Like in the morning, Ogier lost time in the first three tests of the loop, dropping back from first to third behind Latvala and M-Sport’s Ott Tanak.
However, he was again quickest in the long 35.68 km Terra Alta test – the only stage of the day that included both gravel and asphalt, completing it 7.2s up on Latvala and 13.6s up on Tanak to vault back to P1.
“I tried for sure. We wanted to make a difference…” Ogier said after SS9.
“Seb did very well,” Latvala conceded. “There were so many cuts in there, so much stuff on the road. I couldn’t drive like I did earlier.
“A few small mistakes early on, but I couldn’t have done much better. We are on the pace, much better that last year, so anything is still possible.”
Meanwhile, Tanak looked poised to be right up there at the mid-point in SS9, before losing ground on the asphalt section: “I lost the rear tyres on the tarmac,” he confirmed. “There was really no chance to go faster after that. But we’ve had a good day today. We have shown again that we have good pace on gravel.”
Behind, local star Dani Sordo is fourth for Hyundai, 15.6s off the final podium place, and 2.8s up on Citroen’s Mads Ostberg.
VW Motorsport II pilot Andreas Mikkelsen completes the top-six, with Hayden Paddon only 0.7s back in seventh in his Hyundai i20 WRC.
Kris Meeke, Thierry Neuville and Elfyn Evans hold positions 8 through to 10, with Ford privateer Martin Prokop 11th and WRC2 class leader, Pontus Tidemand 12th.
Tidemand has dominated so far in WRC2, winning two more stages this afternoon, to add to the four he took in the morning. As a result he finishes the leg 33.7s up on Jan Kopecky. Esapekka Lappi holds third, with WRC2 points’ leader Nasser Al-Attiyah fourth, losing time in SS8 with a puncture.
Of the rest, former F1 pilot Robert Kubica had a typically mixed day, winning SS3 and SS6, but punctures in SS4 and SS8 dropped him back, leaving him 23rd overall.
RallyRACC Catalunya-Costa Daurada now continues on Saturday with the action switching from gravel to asphalt. Eight stages are on the bill, making up a total competitive distance of 123.05km. SS10, the 7.43km Porrera test, is due to start tomorrow at 09.15 hours local time [08.15 hours UK time]. Full itinerary for round twelve in WRC 2015 available – HERE.
2015 RallyRACC Catalunya-Costa Daurada: Overall standings after Stage 9 (Top 10):
1. Sebastien Ogier Volkswagen Motorsport Polo R WRC 1h 24m 58.4s M
2. Jari-Matti Latvala Volkswagen Motorsport Polo R WRC +0m 04.0s M
3. Ott Tanak M-Sport WRT Ford Fiesta RS WRC +0m 11.3s M
4. Dani Sordo Hyundai Motorsport i20 WRC +0m 26.9s M
5. Mads Ostberg Citroen Total Abu Dhabi WRT DS 3 WRC +0m 29.7s M
6. Andreas Mikkelsen Volkswagen Motorsport II Polo R WRC +0m 37.4s M
7. Hayden Paddon Hyundai Motorsport N i20 WRC +0m 38.3s M
8. Kris Meeke Citroen Total Abu Dhabi WRT DS 3 WRC +0m 59.4s M
9. Thierry Neuville Hyundai Motorsport i20 WRC +1m 03.8s M
10. Elfyn Evans M-Sport WRT Ford Fiesta RS WRC +1m 09.2s M