World champion Sebastien Ogier picked up five of Saturday’s six special stages to power past Mikko Hirvonen and into the Rally of Portugal lead.
The Frenchman had been lying a close third overnight but after the third day’s action in the Algarve he and his Volkswagen Polo topped the times by 38sec from Hirvonen.
The Finn’s Ford Fiesta is more than 50sec clear of third-placed Mads Ostberg in a Citroen DS3, with Dani Sordo, who claimed Saturday’s tenth special, in fourth.