WRC: Solberg and Subaru keep on leading...

Petter's Solberg's Pirelli-equipped Subaru Impreza WRC2004 has maintained the lead of the Acropolis Rally, round six of the World Championship, after a typically challenging second leg. The Norwegian had a slight brake problem in the afternoon, but otherwise he enjoyed a fast and reliable run. His young team mate Mikko Hirvonen ends the leg in 13th place, having broken his radiator on the penultimate stage. Throughout today's difficult conditions, Petter used Pirelli's new XR5 tyres, which gave optimum performance all day. The second leg was notably hotter than the first, despite a constant risk of rain. Today's rocky surface, which was typical of the Acropolis, was a big endurance test for the tyres, and it was here that the PZero XR3 covers put in their most impressive performance. Today was a question of compromise, between choosing the right tyre cut to deal with any unexpected rain, while not endangering the performance and stability of the rubber. Once again, the entire Pirelli team was satisfied with the performance of the tyres during the second leg. Pirelli's rally manager Fiorenzo Brivio commented: "Both drivers used the PZero XR3 tyre throughout the second day. The different cuts enabled the tyre to be used even in the most challenging conditions, without compromising performance. The superb versatility of this tyre made the difference today, allowing Petter to lead the rally with nearly a minute's advantage. Petter Solberg said: "I'm trying to find a good rhythm without pushing too hard. It's a question of trying to control things now, and I've been using other people's split times to work out the right pace to be driving at". ACROPOLIS RALLY Classification after SS15 1 Solberg-Mills Subaru Impreza WRC 3h23m25.9s 2 Rovanpera-Pietilainen Peugeot 307 WRC +55.2 3 Loeb-Elena Citroen Xsara WRC +1m04.7 4 Duval-Prevot Ford Focus WRC +1m15.5 5 Carlsson-Andersson Peugeot 206 WRC +4m37.9 6 Panizzi-Panizzi Mitsubishi Lancer WRC +5m05.8 7 Stohl-Minor Peugeot 206 WRC +6m18.4 8 Tuohino-Aho Ford Focus WRC +8m26.2 9 Vovos-El Em Ford Focus WRC +8m57.4 10 Warmbold-Price Ford Focus WRC +12m49.9