Rally Portugal 2009

Einduitslag na dag 3:

Hirvonen claims second for Ford in Rally de Portugal
BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen maintained their perfect record of podium finishes this season when they finished second in Rally de Portugal today. It was the fourth consecutive podium for the Finns and their Ford Focus RS World Rally Car and keeps them in second place in the FIA World Rally Championship after four of the 12 rounds.

The rally, returning to the series after a year's absence, was the first all-gravel event of the season and was based in the Serra do Caldeirão hills, above the Algarve holiday resort of Faro. It mixed fast, open roads with narrow, more technical sections and there were many blind crests hiding sharp turns ready to trap the unwary. Hot and dry weather left the road surface coated by loose stones, while underneath the hard bedrock posed tough challenges for Pirelli's tyres.

Hirvonen led by 15.0sec after Friday's opening leg but as a result the 28-year-old Finn was first in the start order yesterday. He faced the unwelcome task of sweeping the loose gravel from the surface, leaving a cleaner and faster line for those behind. He knew he would lose time and ended the day 26.8sec from the lead. Today's final leg was the shortest of the three and Hirvonen quickly accepted there was no point in risking second place in an all-out attack that was likely to prove fruitless.

Nevertheless he won two of the five speed tests today, finishing 24.3sec behind Sébastien Loeb after 18 special stages covering 361.36km, all held in glorious sunshine and in front of huge crowds. It was his 19th consecutive points finish.

"It was incredibly dusty this morning," said Hirvonen. "I started the day thinking a win was possible but the dust hung in the cool air and I realised after the opening stage that in those conditions I had no chance of catching Loeb. I hoped to win here but it wasn't meant to be. I think second place was the maximum I could achieve. Eight points is good for me because many drivers scored zero.

"It's frustrating to see Loeb on top again but I'm not giving up on the championship title just yet – we are only a third of the way through the season. I go to every event hoping to win and without him I would do that! The car was excellent here and I really enjoyed the rally, although it was tough yesterday when I had to clean the road at the front," he added.

Khalid Al Qassimi and Michael Orr finished eighth in their Focus RS WRC on the Abu Dhabi driver's debut in Portugal. It was his third consecutive points finish. "This was my best gravel rally. Friday was hard because I slid off the road and then lost time with a turbo boost problem. The team did a great job in fixing it and I stepped up my pace as the weekend continued. My times steadily improved and I'm really happy with this result," said 37-year-old Al Qassimi.
Team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila crashed out of the lead during Friday's opening leg, their Focus RS WRC rolling almost 20 times as it plunged 150 metres down a hillside. Both escaped injury, testament to the strength of the Focus RS WRC, which was destroyed.

BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson was full of praise for Hirvonen. "It was another terrific performance by Mikko, especially as he was put under pressure again following Jari-Matti's accident on Friday. He claimed more valuable points in the drivers' championship. Jari-Matti will be back in a rally car tomorrow for a sponsor passenger ride event and that should help him regain his confidence. I'm confident he and Miikka will go on to deliver a solid and sensible drive in Argentina," he said.

Ford of Europe motorsport director Mark Deans said: "Clearly it was a mixed weekend for the team's fortunes. Jari-Matti's early exit, whilst proving the inherent strength of the Focus RS WRC, dealt our championship aspirations a blow on an event where a double podium was our target. Mikko took the fight to the world champion, securing valuable and well-earned points and we will now assess the situation and our strategy ahead of the next round in Argentina."

News from other Ford teams
Henning Solberg and Cato Menkerud came out on top in their battle with Stobart team-mates Matthew Wilson and Scott Martin. Solberg's Focus RS WRC moved ahead of Wilson to claim fifth on the penultimate stage when the Briton suffered brake problems and rolled near the end of the test. He regained the track, but in doing so his car's clutch burned out and he retired just a few hundred metres from the finish. Munchi's drivers Federico Villagra and Jose Diaz finished seventh in their Focus RS WRC, despite struggling with their pace notes in the dusty conditions.

