Elfyn Evans holds second place at Rallye Monte Carlo after a dramatic Friday in the World Rally Championship, while Jon Armstrong slipped to sixth.
Wales’ Evans is one minute and eight seconds behind Toyota team-mate Oliver Solberg, who continued his superb performance in the French Alps.
Reigning champion Sebastien Ogier, who beat Evans to the title last year, is now just 6.5 seconds behind his Toyota team-mate after he won the final two stages of the day.
“We lost quite a bit of ground to Seb, who’s been doing a great job, so it’s close and exciting for Saturday,” said Evans, 36.
“With more difficult conditions to come, it looks like it will be a classic ‘Monte’ until the end.”
The Hyundai duo of Adrien Fourmaux and Thierry Neuville are a distant fourth and fifth ahead of Northern Ireland’s Armstrong, who has fallen to sixth place after an impressive opening day.
The M-Sport driver, who had been third after the opening two stages, lost three minutes to change a puncture after he ran into a ditch at high speed.
“Considering the issues we had, it’s not been an easy day, but that’s Monte,” said the 31-year-old Armstrong.
His M-Sport and Motorsport Ireland team-mate Josh McErlean suffered his second accident of the week after he slid off the road and got stuck in a snowbank on Friday’s final stage.
The 26-year-old was one of several drivers who were caught out by an icy corner on the second stage on Thursday night, when his Ford Puma Rally1 got stuck in a ditch.
The opening event of the season continues on Saturday with four stages, and four more to follow on Sunday.
Rallye Monte Carlo Standings (9/17 stages)
1. Olilver Solberg SWE (Toyota) Leader
2. Elfyn Evans GB (Toyota) +1m 08.4s
3. Sebastien Ogier FRA (Toyota) +1m 14.9s
4. Adrien Fourmaux FRA (Hyundai) +5m 05.2s
5. Thierry Neuville BEL (Hyundai) +6m 05.3s
6. Jon Armstrong IRL (Ford) +7m 18.8s
RET Josh McErlean IRL (Ford)