OLBIA, Italy (AFP) - Norway's reigning world champion Petter Solberg, driving a Subaru Impreza, was in rampant form in the Rally of Italy, winning six of the seven special stages.
That charge left the 2003 Rally of Italy winner 1 minute 11.5 seconds clear of championship leader Sebastien Loeb of France in a Citroen Xsara and 2:22.6s ahead of Spain's Carlos Sainz, also in a Citroen.
Solberg failed to make it a clean sweep of specials when ceding the 28.62km 11th stage to former world champion Marcus Gronholm.
Gronholm had problems with his turbo on Saturday allowing Loeb to move into second while the Finn, titleholder in 2001 and 2002, slipped back to 19th place, at 23min39sec behind the leader.
Loeb can wrap up his first world title this weekend, if he finishes three points ahead of his closest title rival Solberg.
But Solberg, 29, is in a rich vein of form having won the last two legs in Japan and Great Britain.
"I made a good choice of tyres and I cut down the risks, keeping a watch on the times of the others," said Solberg.
Loeb said he is prepared to drive a cautious race aware that he enjoys a 28-point lead over Solberg with three more rounds of the season left.