World Rallycross: Solberg extends lead with win

World Rallycross Championship leader Petter Solberg was unstoppable when it mattered most in round eight at Loheac in France.

The 2003 World Rally champion didn't have the ultimate pace throughout the heat stages, but led the final from lights to flag to claim his third win of the season.

Peugeot driver Timmy Hansen had dominated the heats. Fastest in the first three, he was fourth in heat four but comfortably topped the order at the Intermediate Classification. A poor start in his semi-final meant Hansen would start on the second row for the final, from where he would finish in third, behind Solberg and Reinis Nitiss. The Latvian had been quietly putting in consistent results all weekend like Solberg, and lined up fourth for the final.

Up to second ahead of front row starter Pontus Tidemand on lap one, 18-year-old Nitiss hung on to Solberg in second, finishing inches ahead of Hansen as they crossed the finish line.

American star Ken Block fought back from forgetting to take his joker lap in heat one to make the final and finish fourth, only just missing out on a second podium in as many appearances in the series.

Tidemand's hopes of a good result were thwarted by a puncture in the final, while reigning European Rallycross champion Timur Timerzyanov crashed out on lap one with broken steering.

Factory Volkswagen squad Marklund's pairing of Toomas Heikkinen and Anton Marklund finished fourth and fifth in semi-final one, the squad losing a little ground to OlsbergsMSE in the teams' title race as a result.

Top Frenchman was Jerome Grosset-Janin. He finished sixth in semi-final two behind British driver Andy Scott, whose Albatec team-mate David Binks finished 21st overall as he filled in for Jacques Villeneuve.

Former French champion Gaetan Serazin gave his Peugeot 208 its international debut at the event and could have made the final had it not been for a puncture in his semi.

Final results - 6 laps: