A fifth stage victory for Freddy Loix has enabled the factory Škoda Motorsport driver to extend his lead of Rali Vinho Madeira to 7.6 seconds over Luca Rossetti.
Loix, who clinched a debut victory for Škoda’s Fabia S2000 Facelift on the Geko Ypres Rally in June, was two seconds faster than team-mate Jan Kopecký through the 13.85-kilometre Cidade de Santana stage.
Behind Rossetti, Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion Kris Meeke holds third in his Peugeot UK 207 with Kopecký 4.1s adrift in fourth. IRC title leader Juho Häanninen is fifth in his Fabia with Miguel Nunes sixth at the wheel of a Peugeot 207.
Overall positions after SS8:
1 Freddy Loix 1h12m56.2s
2 Luca Rossetti +7.6s
3 Kris Meeke +13.4s
4 Jan Kopecký +17.5s
5 Juho Hänninen +27.3s
6 Miguel Nunes +1m01.4s
7 Vitor Sá +1m23.3s
8 Rui Pinto +3m47.3s