Loeb firmly in control of Rally Ireland

MOTORSPORT: Citroen's five-times world champion Sebastien Loeb was heading for victory in the season-opening Rally Ireland after…

MOTORSPORT:Citroen's five-times world champion Sebastien Loeb was heading for victory in the season-opening Rally Ireland after finishing the second leg more than a minute clear of the field.

Loeb, chasing an unprecedented sixth title in a row this season, ended the day one minute and 9.1 seconds (1:09.10) clear of Spanish teammate Dani Sordo.

With only five stages remaining between him and a 48th career win on tomorrow, the Frenchman's position looked unassailable despite the wet conditions.

Loeb, winner in Ireland in 2007 when the Sligo-based cross-border rally last appeared on the championship calendar, won five of Friday's six stages and started Saturday with a run of three more wins in succession.

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Finland's Mikko Hirvonen, overall runner-up for Ford last year, was in third place but a further one minute 21.8 seconds behind.

Norway's Henning Solberg, whose former world champion brother Petter lost his seat when Subaru pulled out of the championship last month, was in fourth place for Stobart Ford with Australian Chris Atkinson fifth for the Citroen Junior Team.

Despite his huge lead, it was not all plain sailing for Loeb with the Frenchman running off the slippery road and dropping about 15 seconds in stage 12 to end his run of eight wins in a row.

Sordo failed to take advantage by stalling his car on the same stage, won by Hirvonen, and Loeb then went fastest in the next two stages.

"The rain is easing a little but it's still tricky and there's lots of water on the road," the Frenchman said after the 12th stage.

Ford driver Gareth McHale leads the Irish challenge in eighth place, while Eamonn Boland in Subaru is 10th.

Overall positions after Stage 12

1 Sebastien Loeb (Fra) Citroen 1hr 59mins 41.300secs

2 Dani Sordo (Spa) Citroen 2:00:41.100

3 Mikko Hirvonen (Fin) Ford 2:01:56.800

4 Henning Solberg (Nor) Ford 2:05:08.500

5 Chris Atkinson (Aus) Citroen 2:05:37.100

6 Matthew Wilson (Gbr) Ford 2:08:07.700

7 Sebastien Ogier (Fra) Citroen 2:08:09.000

8 Gareth McHale (Irl) Ford 2:09:37.100

9 Khalid Al Qassimi (UAE) Ford 2:10:12.700

10 Eamonn Boland (Irl) Subaru 2:10:25.100