He is currently placed third in his Citroen C4 and that would be more than enough to win the drivers’ crown again.

“Everything is going to plan. I’m doing what I have to – there will be no attack from me. I’ve had no problems and I’m trying to be as smooth as possible,” said Loeb.

Ford’s Marcus Gronholm retires after Rally GB – his 150th WRC event – and must win in Wales and hope Loeb finishes sixth or lower to snatch the title.

The 39-year-old Finn had led the championship for much of the year but crashed out of the previous two events in Japan and Ireland to hand back the initiative to his main rival.

“I’m under no stress or pressure – there’s nothing I can do about Sebastien,” said Gronholm, currently in second.

“We will just see what happens – there’s another big day tomorrow. Anything can still happen.”

Overnight leader Hirvonen began today’s second leg with a 39.6-second lead and after six forest stages in Breconshire plus a short spectator stage in the Cardiff Millennium Stadium watched by almost 27,000 spectators his advantage had been reduced to 35.5secs by BP-Ford team-mate Gronholm.

Loeb is a further 39.5 behind 2006 Rally GB winner Gronholm.

Matthew Wilson remains the best placed British driver but slipped one place to seventh, while Andreas Mikkelsen, an 18-year-old Norwegian, rolled his Ford Focus out of the top 10 on stage nine.

Stage 12 at Halfway had to be abandoned tonight when the MG of Stuart Jones and Andy Bull went off the road.

Co-driver Bull, 36, from Birmingham, was reported to have broken a collar bone and was taken to Merthyr Tydfil Hospital.

Tomorrow’s final four stages involve two runs through the forests of Carmarthenshire with the finish of the 787-mile, three-day event in Cardiff at 3pm.