Defending champion Sebastien Ogier led the Rally of Italy on Saturday by one minute and 40 seconds over Norwegian Mads Ostberg going into the final day.
Frenchman Ogier, the reigning world champion, won three of the day’s four stages to propel himself to the top of the timesheet ahead of Sunday’s four concluding specials.
Overnight leader Jari-Matti Latvala, Ogier’s Volkswagen Polo teammate, dropped to third overall after the Finn suffered a puncture on Saturday’s final stage, costing him almost two minutes.
“It was my mistake,” Latvala, now 2min 1sec adrift, admitted afterwards.
“The rear of the car jumped out of the ruts and we damaged the wheel on a rock. I had to stop and change it,” he told the sport’s official website, wrc.com.
Ogier leads the drivers’ standings with 112 points through five races, having already secured victories in Monaco, Mexico and Portugal this term.