30.3.2008 - Hirvonen dropped into second position in WRC after gruelling Rally Argentina
BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team retained its lead in the FIA World Rally Championship after a punishing fourth round in Argentina this weekend. Resilient performances from Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen and team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila in Ford Focus RS World Rally Cars earned the squad a solid points score on the rain-hit Rally Argentina. The double world champions now lead the manufacturers' standings by three points.
Hirvonen and Lehtinen staged a tremendous fightback after suspension problems on the opening day to finish fifth, while fellow Finns Latvala and Anttila recovered from a first day roll and a broken starter motor yesterday to finish 15th. The double points haul was far more than had looked possible midway through yesterday's second leg as rocky roads and treacherous conditions sparked a high rate of attrition among the leading drivers.
Heavy rain before and during the event meant the sandy gravel roads near Carlos Paz in Cordoba province were muddy and rutted. As the roads became softer, rocks that had not been visible during the recce became exposed, causing problems for many. Despite the rain, an estimated 1.5 million people flocked into the pampas and the mountains to watch the three-day event, which was fought out over 21 speed tests covering 347.91km.
Hirvonen was a comfortable leader during the first morning until he hit a rock, breaking a track control arm in the front suspension and he was sidelined for the day. The 27-year-old Finn restarted yesterday in 25th and avoided the carnage affecting those around him to power back to sixth. He took no risks on today's final leg, the bulk of which was based amid the lunar-like landscape of the Traslasierra mountains and contained two of the rockiest and toughest speed tests of the season. He gained one more position and leaves south America second in the drivers' standings, five points behind the leader.
"After Friday's problems, I never thought I could climb this high," said Hirvonen. "I'm surprised to score points and luckily Loeb isn't so far ahead in the championship. He's only five points in front and I thought it would be nine, so that's some comfort. But I'm still disappointed because I made such a good start to lead and I could have won, but that's life. I found more speed than I had on the last round in Mexico but today I drove carefully because conditions were slippery and foggy."
BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson reflected on an event that he described 'as the worst for the team since the China Rally in 1999'. "But our team spirit shone through after a tough opening day, we recovered well and we still lead the championship. We salvaged good points from a tricky situation and that was far better than it looked earlier in the rally," he said.
News from our Rivals
Sébastien Loeb (Citroen) secured his fourth consecutive Rally Argentina victory, crossing the finish with a 2min 33.2sec advantage. Petter Solberg (Subaru) was on course for second but the Norwegian stopped on the opening stage with electrical problems. Team-mate Chris Atkinson benefited to take his second consecutive runners-up position ahead of Dani Sordo (Citroen). Privateer Conrad Rautenbach (Citroen) took a career-best fourth with Munchi's Federico Villagra (Ford) claiming his best WRC result in sixth. The problems continued to pile up for the leading drivers. Stobart's Matthew Wilson and Henning Solberg (both Ford) each stopped with broken front suspension while Toni Gardemeister (Suzuki) suffered his third retirement of the weekend with broken power steering.
Next round
The championship's third consecutive event outside Europe takes teams to Jordan next month for the first time. The all-gravel Jordan Rally is based at the Dead Sea on 24 - 27 April.
Final positions
1. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 4hr 05min 48.6sec
2. C Atkinson/S Prévot AUS Subaru Impreza 4hr 08min 21.8sec
3. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 4hr 09min 53.3sec
4. C Rautenbach/D Senior ZIM Citroen C4 4hr 25min 52.1sec
5. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 4hr 31min 03.9sec
6. F Villagra/J Perez Companc ARG Ford Focus RS 4hr 33min 30.6sec
7. G Galli/G Bernacchini ITA Ford Focus RS 4hr 33min 40.4sec
8. A Aigner/K Wicha GER Mitsubishi Lancer 4hr 34min 47.9sec
9. S Beltran/R Rojas ARG Mitsubishi Lancer 4hr 35min 53.5sec
10 J Ketomaa/M Teiskonen FIN Subaru Impreza 4hr 37min 41.2sec
29.3.2008 - Hirvonen fires Ford into top six as Argentina gets tough again
BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen staged a superb recovery to power back up the Rally Argentina leaderboard today. During a second gruelling day of competition, which again proved too much for many rivals, the Finns kept cool to stay out of trouble and battle back from an overnight 25th to hold sixth position in a Ford Focus RS World Rally Car.
Team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila held eighth in their Focus RS until a heavy impact with a rock damaged their car's starter motor and the Finns were unable to make repairs in the time allowed. Their car was later restored to full health and 22-year-old Latvala will return for tomorrow's final day under SupeRally regulations.
After yesterday's tough opening to this fourth round of the FIA World Rally Championship, today's route was equally demanding. Two identical loops of four sandy speed tests in the Calamuchita valley, south of Carlos Paz, were followed by a second pass over the short special stage at Cordoba's soccer stadium. Competitors returned to Carlos Paz after 154.38km of competition. In contrast to yesterday, the day was rain-free but the roads remained muddy and slippery after yesterday's downpours.
Hirvonen, who led yesterday before broken suspension sidelined him for the afternoon, returned this morning with a healthy Focus RS after sterling repair work from the BP Ford Abu Dhabi mechanics. The Finns were consistently fast on the morning loop and returned to service having climbed back into the manufacturers' points in 17th.
