems but itâ€™s hard to have somebody telling you what to do. Itâ€™s definitely the biggest difference.â€

How much will your participation on the Dakar Rally help you in Argentina? â€œMotor racing is so diverse and even rally and rally raid is so different. In rally raid I was driving Robby Gordonâ€™s Hummer but you were always driving at 80 per cent to finish. I like it a lot but you need a different kind of co-driver and you canâ€™t really translate much of Dakar into WRC.â€

Is there a chance you will do more WRC events this year? â€œMaybe if we can do a decent job Iâ€™d love to do Argentina again next year but as of now Iâ€™m treating it s the last point of that racing star, thatâ€™s what I want to do.â€
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Steve · Apr 19, 2012

Salazar targets world record on WRC debut (WRC.com)

19 Apr 12

Former grand prix racer Eliseo Salazar will be aiming to set a new Guinness World Record when he makes his debut in the FIA World Rally Championship powered by Nokia on next week's Philips Rally Argentina.

The 57-year-old from Chile already holds the record as the only driver to have taken part in the Indianapolis 500, Le Mans 24 Hours, Monaco Grand Prix and the Dakar Rally. Now he will add a world championship rally start to that list of achievements to earn the unofficial ‘racing star’.

“At first I thought there’s no way but then I thought I’ll do it and we’ll call it the star with five points, something nobody has ever done and we seriously want to apply to the Guinness Book of World Records,” Salazar told WRC.com.

Salazar will compete in a Prodrive-run MINI John Cooper Works WRC alongside co-driver Marc Marti, who returns to the world championship for the first time since RallyRACC-Rally de Espana in October 2010. Salazar prepared for his WRC debut with a test in Portugal last month.

“I had Kris Meeke to teach me and I was in one second per kilometre of his times so I was happy but I don’t have any high expectation because it’s such a hard speciality in motorsport,” said Salazar, who was a guest of Prodrive at the recent Vodafone Rally de Portugal. “I want to do a decent job and hopefully finish the race and complete the racing star.”

Chilean beer company Cristal is supporting Salazar through its alcohol-free Cer0 brand. Prior to heading to the Rally Argentina base in Carlos Paz, Salazar will perform demonstration runs in his MINI in Santiago, the capital of his homeland.
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Steve · Apr 20, 2012

Lots of strategy required on day 1.

Loeb: Running order will be a headache (Crash.net)

20 April 2012

Sebastien Loeb says choosing a place in the running order for the next round of the WRC season in Argentina next weekend is going to be a headache for drivers.

Under new rules this season, drivers are able to decide on where they will run through Friday's stages based on their performance in a qualifying stage on Thursday – thereby giving an advantage to the driver who posts the quickest time and is able to select his position first.

Last time out in Portugal, Citroen and Ford made opposite choices when it came to the running order and Loeb said he expected it to be a difficult decision again in the South American race, especially given the length of Friday's leg.

Indeed, Loeb said the weather may be the deciding factor in how drivers select their position.

“After the disappointment of Portugal, I am determined to get back to winning ways, especially at this rally, with its unrivalled atmosphere,” he said. “Once again, choosing our starting positions for the first leg is going to be a real headache.

“In Portugal, we took a measured risk by opting to go first, because there were only 35km of special stages on the first day. In Argentina, there are over 200km of timed stages on the Friday! If it rains, we'll need to be at the front to avoid having to wade through the mud. If it doesn't, then we'd certainly be better off starting in around 15th position.”

Loeb's co-driver Daniel Elena said the length of the event, which features three stages of more than 50km and the longest of the season at more than 65km, would mean drivers didn't go flat out for all three days.

“The roads in Argentina vary from very flowing gravel to fairly rough gravel,” he said. “You never know quite what to expect. What is certain, however, is that none of the drivers will be able to go flat out from start to finish.

“There's a good chance gaps will appear and then disappear, but there may well only be a few seconds between the leaders at the finish.”
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Steve · Apr 22, 2012

Endurance strategy required.

Solberg expects 'different' challenge (Crash.net)

21 April 2012

Petter Solberg says he expects Rally Argentina to provide a different challenge next weekend, with the latest round of the World Rally Championship being the longest on the calendar for nearly a decade.

The event will be the longest since the Safari Rally back in 2002 with more than 500km of competition, including two runs through the Ascochinga - Agua de Oro I stage on the opening day, which runs to nearly 200km alone.

