Dani Sordo kept the pressure on his team-mate Sebastien Loeb by setting the fastest time through the 16km St. Wender Land test.
Sordo, competing for the first time with new co-driver Diego Vallejo, narrowed the gap to rally leader Loeb from 10sec to 7.3sec.
At the end of Friday’s competition, Citroen team boss Olivier Quesnel said he wouldn’t prevent his drivers battling one another today. At the stage end Loeb acknowledged that he was pushing flat-out in an effort to keep Sordo behind.
Ford driver Jari-Matti Latvala was third quickest through the stage to remain third overall, 1min 17sec behind the dueling Citroens.