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Rally Spanje 2 t/m 4 oktober 2009
Hirvonen podium in Spain sets up exciting title
decider for Ford,
BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo
Lehtinen claimed a podium finish on Rally de España today to retain the
lead of the FIA World Rally Championship and set up an exciting final
round showdown later this month. The Finns' third place in a Ford Focus
RS World Rally Car on the flowing asphalt roads of Catalonia means they
will journey to the last round in Great Britain with a one-point
advantage in the drivers' standings.
Team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila finished sixth in
another Focus RS WRC after three days' demanding competition in the
hills near Salou, south of Barcelona. The smooth roads were similar to a
race circuit in their characteristics and dry conditions for all but a
few kilometres on Friday morning ensured consistent grip from Pirelli's
hard compound tyres. Competitors tackled 18 speed tests covering
353.62km.
Hirvonen, for whom asphalt is his least favourite surface, was realistic
about his chances of extending his four-event winning streak against
sealed surface experts. The 29-year-old set his sights on a podium to
main his championship lead. He eased into third on the opening morning
and when it became clear that he could not catch the drivers ahead, he
settled for third and solid points.
"I'm a bit disappointed because I wanted second place but third keeps me
in the lead of the championship," said Hirvonen. "It took me longer to
get used to asphalt than I would have liked but I learned a lot and I
think I now know what I need to do to improve my pace here next year.
For the last two days I've driven at a safe speed, at a pace which was
sufficient to keep Petter Solberg behind me in fourth. That was the
sensible thing to do with the title in mind.
"All I can think about now is going to Great Britain for the final round.
I'm really looking forward to it because it should be a fantastic
weekend. Whoever finishes highest there between myself and Sébastien
Loeb will take the title, and what an exciting way to end the season
that will be," he added.
Latvala was a model of consistency throughout. He finished sixth in 13
of the opening 14 special stages to establish a firm grip on sixth
overall. He experimented with different set-up specifications on his
Focus RS WRC and his speed increased as the weekend progressed. The
24-year-old finished on a high by winning the final test this afternoon.
"That was a good feeling after a tough weekend and it's my first fastest
time in Spain," he said. "My speed here wasn't as fast as I expected but
I drove sensibly and carefully and improved with every day and every
stage. I'm looking forward to getting back onto gravel in Britain later
this month. I enjoy that rally and hope I can play a part in an exciting
end to the championship."
Abu Dhabi's Khalid Al Qassimi and Michael Orr finished 14th in another
Focus RS WRC after retiring during the first day with a fractured
exhaust manifold. They returned under SupeRally rules and climbed from
42nd with a string of consistently strong times during the final two
days. "Being from the Middle East, I'm used to sand and gravel terrain
so driving on asphalt always requires more concentration as I'm not so
familiar with the surface," said Al Qassimi. "I'm really happy with how
I performed in the last two days. I enjoyed the stages and felt that my
driving was smooth."
BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson
reflected on a solid weekend for the team. "It's a good result for Mikko
to finish on the podium in what has been quite a tricky rally. To leave
Spain still leading the championship and to head to Britain with just a
point separating the top drivers means we should see a fantastic battle
there. Jari-Matti played a good team role and improved his pace
throughout the weekend, culminating in a stage win on the final test,"
he said.
Ford of Europe motorsport chief Gerard Quinn said: "Last month's win in
Australia was our fifth in a row and marked Ford's best-ever winning
streak in the WRC. We were realistic about our chances of extending that
record even further on asphalt and focused instead on preserving Mikko's
championship lead. We did that and now we go to Britain for a decisive
head-to-head fight for the title and what should be an exciting finale
to the year."
News from other Ford teams
Stobart drivers Matthew Wilson and Scott Martin finished seventh in a
Focus RS WRC, equalling their best asphalt performance. Team-mates
Henning Solberg and Cato Menkerud were ninth. Munchi's drivers Federico
Villagra and Jorge Perez Companc were eighth in their final round of the
season but team-mates Paul Bird and Ian Windress retired on the second
stage this morning after clipping a wall.
Next round
The final round of the season is Rally of Great Britain, which will be
fought out over fast gravel roads in south and mid-Wales. The rally is
based in Cardiff on 22 - 25 October.
Final positions
1. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 3hr 22min 14.7sec
2. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 3hr 22min 26.7sec
3. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 23min 08.8sec
4. P Solberg/P Mills NOR Citroen C4 3hr 23min 27.1sec
5. S Ogier/J Ingrassia FRA Citroen C4 3hr 23min 56.3sec
6. J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 25min 04.5sec
7. M Wilson/S Martin GBR Ford Focus RS 3hr 29min 30.2sec
8. F Villagra/J Perez Companc ARG Ford Focus RS 3hr 30min 42.8sec
9. H Solberg/C Menkerud NOR Ford Focus RS 3hr 31min 22.3sec
10 D Snobeck/G Mondesir FRA Peugeot 307 3hr 33min 10.7sec
Bron: M-Sport
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