The final day of action will also feature the longest stage of the season as crews tackle the 65km run through the Matadero – Ambul test with a series of classic stages returning to the event for the first time since the mid-1990s.

Speaking ahead of the event, Solberg said Argentina was now more of an endurance rally and his approach would change as a result as he seeks to add to his three previous podium finishes.

“I enjoy this rally but I think it could be quite different this year,” he said. “It's 120km longer than in 2011 and that may alter the way in which some drivers approach it. It's not a sprint, it's an endurance rally. There's no need to get too excited too early and attack from the start, so I can wait a little, judge the pace and push later on when I need to.

“It's a difficult rally. The final day's stages are at high altitude and conditions can be bad up there. Fog and even ice are not unusual. But I love it, partly because of the atmosphere. The stages are packed with people and even the liaison sections on the public roads have huge crowds. They're so enthusiastic.”

Solberg will lead Ford into the weekend after Jari-Matti Latvala was forced out of the event after breaking his collarbone.
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Steve · Apr 23, 2012

Nobre banks on local support for WRC boost (WRC.com)

23 Apr 12

Paulo Nobre hopes competing close to home on Philips Rally Argentina this week will give him the confidence boost he needs following a tough run in the FIA World Rally Championship powered by Nokia.

The Brazilian has endured a spate of accidents on recent rallies and failed to start in Portugal following a crash in shakedown in his WRC Team MINI Portugal John Cooper Works WRC.

He said: â€œLike all drivers I am a human being and, to be really honest, after accidents every day in Mexico and failing even to start Rally de Portugal, my mojoâ€™s a bit dented heading into Argentina. This is a pity because Argentina is one of the most difficult and challenging rallies of the season with very tough special stages. The event is also very well organised and one of the rallies with the largest number of fans waiting for us on the stages as we come through.â€

Nobre, who is co-driven by countryman Edu Paula, made his world championship debut in Argentina back in 2006 and is a big fan of the stages around Villa Carlos Paz and his neighbouring country in general.

â€œItâ€™s amazing to drive a rally in Argentina, even for a Brazilian! There isn't the same rivalry between Argentines and Brazilians in rallying as there is in soccer, so all the spectators here are always very welcoming and kind to us. I have many friends from Argentinian rallying and I respect them all, because they are very good at the sport. If Brazil is the country of soccer, for me Argentina is the country of rally.â€
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Steve · Apr 24, 2012

Rally Argentina: Five reasons to get excited (MaxRally.com)

24th April 2012

As if Portugal wasn't enough of a challenge with its downpours and night stages, the World Rally Championship field now face their longest event since the days of the Safari, as they pitch up in Argentina for round five of the 2012 title race.

1) Endurance rallying is back

Mexico and Portugal showed how much a bit of endurance or adversity can spice up a modern WRC round, and Argentina looks set to do the same. The region's rough and technical stages are never anything less than demanding, but this year they're longer - a lot longer.

Initially the organisers hoped to live up to Jean Todt and Michele Mouton's endurance rallying vision by holding stages in Chile and Uruguay too. That plan didn't come to fruition, but the itinerary still features 503 kilometres of competitive stages, including two passes of the 52.8km Ascochinga-Agua de Oro on Friday and a final day 66km sting in the tail called El Durazno-Ambul.

2) Sordo in a Ford

Amid the tumult surrounding Mini's WRC programme, it's been easy to overlook the step forward that Dani Sordo has seemingly taken - and hard to measure him against a revolving cast of team-mates.

Being picked by Ford to stand in for the injured, luckless and despondent Jari-Matti Latvala gives Sordo another chance to showcase himself in the already very active 2013 driver market. No one is expecting miracles from the Spaniard given his lack of mileage in the Ford, so a strong finish - or giving team-mate Petter Solberg a few scares - would reflect very well on Sordo. An early shunt, conversely, wouldn't...

It's always hard to know how to handle a one-off chance - go for broke and try to impress, but risk a mistake, or take it sensibly and risk looking slow? Let's se which plan Sordo chooses...

3) Salazar in a Mini

If Sordo isn't expected to challenge for victory in the Ford, then Eliseo Salazar certainly isn't on anyone's potential victor list as he makes his debut in a Prodrive-run Mini WRC. Nevertheless, it will be intriguing to see how the man still best known for dodging Nelson Piquet's wayward kung-fu in the 1982 German Grand Prix fares.

