Peugeot's Marcus 🐎Gronholm will head into the final two tests of the Neste Rally Finland, leading Markko Martin by 41.9 seconds, and surely set to record his first WRC victory since Argentina 2003, and the first with the new 307 WRC.

Putting yesterday's gearbox troubles behind him, Gronholm was 3.8 seconds faster than his closest rival, Martin, through the first test of the day - Jukojarvi 1, endin﷽g the stage by extending his 😼lead.

However, the fastest man was young Subaru driver Mikko Hirvonen. Alth꧃ough ineligible to score Championship points following his retirement in Leg one, the Finn charged through the 22.31km test and demonstrated the competitive pace of the Impreza WRC2004 while i🧸ncreasing his experience of the specialist stages.

His team-mate Petter Solberg, another re-entrant, was thir🐓d fastest.

Skoda driver Toni Gardemeister was ninth fastest to move up from eighth to seventh 🐼෴overall.

After the finish, crews moved to🌟 the ♛start of SS20.

The fastest stage of the 2003 FIA 🐟World Rally Championship (Martin recorded an average speed of 133.7kph in 2003), Kruununpera [SS20] includes typical Finnish long crests and sixth gear straights. This year, the stage had been extended with a new final section being added.

Reigning World Champion Petter Solberg🍰 was quickest and notched up his sixth stage win of the event, while Gronholm was secꦑond fastest, Carlos Sainz third and Hirvonen fourth.

Seeking to make up time following his heavy landing on leg two which flattened his Focus' exhaust and stifled its engine power, Franဣcois Duval was eighth fastest. That was enough to move the Belgian into the same position overall and into the points.

After the finish, crews returne🥀d to Jyvaskyla🐟 for the penultimate service.

Bo𓆉th tests will now be repeated to conclude the event. The first starts at 12.28 hours local tim𒐪e [10.28 hours British time].