Next round
Round five takes competitors outside of Europe for the first time this season. Rally Argentina, one of the championship's classic fixtures, is another gravel event and is based in Carlos Paz on 23 - 26 April.

Final positions
1. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 3hr 53min 13.1sec
2. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 53min 37.4sec
3. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 3hr 54min 58.5sec
4. P Solberg/P Mills NOR Citroen Xsara 3hr 55min 57.7sec
5. H Solberg/C Menkerud NOR Ford Focus RS 3hr 58min 59.4sec
6. M Østberg/O Unnerud NOR Subaru Impreza 3hr 59min 33.9sec
7. F Villagra/J Diaz ARG Ford Focus RS 4hr 06min 12.6sec
8. K Al Qassimi/M Orr UAE Ford Focus RS 4hr 11min 34.8sec
9. A Araújo/M Ramalho POR Mitsubishi Lancer 4hr 15min 31.6sec
10 M Prokop/J Tománek CZE Mitsubishi Lancer 4hr 16min 38.7sec

Drivers
1. S Loeb 40pts
2. M Hirvonen 30pts
3. D Sordo 23pts
4. P Solberg 14pts
5. H Solberg 14pts
6. M Wilson 8pts

Manufacturers
1. Citroen Total 64pts
2. BP Ford Abu Dhabi 40pts
3. Stobart VK M-Sport Ford 27pts
4. Citroen Junior 11pts
5. Munchi's Ford 7pts

Bron: M-Sport

Uitslag na dag 2:

Conditions hamper Hirvonen victory bid on Portuguese gravel
BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen lie second after today's second and penultimate leg of Rally de Portugal. The Finns endured the worst of the driving conditions on the slippery gravel tracks in the hills above the Algarve holiday resort of Faro, and returned to the town this evening 26.8sec from the lead in their Ford Focus RS World Rally Car.

After leading this fourth round of the FIA World Rally Championship last night, 28-year-old Hirvonen had the unenviable position of being first in the start order over today's six speed tests covering 145.18km. The recent spell of dry weather left the roads in the Serra do Caldeirão hills coated with loose gravel and Hirvonen faced the unwelcome task of sweeping the dusty roads to leave a cleaner and faster line for those behind.

He knew he would lose time to his rivals as a result but Hirvonen delivered a battling performance to minimise his loss. After restarting with a 15.0sec advantage, two second fastest times and a third place during the morning loop saw him reach the midday service break in second, just 6.9sec off the lead. That gap widened during the afternoon but Hirvonen has the opportunity to regain that time tomorrow when leader Sébastien Loeb must undertake the sweeping role.

"A gap of nearly 27sec is a lot but I won't settle for second," said Hirvonen. "I hope Loeb will struggle with the conditions, as I did today, because I'm not counting on him having a problem. It has been a hard day for the tyres. The roads were warm and abrasive, especially this afternoon, and perhaps I braked too aggressively because my front tyres were totally worn at the end of the last stage.

"First on the road wasn't easy. The surface was very loose this morning. Even this afternoon when we repeated the special stages I was still sweeping a little because the cars lower down the order take different lines and so the clear path that developed was dirty again. Tomorrow's stages are technical and hopefully there won't be any dust hanging in the air. My only option is to attack and drive flat out," he added.

Abu Dhabi's Khalid Al Qassimi and Michael Orr restarted in 22nd position and climbed to 11th in their Focus RS WRC. "I stalled the engine in the last stage this morning but I'm pleased with the day. The car performed well and I lifted my pace and style, entering corners in a different, but faster, way. In medium and low-speed corners I need to work out where the grip is and then I could go faster," said Al Qassimi.

Clear blue skies and temperatures nudging 24ºC brought huge crowds flocking into the hills. "The fans here are amazing. When I come into a corner all I can see is a sea of people," added Al Qassimi.
BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson praised Hirvonen's performance. "He drove incredibly well considering he was first in the start order and Loeb had the advantage of being third. I hoped the gap would be less than 20sec but he will continue to keep the pressure on tomorrow, especially as he has the benefit of a better position in the start order than Loeb," he said.

Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila have reported no lasting effects following their horrific accident yesterday when their Focus RS WRC plunged 150 metres down a hillside. Anttila flew to Finland this morning while Latvala will remain in Portugal for public relations work on Monday and Tuesday.

News from other Ford teams
Stobart drivers Matthew Wilson and Scott Martin and team-mates Henning Solberg and Cato Menkerud are split by just 0.9sec tonight in fifth and sixth respectively. Wilson stalled his Focus RS WRC's engine at a hairpin this morning, while Solberg struggled to find a rhythm. However, the Norwegian attacked hard this afternoon to close in on his colleague. The Munchi's Focus RS of Federico Villagra and Jose Diaz climbed from 12th to 10th.

Tomorrow’s Route
The final day is a shorter version of the opening two legs. After leaving Faro at 06.50, competitors tackle two identical loops of two stages in the Serra do Caldeirão hills, split by a return to the service park. A repeat of the super special stage inside Faro's international soccer stadium that started the action on Thursday evening brings the rally to a close after another 79.97km of competition. The finish takes place at the stadium at 14.10.

Leaderboard after Day 2
1. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 2hr 56min 15.6sec
2. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 2hr 56min 42.4sec
3. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 2hr 57min 12.0sec
4. P Solberg/P Mills NOR Citroen Xsara 2hr 58min 15.2sec
5. M Wilson/S Martin GBR Ford Focus RS 2hr 59min 38.5sec
6. H Solberg/C Menkerud NOR Ford Focus RS 2hr 59min 39.4sec
7. E Novikov/D Moscatt RUS Citroen C4 3hr 01min 15.0sec
8. M Østberg/O Unnerud NOR Subaru Impreza 3hr 01min 15.8sec
9. C Rautenbach/D Barritt ZIM Citroen C4 3hr 03min 06.2sec
10 F Villagra/J Perez Companc ARG Ford Focus RS 3hr 05min 50.7sec

Bron: M-Sport

Uitslag na dag 1:

Hirvonen leads for Ford after opening leg of Rally de Portugal
BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen lead Rally de Portugal after today's sun-kissed opening day in the hills above the Algarve. After a strong morning in unfavourable conditions, the Finns moved ahead this afternoon and built a 15.0sec lead in their Ford Focus RS World Rally Car. Team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila led initially before rolling 150 metres down a hillside, escaping injury thanks to the strength of their Focus RS.

This fourth round of the FIA World Rally Championship began with a spectacular speed test last night in Faro's international soccer stadium. It moved into top gear this morning in the Serra do Caldeirão hills, north-west of the holiday resort, where competitors tackled two identical loops of three special stages covering 134.00km.
Hirvonen was second in the start order, a less than favourable position as the dry tracks on the western edge of the hills were coated in loose gravel. The early starters unwittingly swept the stones clear to leave a cleaner and faster line for those behind, but Hirvonen shrugged off that disadvantage and ended the opening loop in third, just 6.4sec from the lead. The 28-year-old won the afternoon's opening test to take the lead and extended his advantage over the remaining two stages.

"It's great to be leading and I will give everything tomorrow to try to retain that," said Hirvonen. "I will be first in the start order with a lot of dust and gravel on the surface which will make it difficult. I don't know if my lead is big enough to offset that disadvantage, and I think start order will play a big part over the next two days, but I have defended my lead from the front before so it can be done. Before the rally, leading tonight wasn't in my plan but after Jari-Matti's crash our strategy changed.

"This morning my pace notes were a little slow for these roads. I think that was a carryover from the previous round in Cyprus where the stages were much slower. I wasn't happy with my rear differential so we replaced it and that brought a big improvement," said Hirvonen.

