The second driver of Citroen Mikko Hirvonen is the fastest man in Italy after Loeb retired in the day 2 of the rally. Second place is for the Russian young star Evgeny Novikov for his best result ever. Ott Tanak is third, Mads Ostberg fourth as Sebastien Ogier with S2000 car finished fifth overall a unique result for WRC and VW.

Overall Results:
1. M. Hirvonen 3:23:54.9
2. E. Novikov +1:20.6
3. O. Tanak +2:21.1
4. M. Ostberg +3:42.9
5. S. Ogier +4:27.5
6. C. Atkinson +5:22.2

No one battle for Power Stage in Rally Italy except the two Ford drivers.
Results for Power Stage:
1. P. Solberg 6:13.4 / 3 Pts
2. J. Latvala +0.2 / 2 Pts
3. T. Neuville +4.7 / 1 Pt

The disaster for Ford Rally Team is total. After Sebastien retired earlier today the chances for Ford rises while Petter Solberg was still on the road after Mikko Hirvonen. In SS 7 the chances for Ford Rally Team are over. Petter Solberg out of the road and crashed.
Hirvonen comments: “I’ve managed to come through with no problems or mistakes. It’s difficult to keep the rhythm but everything is fine. I need to be careful because there is a long way to go and lots of rocks to hit.”
Novikov comments: “It’s been a very good day, it was a bit slippery in the morning but in the afternoon it was fine. Now I have to stay concentrated to keep this position.”
Results after SS 8 - End of day 2:
1. M. Hirvonen 1:56:25.5
2. E. Novikov +1:09.6
3. O. Tanak +2:18.3
4. S. Ogier +3:35.7
5. C. Atkinson +3:54.9
6. A. Mikkelsen +4:40.3
The championship in WRC is very weak this year as a car much slower like S2000 is running currently at 4th position.
 

Sebastien Loeb exit by Rally Itala Sardegna.
Loeb blamed the pace note error on a loss of concentration during reconnaissance after he picked up a puncture on the previous corner to where he went off.
Loeb commentary:  “I was pushing really, really hard but it was a little mistake in the notes in a corner. I entered a bit too fast and hit the stone on the exit. It threw the car into a spin and finally we spun on the road. I turned around and continued but the steering was very hard so I knew something was broken in the steering. I continued for a few corners but after the steering was blocked completely and I had to stop there.”
Sebastien Ogier win stage 5 in Italy that is a history. Ogier win the stage with his Skoda Fabia S2000 specification a car with  less power and is less sophisticated than the pacesetting World Rally Cars.
Ogier comments:  “For sure this stage is very hard for the tyres and in the Super 2000 you save a little bit more although this was a hard stage for us as well. I am happy and it’s good but I have to be realistic because of the conditions.”
The early exit of Loeb did not give a chance for Malcom Wilson team who's end is soon. The Ford Rally Team drivers are slow and Latvala again make mistake. In SS 4 Latvala running 4th struck a bank in a high-speed right-hander. The impact burst his Ford Fiesta RS WRC’s radiator and although the Finn tried to carry on he went off again and stopped.
Solberg comments after SS 4: “I took a little bit careful after what happened to Jari.”
Hirvonen comments after SS4: “It’s such a difficult stage so I tried to take it steady and follow Petter’s split times and it worked out okay. There is no problem with the car, everything is working fine.”
Results after SS 6:
1. M. Hirvonen 1:28:03.2
2. P. Solberg +23.4
3. M. Ostberg +1:03.4
4. E. Novikov +1:08.2
5. O. Tanak +2:07.5
6. C. Atkinson +3:02.3
Two stages remain to the end of day 2 and extra 8 for the next 2-days.
 

The French driver Sebastien Loeb wins Rally France 2012. This rally gives him 9th world title in WRC championship. Loeb takes the rally champion title 2 rallies before the end of season 2012.

