Rallying-Sordo leads after see saw first day in Argentina

BUENOS AIRES, April 24 (Reuters) - Spaniard Dani Sordo led after a dramatic opening day of Rally Argentina on Friday when the lead changed eight times in nine stages in the Sierra de Cordoba.

Nineteen seconds separated the first four drivers after a day in which Sordo, Finnish pair Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala and championship leader Sebastien Loeb all held top spot.

Citroen driver Sordo ended up 5.1 seconds ahead of Hirvonen's Ford, the pair having begun the final stage dead level.

Frenchman Loeb, aiming for an unprecedented sixth successive world title this year, was 16.3 seconds behind the leader in his Citroen with Petter Solberg of Norway a further 2.6 seconds adrift in fourth in his Citroen.

"It's a really good sensation," Sordo told the autosport.com website. "I'm very happy and really comfortable with the car."

Latvala suffered a puncture on the sixth stage to slip more than one minute behind the leaders.

"I don't really know what happened but we ended up doing about half of the stage with the tyre going down slowly," said the Ford driver.

(Editing by Tony Jimenez. To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)