SS14: Wilson moves up in Wales

British driver claims fifth as Tanak loses ground on WRC finale

British driver Matthew Wilson has shot up from seventh to fifth on Wales Rally GB after the first run through Myherin.

Wilson, in an M-Sport Stobart Ford Fiesta RS WRC, profited when Ott Tanak went off into a ditch and Kris Meeke continued to lose time with the engine mounting problem that has stuck his MINI John Cooper Works WRC this morning.

Tanak’s delay occurred nearing the end of the stage when he went into a bank and blocked the radiator in his Fiesta. “I was just doing some corrections in my pace notes and I missed one tightening [corner],” he said. “I was a bit too much and it blocked the radiator. We were taking some time cleaning it because it was going too hot.”

Meeke said: “We have no turbo, the engine mounting is broken and the gearshift is working intermittently. We hope we can fix it in service but the engine mounting is not the easiest thing sorted.”

Sebastien Loeb, in a Citroen DS3 WRC, was fastest through the stage with a time that was 0.7s quicker than Jari-Matti Latvala. In the overall standings Latvala trails Loeb by 7.3s after the morning loop of stages.

Crews are now heading back to service in Builth Wells. The second run through Hafren gets underway at 13:51hrs local time.