Dani Sordo lost the battle for fourth position with Thirerry Neuville due too powersteering problems of his Mini John Cooper Works WRC.
The Spanish driver was 5th at 3.6 seconds behind Neuville in stage 19 when he out of the game.
Sordo said: “The powersteering is broken in the stage. Before the stage it felt strange, really heavy but in the startline it was completely gone. I try to fix it but I don’t know if I can continue”
Petter Solberg restart the rally but his position is 28th overall. Finally Petter Solberg fails to get any point by the rally.

PowerStage Results:
1. T. Neuville 4:03.7
2. J. Latvala +0.5
3. M. Ostberg +0.5

Final Results:
1. S. Loeb 3:32:53.0
2. J. Latvala +15.5
3. M. Hirvonen +44.1
4. T. Neuville +1:07.3
5. M. Ostberg +1:16.4
6. O. Tanak +2:27.9

Some interesting statistic provided for Loeb in his careeer:
9 world titles shared with co-driver Daniel Elena
75 number of WRC event wins
2 rallies remaining before he calls time on full-time WRC career
162 number of WRC starts to date
1999 year of Loeb’s WRC debut in Catalunya
4 rounds missed after breaking shoulder in 2006 - he still claimed title
874 fastest stage times set
1525 points total scored in WRC
100% of stages won on Tour de Corse in 2005
23 different world championship rallies won
6 record held by Loeb for most WRC event wins in a row, achieved twice
2002 year of Loeb’s first WRC victory - Rallye Deutschland
9 number of occasions Loeb has won Germany’s WRC qualifier
11 victories scored during the 2008 season
3 types of Citroen World Rally Cars he has driven to victory
8 different team-mates during WRC career
4 team bosses worked under
1 co-drivers employed during WRC career
5 rallies won at the start of the 2009 season in succession
13 rounds tackled in 2010, number of times points scored
 

Petter Solberg lost the third position as he crashes out in the first stage for day 3.He went off the road on a fast left-hander, dropped down into a small ditch and ploughed into vines. After that he shot back across the road, into vines again before striking and felling a telegraph pole, which inflicted damage to his car.
Petter says: “All the driving before was absolutely perfect. I knew the road was going up on the right again but there were leaves on the windscreen and I couldn’t see. From the outside it looks like ‘why don’t I brake’ but I knew the approximate distance and I was waiting for an open area. I went more on the throttle to get back up to the road again so I don’t get stuck but that’s obviously the decision you take in a split second. I didn’t know it was an electric pole I hit, I thought it was a normal pole. It was a big hit and we broke a steering arm and a TCA. Obviously when you look at the pictures it’s unbelievable. For sure something happened and obviously I have to look with Chris what happened because we are a team but nothing broke on the car.”
The rally leader Sebastien Loeb extends his lead to his major rival Jari-Matti Latvala to almost half a minute.

Results after SS 16 end of day 3:
1. S. Loeb 2:54:33.4
2. J. Latvala +29.7
3. M. Hirvonen +54.0
4. M. Ostberg +1:46.4
5. D. Sordo +1:50.5
6. T. Neuville +1:54.4

There are 6 stages to the end of the rally.

Sebastien Loeb is the rally leader after day 2 of Rallye de France 2012.
Latvala try to push Latvala as he said:
“My target was to improve my performance from the last asphalt round in Germany and I did that. I was a little inconsistent at times because I lacked confidence in corners where mud had been dragged onto the road by cars cutting. Maybe I was trying to drive too fast and attack too much. Today’s stages are narrow and bumpier, but I will try to keep the pressure on.”
Petter Solberg also attack the second Citroen driver Mikko Hirvonen as the difference between both drivers is less than a second.
Solberg said: “Once I had the right feeling then my pace was at the same level as Jari-Matti. “It’s a shame that I lost time in the first two stages. I will keep pushing to try to reach the podium and if I can keep the same rhythm as I had this afternoon then that’s achievable.”

Results after SS 8:
1. S. Loeb 1:17:32.6
2. J. Latvala +13.1
3. M. Hirvonen +32.6
4. P. Solberg +33.3
5. D. Sordo +48.8
6. T. Neuville +55.4

There are total 22 stages in France as for today are schedule 8 stages.