Rally Cyprus 13 t/m 15 maart 2009

Dag 3: einduitslag:

Hirvonen claims second in Cyprus as Ford dominates final day,

Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen finished second in the Cyprus Rally today as the BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team claimed a clean sweep of special stage victories during the final leg. The Finns won the opening two speed tests in their Ford Focus RS World Rally Car as they eventually finished just 27.2sec behind winner Sébastien Loeb in this third round of the 12-event FIA World Rally Championship.

Team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila were fastest on the final stage as they recovered to 12th in their Focus RS WRC after spending more than 20 minutes stuck in deep sand on the edge of the road yesterday. That ensured a double points haul in the manufacturers' championship for Ford. Abu Dhabi's Khalid Al Qassimi and Michael Orr finished eighth in the team's other car to match their career-best performance.

The Cyprus Rally was the first mixed surface round of the WRC since 1996. To add to the challenge drivers tackled the opening day's slippery asphalt stages with Pirelli's gravel tyres fitted to their cars. Once the event switched to twisty and rocky gravel tracks high in the Troodos Mountains, torrential rain turned some sections into a mudbath. Conditions were so tough yesterday that the team removed 95kg of clinging mud from Hirvonen's car during the lunchtime service at the rally base in Limassol.

Hirvonen found it hard to adapt to driving on asphalt with a gravel set-up on his Focus RS WRC during the opening morning and ended the day in third, 60.2sec from the lead. Once the rally moved onto gravel the 28-year-old Finn felt more at home and beat Loeb on six of the remaining eight stages as he ate into the Frenchman's deficit. He moved into second yesterday morning and eventually finished 1min 22.2sec clear of his closest rival after 14 tests covering 332.07km.

"I lost my chance of victory on Friday morning because I didn't drive well enough," he said. "Once the rally moved onto gravel I was faster than Loeb and that's a big boost as there are now seven consecutive loose surface events to come. On the wet and muddy roads our pace was pretty much equal, but on the drier sections I was quicker and it's a shame that the heavy rain fell when it did.

"I made some small mistakes with my car set-up because I tried to be too clever. I will do things differently on the next round in Portugal. The last time I was in Cyprus I finished more than five minutes behind Loeb so to bring that down to 27sec is good progress," added Hirvonen.

Latvala was only 3.4sec behind Hirvonen when the 23-year-old Finn beached his car in sand on the inside of a corner on yesterday's second stage. He had to run 1km to find enough spectators to lift the car out and fell from fourth to 25th. He bounced back to set competitive times throughout the rest of the rally and his efforts were rewarded with two points for Ford in the manufacturers' championship.

"I was pleased with my speed this weekend but disappointed to make a mistake yesterday," he said. "This was my first time here so I'm happy to take away the experience of having driven all the stages. They were more difficult than I expected because there are so many changes in character but they weren't as rough as I thought. I've learned another lesson here and I want to deliver some solid results over the next few rallies on a surface I like."

Al Qassimi lost time with a niggling handbrake problem that meant he could not use it to slide his car around the tightest corners but was happy with his second points finish this year. "It was a challenging rally. I was pleased with my performance and it's encouraging to see I've lifted my pace," he said.

BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson reflected on the weekend. "I would like to congratulate Sébastien Loeb on the achievement of taking his 50th WRC win – but I've had assurances from Mikko and Jari-Matti that he will not reach the next landmark for a while! Mikko again did a fantastic job and while Jari-Matti's problem yesterday was disappointing, he came back to set competitive times and score points for the team."

Ford of Europe motorsport director Mark Deans said: "I welcome the organisers' brave decision to run a mixed surface rally. It brought an element to the WRC we've not seen for many years and the decision to use gravel tyres added further intrigue. The rally required real endurance from man and machine, with today's 40km stage requiring 53 pages of pace notes. That's indicative of its challenge."

News from other Ford teams
Stobart's Matthew Wilson and Scott Martin slipped to sixth on the penultimate stage but then powered to equal fastest time on the final test to reclaim fifth. Federico Villagra and Jorge Perez Companc were seventh on their season debut for the Munchi's Ford squad. Stobart's Henning Solberg and Cato Menkerud recovered to 18th after being sidelined from all of the opening leg following a collision with a non-competing car which damaged the cooling system on their Focus RS WRC.

Next round
The championship stays on gravel when Rally de Portugal returns to the series after a year's absence on 2 - 5 April. The fourth round will again be based at Faro on the Algarve.