And respect to Salazar for taking on this challenge. The Chilean's Formula 1 career may have been memorable for the wrong reasons, yet many erstwhile backmarkers have simply given up on motorsport after unsuccessful midfield stints, whereas Salazar is not only racing on three decades later, but has added Le Mans, the Indianapolis 500, an Indy Racing League race victory and the Dakar Rally to his accomplishments. And he was encouraged by how close he got to Kris Meeke's pace when he tested the Mini too.

4) Solberg's title bid

No one's openly saying 'right Petter, you're our main man now', but Ford wants a WRC title and it can count. It has one driver fairly relentlessly on the podium and only four points off Sebastien Loeb's championship lead, and one driver fairly relentlessly off the road upside down, sat at home with a broken collarbone, and 38 points behind Loeb. And the halfway point of the season isn't that far off. There's a very real chance that Ford's 'number two' could leave South America leading the world championship...

5) Mikkelsen versus Ogier

Andreas Mikkelsen's second Intercontinental Rally Challenge title looks like it might come rather more easily than the first (he's driving even better this year, regardless of the lack of regular opposition), so his WRC outings with Volkswagen are taking on greater importance in his bid to ensure he is in one of the firm's 2013 WRC entries.

On his last appearance in Sweden, Mikkelsen gave superstar team-mate Sebastien Ogier a very hard time indeed, prompting the Frenchman to mention their road position disparity at every opportunity. Keeping Ogier on his toes again in Argentina would further shine Mikkelsen's burgeoning reputation.
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Justa Jim · Apr 24, 2012

So, now we have a driver in a MINI going for a World Record number of starts and no chance of a win, Dani in a Ford and Kris picking his nose someplace. I'm sorry folks, but this is turning into a joke as far as I'm concerned. It was great fun while it lasted, but sadly, I'll be tuning out now. :mad2:

Jim

Steve · Apr 26, 2012

Caution key for newcomer Araujo (WRC.com)

26 Apr 12

Armindo Araujo is planning a cautious approach to his first Philips Rally Argentina, round five of the FIA World Rally Championship powered by Nokia.

The WRC Team MINI Portugal driver has never tackled the South American event before. With this yearâ€™s rally particularly demanding due to the expanded competitive distance, Araujo is wary of the challenge ahead.

â€œI have talked to many drivers and with my engineer, who had told me that it is a fantastic rally, very tough, very fast, a great challenge for drivers and cars,â€ Araujo told Rally Argentina | 32da ediciÃ³n.

â€œWe have the longest stage of the championship at 66 kilometres and itâ€™s going to be very hard for the drivers and the cars, and we will have to take care of the tyres and we will have to be very intelligent in every stage. I think weâ€™re prepared to do it well.â€

Araujoâ€™s need to be cautious increased following the three-day reconnaissance, which he and co-driver Miguel Ramalho completed on Wednesday evening.

â€œThe stages are very fast and hard for the tyres,â€ said the double Production Car world champion. â€œItâ€™s going to be hard but generally speaking itâ€™s very beautiful. The aim for all competitions this year is to finish in the top 10 and it would be fantastic to finish in this position.â€

Photo: McKlein
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Steve · Apr 26, 2012

Qualifying result and running order as chosen by competitors:

Loeb tops Qualifying Stage (WRC.com)

26 Apr 12

Sebastien Loeb has gone fastest on the Qualifying Stage for Philips Rally Argentina, round five of the FIA World Rally Championship powered by Nokia.

Loeb, the winner in Argentina on the last six occasions, completed the 4.59-kilometre test from Villa Garcia to Cabalango in a time of 2m36.9s to earn the right to select his road position for day oneâ€™s stages first.

The stage was held in wet and slippery conditions with drivers opting for the better-suited soft compound option - of which the Michelin runners have a limited supply - or the hard version, which doesnâ€™t work as well in damp conditions but is Michelinâ€™s nominated option for the rally.

