Chris Atkinson has promised to keep 'pushing hard' on Sunday during the final leg of the Rallye Monte Carlo in order to hold off
Francois Duval and hang on to third position.
Atkinson and Duval began the day battling for P4 and 14 seconds separated them going into the opening stage. Initially Chris took first blood and was quicker than the
Stobart Ford 'guest' driver in Labatie 1, but he then lost out in SS10 and SS11 and going into the mid-day service they were separated by 10.1 seconds.
By that point however the fight had taken on greater significance and after
Daniel Sordo's exit - due to mechanical problems in Lamastre 1 - they were now squabbling for the final place on the rostrum.
Chris came out fighting though on the repeat loop in the afternoon - setting the second quickest time in his Impreza WRC in SS12 and the fastest time overall in SS13.
Although he was one second slower than Francois in SS14 he finished proceedings 20 seconds clear and is determined to do his all to take third - what would be only his second ever WRC podium result.
"We were pushing today, and it was so tough! It's a bigger gap than I had here last year but the adrenaline and pressure is just the same," said the
Subaru #2.
"Some say that SS10 is the most dangerous stage as it's so fast and flowing, but I love it. I won the stage last year and on the second pass today I was pushing to increase the gap over Duval. I had a good feeling through there, but I was still buzzing half an hour afterwards.
"It's great to be in third, but we have some difficult stages tomorrow, especially the Col de Turini. It's a stage that can be dry until you start and then spectators put snow on the road which just makes it so hard to know what to expect going into each corner.
"Duval knows it a little better than I do, so it's going to be a challenge but for sure I want third and we'll be pushing hard to the end."
