Sunday midday wrap: Cautious Loeb on the brink

Sebastien Loeb is getting closer and closer to his ninth FIA World Rally Championship despite rain making driving conditions treacherous on Rallye de France Alsace this morning.

Loeb, in a Citroen Total World Rally Team DS3 WRC, completed his hometown stage in Haguenau this morning leading by 25.3s ahead of Jari-Matti Latvala in a Ford Fiesta RS WRC.

“The stages have been tricky with aquaplaning,” said Loeb. “We had some big moments so we don’t take any risks because we don’t have to win to be world champion. This afternoon the roads are going to be very muddy so this rally is not finished.”

Latvala said before Sunday’s opening stage that he would only be able to overhaul Loeb for top spot if the Frenchman hit trouble. With rain falling on the three tests run so far today, Latvala has been similarly cautious as he bids to maintain his healthy grip on second over Citroen pilot Mikko Hirvonen.

Thierry Neuville has impressed throughout the morning, climbing from sixth to fourth with a trio of stage wins in his Citroen Junior entry. “It has been a good morning,” said the Belgian. “We try to drive very fast but when there is mud we slow down because we don’t want to make a mistake. It was risky for everyone with the water.”

Neuville is 4.8s ahead of fifth-placed Mads Ostberg with Dani Sordo dropping back to a distant sixth when the power steering failed on his MINI John Cooper Works WRC starting the Haguenau street stage. The Spaniard is 48.4s behind Ostberg.

Ott Tanak suffered a spin on stage 18 but remains in seventh overall ahead of M-Sport team-mate Evgeny Novikov, who lost several moments rolling into a field where he was delayed trying to regain the road. Miraculously, Novikov’s car suffered cosmetic damage only.

Hayden Paddon heads the Super 2000 World Rally Championship category in his Skoda Fabia following a trouble-free morning. Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Craig Breen are in a close battle for second place.