Ogier won all three tests this morning to build a 12.9s cushion, but saw that cut to 7.7s in SS4, Hafren 2, when he was 5.2s slower than the Ulsterman.
Ogier, however, hit back in SS5 and SS6, taking two more stages wins, to re-established his advantage going into the overnight halt in Deeside.
“Like earlier I drove better on this stage [SS6] than the first one [SS4]. Kris is driving well though. It won’t be easy to win this rally,” Ogier told the official WRC site. “I’m happy to have finished this day without trouble.”
Meeke, who after topping the times in SS4, was second in SS5 and SS6, added: “He’s so strong in here [Myherin] I knew we’d lose some time. Okay, he’s not the target but it’s nice to be in the fight.”
Meanwhile, Andreas Mikkelsen has slipped back, and while he continues to hold third, the gap to Meeke’s DS 3 WRC in P2 has increased from 3.9s post-SS3 to 17.9s at the end of SS6.
“I’m getting into the groove now,” insisted the VW Motorsport II pilot, who of course had to skip the shakedown to go for some medical checks. “I missed these stages last year and I felt that today. For sure there are places I can go faster but I’m happy enough with my day.”
Behind, Mads Ostberg remains fourth in his DS 3 WRC, 11.6s back, with Dani Sordo fifth for Hyundai and Ott Tanak sixth for M-Sport.
Hayden Paddon finished the day in seventh, forced to limp through the final test with his car in ’emergency safe mode’.
Further back, Elfyn Evans is now eighth, after a puncture in SS4 cost him over a minute and three positions on the leaderboard.
Ford privateer Lorenzo Bertelli and Citroen youngster Stephane Lefebvre round out the top ten, with Martin Prokop 11th and former F1 ace, Robert Kubica 12th.
Kubica lost time with a puncture in SS3 this morning and then had more problems on the repeat-run through Myherin in the afternoon, completing the test with his car very much worse for wear.
Kubica was not the only driver in the wars, with Jari-Matti Latvala, Thierry Neuville and Kevin Abbring all sidelined this morning.
Latvala was first to go, when he went off into a ditch in SS2. Neuville then took a wheel off in SS3, while Abbring stopped in that test as well, when a temperature warning light came on.
In WRC2, Eric Camilli leads in his Ford Fiesta R5, winning two of the three afternoon tests. Teemu Suninen holds second, 9.4s back, with Yuriy Protasov third – just 3.3s up on Eyvind Brynildsen.
Craig Breen, who led the class this morning, has slipped back to seventh, after hitting a rock picking up a puncture in SS4.
Wales Rally GB now continues on Saturday with nine stages on the bill and a total competitive distance of 142.32 km. SS7, the 11.34km Gartheiniog 1 test, is due to start at 07.29 hours local time.
2015 Wales Rally GB: Overall standings after Stage 6 (Top 10):
1. Sebastien Ogier Volkswagen Motorsport Polo R WRC 1hr 16m 03.5s M
2. Kris Meeke Citroen Total Abu Dhabi WRT DS 3 WRC +0m 13.5s M
3. Andreas Mikkelsen Volkswagen Motorsport II Polo R WRC +0m 31.4s M
4. Mads Ostberg Citroen Total Abu Dhabi WRT DS 3 WRC +0m 43.0s M
5. Dani Sordo Hyundai Motorsport i20 WRC +1m 18.7s M
6. Ott Tanak M-Sport WRT Ford Fiesta RS WRC +1m 34.9s M
7. Hayden Paddon Hyundai Motorsport i20 WRC +2m 03.5s M
8. Elfyn Evans M-Sport WRT Ford Fiesta RS WRC +2m 21.6s M
9. Lorenzo Bertelli Ford Fiesta RS WRC +3m 21.5s M
10. Stephane Lefebvre Citroen Total Abu Dhabi WRT DS 3 WRC +3m 25.4s
Others
11. Martin Prokop Jipocar Czech National Team Ford Fiesta RS WRC +3m 43.3s M
12. Robert Kubica Ford Fiesta RS WRC +4m 33.2s
13. Eric Camilli Ford Fiesta R5 +4m 56.0s WRC2
14. Teemu Suninen Skoda Fabia S2000 +5m 05.4s WRC2
15. Yuriy Protasov Ford Fiesta RRC +6m 00.2s WRC2
16. Eyvind Brynildsen Skoda Fabia R5 +6m 03.5s WRC2
WRC2 standings after Stage 6 (Top 3):
1. Eric Camilli Ford Fiesta R5 1h 20m 59.5s WRC2
2. Teemu Suninen Skoda Fabia S2000 +0m 09.4s WRC2
3. Yuriy Protasov Ford Fiesta RRC +1m 04.2s WRC2
Notable retirements:
SS2. Jari-Matti Latvala Volkswagen Motorsport Polo R WRC Went off M
SS3. Thierry Neuville Hyundai Motorsport N i20 WRC Took a wheel off M
SS3. Kevin Abbring Hyundai Motorsport i20 WRC Mechanical
Read more at http://www.crash.net/wrc/news/225123/1/ogier-maintains-lead-on-wales-rally-gb.html#mr5JyIWkrXHM75TB.99