Jari Ketomaa will arrive at the remote service halt in Kuldīga with a lead of 19.5s in the battle for victory on Rally Liepāja-Ventspils, round two of the FIA European Rally Championship.
Ketomaa continued his sequence of stage wins with the fastest time through the 26.34-kilometre Kuldīga test in his Ford Fiesta RRC to grow his overall advantage ahead of Craig Breen.
Breen, in a Peugeot 207 Super 2000, was 5.4s slower than Ketomaa but did not stop at the stage finish to speak to ERC Rally Radio’s Julian Porter amid concerns that he’s possibly carrying a technical problem.
Jan Černý said he struggled to find a good rhythm for the first 10 kilometres but still managed to set the third quickest time to increase his grip on fifth position in his family-run ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000.
Mitsubishi Lancer driver Vytautas Švedes, meanwhile, suggested he would be settling for sixth rather than attempting to retake fifth from Černý. Stage 13, the repeat of Swecon, gets underway at 12:05hrs.
Breen’s team confirms technical concerns
Craig Breen’s Peugeot Rally Academy-Saintéloc team will carry out a full inspection of his 207 Super 2000 before the nature of the electrical problem becomes clear.
Team Manager Vincent Ducher confirmed there is a possible issue with the car’s alternator. Speaking at the 15-minute remote service halt in Kuldīga, where regulations limit repairs and the use of replacement parts, Ducher said: “There is a problem, we will check. If we can repair with the cables we have then it will be okay. If it’s the alternator then it’s finished because we do not carry a spare alternator in the car.”