Gronholm increases Australian lead
 |  Gronholm holds a healthy advantage after five stages in Australia |
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PERTH, Australia -- Finland's double world champion Marcus Gronholm stretched his lead to 21.4 seconds in the season-ending Rally of Australia in his bid for a fourth Australian title.
Peugeot's Gronholm, the overnight leader, has an overall time of one hour, 15 minutes 43.6 seconds after the nine-stage first leg.
He leads France's 2004 world champion and Citroen driver Sebastien Loeb, with Finland's Harri Rovanpera third - one minute 06.6 seconds behind.
While Finland's 2000 and 2002 world champion Gronholm said he had enjoyed a near perfect day on Friday, it was a day of withdrawals among other leading drivers in the wet conditions in Western Australia.
Norway's Petter Solberg, second in the world championship standings, hit a rock on stage four and withdrew after damaging the steering on his Subaru. Solberg was running second at the time, 10.8 seconds off the lead.
"It's too bad. I didn't want to end the season like this, but that's just how it is sometimes," Solberg said.
"I hit a rock which broke the steering arm. After that we couldn't steer and went off the road on the other side."
The Norwegian's second place in the drivers' championship remains secure as nearest challengers Markko Martin of Estonia and Spaniard Carlos Sainz cannot catch him.
Martin pulled out with engine trouble after the 10-minute service period allowed on Friday morning proved insufficient for repairs. Sainz was injured when he crashed into a tree on Tuesday while preparing for the event. The 42-year-old has now retired from the sport.
