Loeb tops Finland qualifying

Sebastien Loeb has earned the right to select his starting position for the opening stages of Neste Oil Rally Finland first after he went fastest on the Qualifying Stage for the FIA World Rally Championship counter this evening.

Loeb, in a factory Citroen DS3 WRC, completed the 4.26-kilometre Ruuhimaki test in a time of 2m17.470s, 0.555s faster than works Ford pilot and leading Finnish driver Jari-Matti Latvala.

“It was difficult to read the road at times and you were not sure where the slippery places were,” said Loeb in reference to earlier rain. “But it was okay, no mistakes.”

Latvala said: “It was a bit soft in places and also a bit rough, I couldn’t have done better than this.”

Loeb’s Citroen team-mate Mikko Hirvonen was third fastest, 0.806s down on Loeb, with Petter Solberg, in the second factory Fiesta RS WRC, fourth after the Norwegian reported making “one small mistake.” He was 1.219s off Loeb’s pace.

Evgeny Novikov and Mads Ostberg were fifth and sixth fastest respectively in their privateer Fiestas, with Ott Tanak seventh and Thierry Neuville eighth. Tanak said he missed a junction while Neuville, who went off the road in free practice, said his Citroen Junior World Team entry lacked traction. The Belgian also reported having to slow slightly in a narrow section due to low-lying sun affecting his vision.

Chris Atkinson, making his first start in the world championship since Rally Guanajuato Mexico in early March and his competitive debut in a DS3 WRC, stalled at the stage start, which the Australian said cost him one and a half seconds.

Jari Ketomaa, who was 10th fastest in his Autotek Motorsport Fiesta, ran wide at the first junction after admitting to braking too late for the turn.

Gymkhana legend Ken Block reported a persistent engine problem throughout the run in his Monster World Rally Team Fiesta. “The engine wouldn’t run right from the start, it’s really disappointing,” said the American.

Drivers will select their starting positions at the service park in Jyvaskyla at 21:30hrs local time.