Is Jari-Matti Latvala heading towards his first victory?

Ford team boss Malcolm Wilson stated that he would not prevent Jari-Matti Latvala from attempting to secure his first WRC victory in this Swedish Rally.

Latvala occupies the first place in the rally after winning all the special stages in both loops of the day. With two days of competition to come, Wilson says he won’t block Latvala on his way to his first victory. “I don’t see why Jari-Matti couldn’t win this rally,” he announced. “There will be no team orders. There is no difference from last year when Mikko won in Norway ahead of Marcus Grönholm.”

Wilson admitted to having spoken with Latvala earlier in the day to give him advice without asking him to slow down: « At the first regroup, I took Jari and Miikka [Anttila] aside. I told Jari to stay focused, not to cut corners, and to avoid problems. That’s exactly what he did. I can’t ask him for more. »

« I always felt he was capable of it », adds Wilson. « Running in tenth position under these conditions was an advantage, but I didn’t think it would be as important, I must admit. »

Mikko Hirvonen is in second place, more than 45 seconds behind his teammate. Even though he has consistently been slower than Latvala on today’s stages, Hirvonen’s performances have been praised by the boss: “I know what Mikko’s objective is in this rally, I’m not worried,” says Wilson. “With Loeb out, he has a good chance to score important points in the championship. He also had to open the road, so I’m pleased with what he achieved today.”

According to the WRC