â€œItâ€™s slippery but it was not so bad,â€ said the eight-time world champion, who selected Michelinâ€™s soft compound tyre. â€œI had a good drive with no mistakes. I was pushing hard.â€

Loebâ€™s Citroen team-mate Mikko Hirvonen was second fastest. He said: â€œI was equal with Seb but then I made a small mistake and went wide on one corner. Itâ€™s going to be my choice for the road position but we will see for the weather.â€

Dani Sordo, who is making a one-off appearance for the factory Ford team in place of the injured Jari-Matti Latvala, was third quickest in his Fiesta RS WRC. â€œIâ€™m quite happy now, we modified the suspension and it was not so bad,â€ said the Spaniard, who reported a few handling issues during his two runs of free practice.

Team-mate Petter Solberg opted to run on Michelinâ€™s hard compound tyre, which provided less grip in the slippery conditions. â€œI wanted to take care of the [soft] tyres for the rally if itâ€™s raining,â€ said the Norwegian, who set the fourth best time. â€œIt was very slippery in there with a lot of mud and rain now. But itâ€™s a long rally.â€

Nasser Al-Attiyah reported hitting a tree with the right-rear corner of his Qatar World Rally Team Citroen. Martin Prokop reported a misting windscreen in his DMACK-shod Fiesta. The Anglo-Chinese firm has nominated its soft-compound tyre with the hard available as the option tyre.

Drivers will select their road positions for day one at 13:00hrs local time. The first stage, Super Especial Amarok, goes live at 20:08hrs local time tonight (Thursday).
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Loeb to run first in Argentina (Crash.net)

26 April 2012

Citroen's Sebastien Loeb has decided to run first on the road on Rally Argentina, the fifth round in the 2012 FIA World Rally Championship.

Loeb, who won the qualifying stage earlier in the day and who thus had first pick, will be followed by his team-mate, Mikko Hirvonen, who goes second and then the Fords of Petter Solberg and Dani Sordo in third and fourth. The starting order for the 14 priority seeded drivers pretty much mirrors the times from qualifying, with the exception of Solberg and Sordo, who swap positions.

Rally Argentina now continues this evening, with SS1, the short 6.04 km Parque Tematico Carlos Paz test, kicking off proceedings at 20.08 hours local time. The action doesn't begin proper, however, until Friday. Friday's leg includes over 190 competitive kilometres - including the monster 51.88km Ascochinga-Agua de Oro test.

Rally Argentina: Day 1 running order:

1. Sebastien Loeb Citroen Total WRT DS3 WRC M
2. Mikko Hirvonen Citroen Total WRT DS3 WRC M
3. Petter Solberg Ford WRT Fiesta RS WRC M
4. Dani Sordo Ford WRT Fiesta RS WRC M
5. Thierry Neuville Citroen Junior WRT DS3 WRC M
6. Mads Ostberg Adapta WRT Fiesta RS WRC M
7. Ott Tanak M-Sport Ford WRT Fiesta RS WRC M
8. Evgeny Novikov M-Sport Ford WRT Fiesta RS WRC M
9. Nasser Al-Attiyah Qatar WRT Citroen DS3 WRC M
10. Martin Prokop Ford Fiesta RS WRC
11. Armindo Araujo WRC MINI Team Portugal John Cooper Works WRC
12. Daniel Oliveira Brazil WRT Ford Fiesta RS WRC
13. Paulo Nobre WRC MINI Team Portugal John Cooper Works WRC
14. Eliseo Salazar MINI John Cooper Works WRC
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Steve · Apr 26, 2012

Loeb gambles on wet weather for Rally Argentina (Autosport.com)

By David Evans | Thursday, April 26th 2012, 18:08 GMT

Sebastien Loeb has gambled on wet weather for the opening day of Rally Argentina - electing to run at the head of the field after his fastest time on the qualifying stage.

The eight-time world champion had no hesitation in deciding to run first - despite that decision forcing him to start tomorrow morning's first stage in darkness. Loeb's main rivals in the rally followed his lead and elected to run right behind the Frenchman.

"I hope this is the best place on the road," said Loeb. "On rallies when it rains it can be muddy further back and if we were going to start 15th on the road [on this event] then we could lose a lot of time in the mud. Sometimes, when the rain comes, the first place is the best one.

"OK, we start the stage tomorrow when it is still the night time, but with our rivals choosing second, third and fourth then I think it will be the same for them."

The only deviation from the qualifying stage times at the front of the field is the reversal of factory Fords, with Petter Solberg running ahead of Dani Sordo.

