Mikko Hirvonen leads going into day two of Rally Portugal after a punishing seven stages on Friday.
The Ford driver has a 15-second cushion over Citroen's Dani Sordo and world champion Sebastien Loeb, who is a further three seconds back.
Hirvonen's Ford team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala crashed out of the rally on the third stage of the day while leading. His future with the team is now in doubt.
Former two times world champion Marcus Gronholm made a thrilling return, finishing in fourth place in his Subaru Impreza in his first competitive drive since retiring in 2007.
The drivers face another six stages before the rally ends on Sunday.