It wasn't a happy birthday for Latvala. The Finn, who is 24 today, took full advantage of his lower start position to set fastest time through the morning's opening two tests to build a 10.6sec lead. However, Latvala crashed heavily in the following stage, his Focus RS plunging over a roadside barrier and rolling down a hillside, eventually coming to rest 150 metres from the track. Video footage showed the car rolled almost 20 times. Incredibly both Latvala and Anttila escaped without serious injury thanks to the strength of the car.

"This was the biggest accident of my career," said Latvala. "All was going well as we approached a right bend over a crest before a slow left corner. I was carrying too much speed into the crest and the car lifted. It hit a bank, went up onto two wheels and over the barrier. I rolled maybe 150m off the road. As we rolled there was an incredible noise and the roll cage started to fold in around us. It was very frightening.

"I should have slowed before the crest, not on top of it. I was driving with my eyes and not with my pace notes. I've made it a frustrating period for the team because I've had too many crashes. I'd like to say a big thank you to the team for building a car that is so strong that we walked away with only a few bruises. If we had suffered that accident 20 years ago, we probably wouldn't be alive," he added.

Abu Dhabi's Khalid Al Qassimi and Michael Orr lie 21st after Al Qassimi's first experience of the Portuguese stages. A consistent pace kept him in 13th through the day until a lack of turbo boost on the final test cost six minutes. "These roads were very fast and I needed to be fully committed over the crests. It's important to keep the car in the clear line otherwise it's easy to slide wide. I did slide into the bank on the second stage and I thought the car might be damaged, but everything was OK," he said.

BP Ford team director Malcolm Wilson reflected on a day of mixed fortunes. "Jari-Matti's accident has taken away our team strength and put the pressure onto Mikko, but he copes well with it. He must try everything to win this rally and both he and the car have shown good pace here," he said.

"We were happy with Jari-Matti's times. He wasn't going crazy but crashed at a slow corner where he had a double caution in his pace notes. Firstly, we're all relieved that both he and Miikka escaped injury. It was an incredible accident and the fact they are both unhurt is testament to the strength of the Focus RS WRC. They owe their lives to that. It is a tribute to the skill and many hours of hard work put in by the team in designing and developing such a robust car that they climbed out uninjured.

"The crash was a huge disappointment. Jari-Matti was comfortable and we felt he was under control. We need to look at what happened and work with him to find the answers. He will drive for the team in Argentina as planned and I have 100 per cent confidence in his abilities," said Wilson.

News from other Ford teams
Stobart drivers Matthew Wilson and Scott Martin are seventh in a Focus RS, despite pace note difficulties this morning, while team-mates Henning Solberg and Cato Menkerud are ninth, after losing time with brake problems this morning. Munchi's duo Federico Villagra and Jose Diaz lie 12th.

Tomorrow’s Route
The second leg is the longest of the event, covering 145.18km of competition. After leaving Faro at 08.40, drivers tackle two identical loops of three stages on the northern edge of the Serra do Caldeirão hills, split by a return to the service park at Faro's soccer stadium. They return to the rally base for the final overnight halt at 18.45.

Leaderboard after Day 1
1. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 1hr 24min 12.6sec
2. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 1hr 24min 27.6sec
3. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 1hr 24min 30.6sec
4. M Grönholm/T Rautiainen FIN Subaru Impreza 1hr 24min 38.5sec
5. P Solberg/P Mills NOR Citroen Xsara 1hr 24min 54.8sec
6. S Ogier/J Ingrassia FRA Citroen C4 1hr 25min 16.6sec
7. M Wilson/S Martin GBR Ford Focus RS 1hr 25min 27.2sec
8. E Novikov/D Moscatt RUS Citroen C4 1hr 25min 46.3sec
9. H Solberg/C Menkerud NOR Ford Focus RS 1hr 25min 46.4sec
10 M Østberg/O Unnerud NOR Subaru Impreza 1hr 26min 54.7sec

Bron: M-Sport

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