Ogier edges clear of Latvala on tyre choice

COFFS HARBOUR - Frenchman Sebastien Ogier took a 11.8 second lead over Volkswagen team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala after out-guessing the Finn with tyre selections on the second day of the Australian leg of the World Rally Championship. Latvala snatched top spot from overnight leader Ogier with the fastest time in the morning's two gravel stages. But the Finn's 4.1sec advantage was wiped out when the tests were repeated in the afternoon stages. With rain forecast, Latvala opted for two hard compound Michelin tyres on the front of his Volkswagen Polo R and two softs on the rear. But the roads remained dry and Ogier's option of three hard and one soft tyre was more matched to the conditions. He snatched back more than 13sec from his rival to deflate Latvala's victory hopes.–AFP

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