Citroën Total World Rally Team driver Dani Sordo heads the leaderboard of Rally Argentina after a day of close-fought competition in which no fewer than four drivers led. Mikko Hirvonen (BP Ford) holds second position with reigning World Champion Sébastien Loeb (Citroën Total) third.

The fifth round of the FIA World Rally Championship is one of only two events outside Europe this season and is a firm favourite on the calendar, with its passionate fans and stunning scenery. The event got underway last night with a super special stage in Cordoba’s soccer stadium and today the crews headed north for two identical loops of four stages covering 139.76 competitive kilometres.

After winning last night’s stage, Loeb was once again sweeping the roads clean of gravel today and it was Jari-Matti Latvala (BP Ford) that took the first stage win of the day and the lead of the rally. However, after his accident in Portugal three weeks ago, Latvala is focused on finishing the event and has gradually dropped down the order to overnight in sixth position. While a cautious approach has been one element, the Finn also lost time with a puncture and then had to slow when the engine fluid temperatures soared in stage eight.

Sordo then took the lead after SS3 but the fight at the top of the leaderboard has been intense, with five drivers split by less than 10 seconds throughout the morning. By the mid-day service, Hirvonen had also led. This afternoon, the Spaniard and Finn traded the lead and were jointly placed at the top of the leaderboard going in to the final stage.

Behind the leading trio, Petter Solberg (fourth) has enjoyed a good day and is only 18.9 seconds off the lead in his privately run, older specification Citroën Xsara. Brother Henning (Stobart Ford) is fifth, albeit another 29 seconds adrift. Behind Latvala in sixth, Matthew Wilson (Stobart Ford) holds seventh, the Briton losing time with a stall earlier in the day. Local hero Federico Villagra (Munchi’s Ford) rounds off the top eight.

Rally Argentina - Results after Day 1

1 Dani Sordo/Marc Marti                   Citroën C4 WRC         1 hr 45 min 11.3s
2 Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen      Ford Focus RS WRC    1 hr 45 min 16.4s
3 Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena          Citroën C4 WRC         1 hr 45 min 27.6s
4 Petter Solberg/Phil Mills                 Citroën Xsara WRC     1 hr 43 min 30.2s
5 Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud    Ford Focus RS WRC     1 hr 45 min 59.2s
6 Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila      Ford Focus RS WRC     1 hr 46 min 17.7s
7 Matthew Wilson/Scott Martin          Ford Focus RS WRC      1 hr 47 min 34.3s
8 Federico Villagra/J P Companc       Ford Focus RS WRC      1 hr 47 min 50.2s