Gronholm dominant on Finland

Marcus Gronholm stands on the verge of a record seventh victory on home soil after a dominant display alongside Ford team-mate Mikko Hirvonen in the Rally Finland on Saturday.

The 39-year-old Gronholm won six of leg two's nine stages to establish a 20-second advantage over Hirvonen, who claimed the final two stages of the day ahead of his compatriot.

Reigning three-time champion Sebastien Loeb spoiled Ford's hopes of securing a clean sweep of Saturday's stages after winning the opening 12-kilometre SS12.

But the Frenchman was unable to prevent a Ford whitewash in the afternoon as Gronholm, winner of eight stages on Friday, opened up a one-minute lead over his world championship rival with just three stages left to run.

Hirvonen remains the only realistic challenger to his more experienced team-mate heading into the final leg, and the 27-year-old revealed that whatever the outcome this weekend, he will be content with his pace relative to Gronholm.

"I'm really, really satisfied," Hirvonen said. "Marcus has been faster most of the time, but the gaps have not been very big.

"But we are running out of time, there are not enough stages left. The gap to Sebastien is quite big now, but anything can happen so we need to stay focused."

Hirvonen admitted, however, that he would face an uphill struggle to prevent Gronholm becoming the first man to win an individual WRC event seven times.

"I don't know what I can do about Marcus," he said.

"Maybe I have to wait until he retires to win here."

While Hirvonen might be within striking distance of the lead, the wily Gronholm is feeling assured of his place at the head of the pack.

Gronholm said: "I can't pull out much, because Mikko is driving very well. But it's all ok.

"He's doing a very good rally. I need to be careful and watch him. We still have to keep trying."

Loeb, meanwhile, revealed that his Citroen C4 was at the limit of its performance, hinting that he would have nothing more to give come Sunday.

"When I go through the stages I think that it is impossible to go faster, but the Fords show that it is possible," said Loeb.

Behind the top three, Australia's Chris Atkinson was ploughing a lonely furrow in his fourth-placed Subaru, over 80 seconds behind Loeb but enjoying the same gap over Ford's Henning Solberg in fifth.

Solberg's elevation to the top five came at the expense of Petter Solberg, who retired his Subaru with handling problems, and Loeb's team-mate Dani Sordo, who pulled out after suffering mechanical gremlins.

Xavier Pons, enjoying his first race in a third factory Subaru entry, is sixth, just 13 seconds ahead of Mitsubishi's Urmo Aava, while Mads Ostberg in the privateer Subaru is eighth.

Britain's Guy Wilks will be pleased to have finished the day in ninth place after suffering a few troubles in his Ford Focus - including a sore back brought on by a heavy landing after jumping a crest in the road - while Skoda's Jan Kopecky completes the top 10.

Another Briton, Stobart Ford's Matthew Wilson, is in 11th place, 41 seconds adrift of Kopecky.