Running order:
1. Sebastien Loeb
2. Mikko Hirvonen
3. Petter Solberg
4. Dani Sordo
5. Thierry Neuville
6. Mads Ostberg
7. Ott Tanak
8. Evgeny Novikov
9. Nasser Al-Attiyah
10. Martin Prokop
11. Armindo Araujo
12. Daniel Oliverira
13. Paulo Nobre
14. Eliseo Salazar
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Steve · Apr 26, 2012

Drivers bracing for toughest Rally Argentina (Autosport.com)

By David Evans | Thursday, April 26th 2012, 18:10 GMT

The World Rally Championship's leading drivers are bracing themselves for what they expect to be one of the toughest events in the series' history when Rally Argentina starts this afternoon.

The last round of the series in Portugal provided one of the most unpredictable rallies ever, with many of the frontrunners going off the road - this week's Villa Carlos Paz-based event is expected to deliver more of the same.

Ford's team director Malcolm Wilson said: "Look at the weather that's coming in, we've got rain and fog and everything - there's no doubt this is going to be a very, very hard rally and certainly the hardest since the last Safari."

Sebastien Loeb - winner of the last six Rally Argentinas - agreed with Wilson, pointing out that the fog was his biggest concern.

"When you have the visibility down to 20 metres, there's nothing you can do," said Loeb, "and this is possible on this event. During the recce we had fog. We were quite lucky, the fog came down on the Condor stage for us, but this is a stage which we know quite well.

"When we were doing the recce for the new stage, we also had some fog, but then it cleared when we were on our second run through the stage, so it wasn't so bad. This rally will have everything when it starts, we will have fog, the dark, muddy roads and narrow stages - it's going to be very tough."

Rain is predicted throughout the event and the hills around Villa Carlos Paz are shrouded in fog this afternoon.
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Steve · Apr 26, 2012

A little pun from the Ford camp:

"Dani Sordo certainly caused a splash during Qualifying in Argentina today."

Steve · Apr 26, 2012

SS1: Opening stage honours for Solberg (WRC.com)

27 Apr 12

Wrc.com stage summary

Stage data: SS1, Super Especial Amarok 1 (6.04 kilometres)

Petter Solberg leads Philips Rally Argentina after going quickest on the eventâ€™s first stage in Villa Carlos Paz.

Driving a Ford Fiesta RS WRC, Solberg clocked a time of 4m54.9s through the 6.04-kilometre test. Solberg, from Norway, went up against Sebastien Loeb, the man he trails by four points in the FIA World Rally Championship powered by Nokia.

Solberg selected Michelinâ€™s soft compound tyre while Loeb opted for the hard compound version. Solberg was fastest by 3.6s ahead of stand-in team-mate Dani Sordo, while Loeb dropped 10.2s and was seventh fastest in his Citroen DS3 WRC.

â€œIt feels good,â€ Solberg said. â€œA tricky stage to start off with so maybe we were too careful.â€

Loeb said: â€œIt was a really bad tyre choice; it felt very slippery.â€

Vodafone Rally de Portugal winner Mads Ostberg was third quickest in his Adapta Fiesta. M-Sport Ford team-mates Evgeny Novikov and Ott Tanak shared the fourth fastest time with Citroen Junior Thierry Neuville sixth and Sebastien Ogier seventh in his Super 2000-specification Volkswagen Motorsport Skoda Fabia.

Behind eighth-placed Loeb, Armindo Araujo was ninth quickest in his WRC Team MINI Portugal John Cooper Works WRC with Andreas Mikkelsen 10th in his Fabia.

Nasser Al-Attiyah lost ground when he spun his Qatar World Rally Team Citroen. He was 13th fastest, one position ahead of leading Production Car World Rally Championship runner and top local driver Marcos Ligato.

The action resumes with stage two, Fernet 1882 La Pampa/La Pampa, which gets underway at 07:28hrs local time on Friday morning and measures 37.51 kilometres in length.
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Steve · Apr 27, 2012

SS2: Loeb fastest on Friday opener (WRC.com)

27 Apr 12

Wrc.com stage summary

Stage data: SS2, Fernet 1882 La Pampa/La Pampa (37.51 kilometres)

Sebastien Loeb has hit back in his bid to win Philips Rally Argentina after going quickest on Fridayâ€™s opening stage in his Citroen DS3 WRC.

