Jari-Matti Latvala extended his lead at the Rally of France after the second day of action on Saturday ahead of Volkswagen Polo teammate Andreas Mikkelsen.

Finland’s Latvala boosted his overnight lead of eight seconds to 28sec on the Norwegian after the day’s racing through Colmar in the Alsace region of north-eastern France.

Britain’s Kris Meeke is sitting third at 53sec in his Citroen DS3 with four specials left on Sunday morning around Strasbourg.

Latvala won five of the days seven stages and is feeling optimistic for Sunday where a victory by the Finn would set up a dramatic finale to the season with just two races to go.

“I’ve a good feeling for Sunday because I feel really in control,” said Latvala, the only man capable of preventing Frenchman Sebastien Ogier from defending his world title this season.

“I’m driving at a good rhythm, the car is working well and the roads are dry, and not too tricky,” addd Latvala.

Ogier’s bid to wrap up a second successive world rally title on home ground had suffered a double setback on Friday when he fell more than eight minutes off the lead.

The Volkswagen driver lost four minutes with a gearbox problem and then was hit with a four-minute penalty for checking in at the third stage too early.

The French driver is 8min 53.4sec off the pace going into the final day.

Ogier leads Latvala, the world championship runner-up in 2010 with Ford, by 50 points in the overall standings ahead of the final races in Spain and Wales.