Final positions
1. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 4hr 50min 34.7sec
2. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 4hr 51min 01.9sec
3. P Solberg/P Mills NOR Citroen Xsara 4hr 52min 24.1sec
4. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 4hr 53min 01.0sec
5. M Wilson/S Martin GBR Ford Focus RS 4hr 57min 15.7sec
6. C Rautenbach/D Barritt ZIM Citroen C4 5hr 01min 46.6sec
7. F Villagra/J Perez Companc ARG Ford Focus RS 5hr 03min 53.2sec
8. K Al Qassimi/M Orr UAE Ford Focus RS 5hr 04min 18.8sec
9. P Sandell/E Axelsson SWE Skoda Fabia 5hr 10min 11.3sec
10 A Araujo/M Ramalho POR Mitsubishi Lancer 5hr 10min 29.6sec

Bron: M-Sport

Day 2: Hirvonen climbs to second in Cyprus,

Ford's Finns Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen overcame treacherous mud to power their Focus RS World Rally Car into second position in the Cyprus Rally today. They beat leader Sébastien Loeb on four of the five speed tests during the second leg of this third round of the FIA World Rally Championship, and arrived in Limassol tonight having reduced the margin between the pair to 49.8sec with one day remaining.

Hirvonen was fastest on the second special stage, a second win for the BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team following victory on the opening speed test for Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila. However, Latvala's day was ruined when he lost almost 22 minutes after sliding off the road on the next stage, dropping from fourth to 25th. He recovered to 19th this evening and remains in a points-scoring position for the team.

This is the first mixed surface round of the WRC since 1996 and after yesterday's asphalt action, BP Ford Abu Dhabi's mechanics converted the Focus RS WRCs into gravel specification for the final two days. The drivers tackled five rocky stages in the Troodos Mountains covering 115.60km and after torrential rain last night sections of this morning's loop of three tests resembled a mudbath. A strong wind ensured the roads dried quickly and by the afternoon conditions improved considerably.

The morning stages were so muddy that when Hirvonen returned to service at lunchtime, mechanics removed 95kg of mud clinging to his car!

Hirvonen, third overnight, climbed a place on this morning's second test and built a 10.8sec advantage over third-placed Dani Sordo as the drivers returned to Limassol for service at lunchtime. He stretched that lead to 46.2sec on this afternoon's two stages, while also cutting into Loeb's advantage at the head of the field.

"Conditions changed so frequently this morning that it was hard to find a rhythm," said 28-year-old Hirvonen. "Eighty per cent of the roads were wet and damp, and 30 per cent of that was very wet. Because of the muddy roads my start position gave me no advantage this morning, although they dried so quickly that there was a benefit this afternoon."

"The gap between myself and Loeb is too big for me to think about taking major risks tomorrow. But there are two long stages to drive and so I'll try to find a good pace, monitor the split times and see what happens. Those tests will be tough," added Hirvonen.

Latvala's fastest time on the opening stage reduced the gap between himself and Hirvonen to just 3.4sec but his hopes of a podium ended in the next 28.17km Pano Panagia stage. "About 7.5km after the start of the stage I reached a left-right combination of bends," said Latvala. "I entered the left corner too fast and had to cut the inside of the right bend to compensate. It was only second gear so I didn't have enough speed to climb out of the cut and back onto the road.

"The car became stuck in heavy sand on Miikka's side and there was nobody about to help. I ran back along the stage for 1km to find spectators who ran back with me and we were able to push the car out. It was just a slight mistake in my pace notes, they were too fast for the left corner. It's a big disappointment for me and the team. It's my first time in Cyprus and maybe I should not have tried to fight with the guys ahead.

"Having lost so much time it was tough to keep my concentration level high and I had a spin on the last stage. But I needed to continue driving fast to gain experience of these stages. They were technical but not as rough as I feared, certainly not as rough as the roads in Greece," added Latvala.

Abu Dhabi's Khalid Al Qassimi and Michael Orr moved up to 10th in their Focus RS WRC, despite handbrake sensor problems. "Some corners are so tight that it's necessary to touch the handbrake to make the car slide round the bend and when I wasn't able to do that I lost time. It was also tough for me to switch my mind from asphalt mode yesterday to gravel today," said Al Qassimi.

BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson said both Hirvonen and Latvala's cars ran perfectly, despite the tough conditions. "Mikko had a great day and reduced the deficit to Loeb and that bodes well for what could be the most difficult day of the rally tomorrow. Jari-Matti made a costly error when he slipped off the road but it was good to see him setting competitive times again immediately afterwards," he said.

News from other Ford teams

Stobart's Matthew Wilson and Scott Martin climbed from eighth to fifth, posting third fastest time on the penultimate stage. Federico Villagra and Jorge Perez Companc ended the leg in ninth in their Munchi's Ford car. Stobart's Henning Solberg and Cato Menkerud started under SupeRally rules after yesterday's retirement and climbed from 29th to 23rd, setting second fastest time on the last stage.

Tomorrow’s Route

The final leg heads back to the western side of the Troodos Mountains. Although it is the shortest day with only three gravel stages and 82.27km of competition, the opening two tests are 30km and 40km respectively, providing a real sting in the tail. Competitors leave Limassol at 07.45 and return there for the finish at 14.20.

Bron M-Sport

Day 1: Learning time for Ford as Cyprus Rally breaks new ground:

BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team ended today's opening leg of the Cyprus Rally in third and fourth as tyre talk dominated the first mixed surface round in the FIA World Rally Championship since 1996. Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen are third in their Ford Focus RS World Rally Car with team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila fourth in a similar car after a long day of competition over the island's twisty asphalt roads.