Loeb dropped time on Thursday nightâ€™s superspecial in Villa Carlos Paz and was down in eighth position at the overnight halt.

Running first on the road, Loeb, the winner in Argentina on six previous occasions, took 23m12.5s to complete stage two, despite spinning at the midpoint of the run.

â€œI had a little spin in the middle of the stage in a hairpin and had to reverse and start again,â€ said Loeb, who climbs to second overall. â€œI had a really good drive apart from the problem in the middle.â€

Petter Solberg continues to lead overall after dropping 1.9s to Loeb. The factory Ford driver, whose advantage out front is 8.3s, reported a piece of protective safety foam had worked loose and ended up obstructing his foot pedals during the stage.

The Norwegian also said he almost went off the road on two occasions in the slippery conditions.

Mikko Hirvonen was 5.2s slower than team-mate Loeb with the third quickest time. â€œIt was a difficult stage with so much rhythm changes,â€ said the Finn.

Dani Sordo, who is standing in for the injured Jari-Matti Latvala at Ford, was fourth quickest. He said: â€œThe handling of the car was very good but I donâ€™t take many risks on purpose.â€

Evgeny Novikov completed the stage with a damaged right-rear wheel following contact with a rock. However, the Russian said it hadnâ€™t adversely affected the handling of his M-Sport Fiesta.

Team-mate Ott Tanak also hit trouble on the stage after picking up a rear right puncture early in the stage and inflicting damage to his carâ€™s bodywork. The Estonian was nearly three minutes slower than stage winner Loeb.

Nasser Al-Attiyah, who is suffering from neck pains, admitted to making a mistake in his Qatar World Rally Team Citroen when he suffered a spin.

Martin Prokop completed the stage with a left-rear puncture on his Autotek Fiesta, which the Czech picked up 20 kilometres from the finish of the run.

Drivers running at the head of the field had expected to complete the opening kilometres of the stage under the cover of darkness but with a delay of almost one hour caused by the refuel truck breaking down, it was full light by the time the action got underway.

Round five of the FIA World Rally Championship powered by Nokia resumes with stage three, the Speedagro Ascochinga/Agua de Oro test, which is the longest of day one at 51.88 kilometres.
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Steve · Apr 27, 2012

Solberg holds on to Rally Argentina lead as Loeb spins three times (Autosport.com)

Friday, April 27th 2012, 13:23 GMT

Petter Solberg continues to lead the delayed Rally Argentina after the first two full-length stages, helped by three spins for Sebastien Loeb.

Ford driver Solberg had gained an early advantage by winning Thursday night's superspecial, on which the Citroens' choice of hard tyres backfired, leaving Loeb already 10 seconds behind going into Friday morning.

When the opening La Pampa stage finally got underway after a one-hour delay due to problems with the refuelling truck, Loeb started regaining ground with the fastest time, 1.9s up on Solberg.

That stage win was achieved despite a quick spin, but on the following 51.88-kilometre Ascochinga/Agua de Oro stage, a further two spins proved more costly for Loeb, who lost 26.5s to the leader and fell to fourth place.

Solberg therefore holds a 20s cushion over the other Citroen of Mikko Hirvonen, who moved ahead of Ford stand-in Dani Sordo on SS3.

Thierry Neuville (Citroen Junior) and Mads Ostberg (Adapta Ford) run fifth and sixth, while behind them the demanding rally is already taking its toll.

M-Sport Ford duo Evgeny Novikov and Ott Tanak sustained a damaged wheel and a puncture respectively on stage two, then both stopped and retired on the next stage, while a spin for Nasser Al-Attiyah (Qatar Citroen) and a puncture for Martin Prokop (Czech Ford) delayed them as well.

Leading positions after SS3:

Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
1. Petter Solberg Ford 1h06m00.0s
2. Mikko Hirvonen Citroen + 20.1s
3. Dani Sordo Ford + 24.6s
4. Sebastien Loeb Citroen + 34.8s
5. Thierry Neuville Citroen Junior + 38.0s
6. Mads Ostberg Adapta Ford + 51.1s
7. Sebastien Ogier VW Skoda + 2m55.2s
8. Andreas Mikkelsen VW Skoda + 2m55.5s
9. Armindo Araujo Portugal Mini + 3m04.0s
10. Nasser Al-Attiyah Qatar Citroen + 3m59.4s
Click to expand...

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