With only the superspecial at Cardiff left on the day, Petter Solberg has a slim 6 second lead over Sebastien Loeb. The two traded fastest stage times all day, with Loeb admitting he’s pushing hard, and Solberg simply going with the flow. Tommi Makinen is having a fantastic final rally, and he’s currently in third place, roughly ten seconds ahead of Colin McRae. Harri Rovanpera has slipped past Gilles Panizzi for fifth.

Some thoughts and interesting tidbits….

As expected, Citroen team boss Guy Frequelin has ordered Loeb to keep things in check to be sure that Citroen wins the manufacturer’s title. Currently, they have a five point lead in the table, and Peugeot’s remaining points-nominated drivers, Harri Rovanpera and Freddy Loix, are well down in the standings, so it’s critical that the remaining Xsaras finish high in the points. Peugeot boss Corrado Provera must kicking himself for promoting Freddy Loix instead of Gilles Panizzi. Loix is just inside the points at the moment, but Panizzi is currently in sixth.

Loeb has proven he can be quick on gravel, but no one really knows if Solberg is going at maximum attack at the moment. The conditions have been drier than usual, but the Impreza still seems just as fast. If things get messy (which they will by Sunday, no doubt) expect Solberg to mount a serious charge to take the lead. A change in conditions would benefit Makinen’s attempt to finish on the podium as well. But will Loeb keep up the attack and defy the team orders? With several top drivers already out of the rally (Martin, Sainz, and Gronholm), Loeb’s got a tough decision on his hands.

Posted on 7 November 2003