The Cyprus Rally has traditionally been one of the roughest and toughest gravel road rounds in the calendar. This season an extra twist was added by the introduction of today's all-asphalt leg ahead of two days of rocky loose surface tracks high in the Troodos Mountains, which are sure to provide a stern test of man and machine. To add further intrigue, the rules demanded drivers tackled the asphalt using Pirelli's gravel specification tyres – a unique challenge which added to a sense of the unknown.

Competitors tackled two identical loops of three speed tests north of Limassol on the western edge of the mountains covering 134.20km. Like their gravel counterparts, the asphalt was extremely winding and average speeds hovered around 80kph. The roads were slippery throughout, especially this afternoon when dirt dragged onto the surface during the morning pass created extra difficulties. Rain during the final test was a further irritant, especially after glorious sunshine graced the morning.

Hirvonen settled into third on the opening stage but admitted he was too cautious throughout the morning as he came to terms with the tyre challenge. "It was a hard morning because the grip level changed all the time," said the 28-year-old Finn. "Although the roads were dry, the surface was dusty and they were slippery and unpredictable and I wasn't totally confident. My tyres felt they were losing their edge on the last stage so I drove more cautiously, but actually they were fine at the finish. I just wasn't used to the feeling of gravel tyres on asphalt."

He resolved to attack harder this afternoon after the team's mechanics removed the front roll bar from his Focus RS WRC and the difference was clear. Having dropped 42.0sec to the leader in the morning, Hirvonen ceded only 18.2sec this afternoon to leave the margin at 60.2sec as the event switches to his more-favoured gravel surface tomorrow.

"My driving was much better. I got used to the conditions and the tyres but it was harder to find a rhythm on such twisty roads than I thought it would be. Tomorrow's stages are very rocky in places so I'm glad there is only one pass over each test. I hope it doesn't rain tonight. Third in the start order tomorrow in the dry will give me an advantage over the two drivers ahead who will have to sweep the loose gravel clear. If it rains then the advantage will be lost," he added.

Team-mate Latvala held fourth throughout the day, ending 8.1sec behind Hirvonen. "The afternoon was better than the morning and my tyre strategy worked well after lunch," he said. "Using gravel tyres was fine but I needed time to learn how to use them on this surface. I was too aggressive on the opening stage but once I understood what I needed to do, then things improved and the experience was better than I expected it to be.

"There was more grip on the abrasive sections but the smooth asphalt wasn't so good. It was frustrating to try so hard and still lose time but I didn't lose as much as I feared. I was realistic about how I would perform on asphalt and I'm looking forward to getting onto gravel tomorrow for the first time this season," added Latvala.

Abu Dhabi's Khalid Al Qassimi and Michael Orr lie 11th in the team's third Focus RS WRC. "It was an interesting day!" said Al Qassimi. "I realised at lunchtime that I could drive more quickly and I was pleased with my times generally, although conditions were even more slippery in the rain this afternoon. Tomorrow is a whole different rally. It's a different surface, a different set-up and a different way of driving. There is no room to cut corners, the stages are technical and it will be hard for both cars and drivers."

News from other Ford teams

Stobart drivers Matthew Wilson and Scott Martin are eighth, despite brake troubles late this morning and again this afternoon. Argentines Federico Villagra and Jorge Perez Companc are 10th on the Munchi's Ford team's 2009 debut. Stobart's Henning Solberg and Cato Menkerud retired en route to the opening stage after a collision with a non-competing vehicle. Nobody was injured in the accident but the cooling system on Solberg's car was damaged and could not be repaired. He will return to action tomorrow under SupeRally rules.

Tomorrow’s Route

The rally reverts to gravel tomorrow although the territory remains the same, with the Troodos Mountains hosting the action. After leaving Limassol at 07.00, drivers face an initial loop of three tests towards the western side of the mountains before returning to Limassol for service. The afternoon comprises two long tests in the centre of the range before drivers return to the town for the overnight halt at 19.03 after 115.60km of competition.

Leaderboard after Day 1
1. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 1hr 37min 46.3sec
2. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 1hr 38min 28.1sec
3. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 1hr 38min 46.5sec
4. J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Focus RS 1hr 38min 54.6sec
5. P Solberg/P Mills NOR Citroen Xsara 1hr 40min 13.4sec
6. S Ogier/J Ingrassia FRA Citroen C4 1hr 40min 49.6sec
7. E Novikov/D Moscatt RUS Citroen C4 1hr 41min 02.3sec
8. M Wilson/S Martin GBR Ford Focus RS 1hr 42min 12.2sec
9. C Rautenbach/D Barritt ZIM Citroen C4 1hr 42min 21.6sec
10 F Villagra/J Perez Companc ARG Ford Focus RS 1hr 42min 48.3sec

Bron: M-Sport

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