The afternoon was even better for 27-year-old Hirvonen as the roads, now rough and rocky after the morning pass, took their toll on man and machine. One second fastest time and three third quickest performances enabled him to storm up to sixth and fifth in the manufacturers' points standings.
"I didn't think I could make up so many positions," he admitted. "It was hard to find motivation this morning looking at our position but I was quite excited this afternoon when cars started to fall by the wayside. Tomorrow the plan is to drive flat out because anything can happen ahead and I could score a lot more points here than I thought was possible last night. I don't want to let Loeb leave here with too many more points than us. It was incredibly rough and the car took some massive hits underneath this afternoon, but the Focus is strong and we were OK, although the impacts cracked the windscreen and the drivers' side window."
BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson reflected on another difficult day. "Mikko's car ran perfectly and he did a great job," he said. "Jari-Matti's car took a big hit on the sump guard and he didn't realise the damage. He completed all the stages this morning which is good experience for the future and he will return tomorrow for more experience and perhaps gain some points," he said.
News from our Rivals
Sébastien Loeb (Citroen) maintained his lead after winning three stages, the Frenchman still 80sec clear. Team-mates Chris Atkinson and Petter Solberg (both Subaru) fought over second. Atkinson was overhauled by Solberg on the opening stage but kept the gap small until Solberg pulled away this afternoon to end 48.9sec ahead. Dani Sordo (Citroen) is fourth, ahead of privateer Conrad Rautenbach (Citroen). Many leading drivers failed to last the day. Stobart's Gigi Galli (Ford), in fourth, damaged his exhaust on the morning's final stage and resulting electrical problems could not be repaired in time at service. Team-mate Matthew Wilson (Ford) was sixth when a broken track control arm sidelined him. Third squad member, Henning Solberg, completed the first loop to increase his experience after losing time yesterday before withdrawing at the midday service. Toni Gardemeister (Suzuki) drove all four morning tests with only rear-wheel drive after a front driveshaft broke and was later sidelined with no hydraulic pressure. Team-mate Per-Gunnar Andersson stopped with broken suspension.
Tomorrow's Route
The final day is the shortest of the rally with just 42.67km of competition but is no easier. The narrow and rocky Giulio Cesare and El Condor tests, high in the lunar-like landscape of the Traslasierra mountains to the south-west of Carlos Paz, are two of the toughest in the championship. The survivors will then head to Cordoba's soccer stadium as two cars at a time race around a revised route from the previous two days. After leaving Carlos Paz at 06.55, drivers will reach the finish in the town at 13.10.
Leaderboard after Day 2
1. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 3hr 28min 16.5sec
2. P Solberg/P Mills NOR Subaru Impreza 3hr 29min 36.1sec
3. C Atkinson/S Prévot AUS Subaru Impreza 3hr 30min 25.0sec
4. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 3hr 31min 48.8sec
5. C Rautenbach/D Senior ZIM Citroen C4 3hr 46min 16.6sec
6. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 53min 01.0sec
7. A Aigner/K Wicha GER Mitsubishi Lancer 3hr 53min 43.7sec
8. F Villagra/J Perez Companc ARG Ford Focus RS 3hr 54min 09.9sec
9. N Al-Attiyah/C Patterson QAT Subaru Impreza 3hr 54min 34.8sec
10 S Beltran/R Rojas ARG Mitsubishi Lancer 3hr 54min 50.4sec
28.3.2008 - Hirvonen and Latvala deliver six of the best in Rally Argentina
BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team won six of the nine speed tests during today's demanding opening leg of Rally Argentina. Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen and team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila each claimed three victories in Ford Focus RS World Rally Cars, but problems for both Finnish pairings kept them down the order tonight. Latvala is eighth after rolling this morning while Hirvonen retired from the lead after hitting a rock and breaking the suspension.
This fourth round of the FIA World Rally Championship has not run in March for several years, but there was little of the fading south American summer to enjoy in the pampas of Cordoba province today. The vast open plains of the Punilla Valley, north of the rally base in Carlos Paz, were blitzed by fog, low cloud, heavy rain and mud this morning before - finally - sunshine made a brief appearance.
Massive crowds packed Cordoba last night for the start ceremony, more than 50,000 fans lining the roads as competitors headed out of the city to Carlos Paz. The action began in earnest this morning but constantly changing conditions made life difficult for competitors over the 150.86km of gravel speed tests. Cool temperatures made it hard for drivers to generate heat into the hard compound Pirelli Scorpion tyres that regulations demand all competitors use and mud ensured normal grip was sporadic.
Thick fog shrouded the hills around La Cumbre for the first two special stages but Hirvonen set an astounding pace. He was fastest by a remarkable 48.1sec on the opening stage and went on to win the next test and the last of the four stages in the opening loop, to return to the midday service in Carlos Paz with a lead of 50.8sec.
"I couldn't see much in the first stage because of fog and visibility was down to 10 metres in places, but I'm not afraid to drive fast when I can't see," said Hirvonen. "I had no idea how good my speed was and at the finish my first words to Jarmo were 'we've either lost a minute or won a minute'. My pace notes worked really well and in fog that is so important. There was also a lot of rain and the stage was treacherous."
However, 8km from the end of the afternoon's opening test, Hirvonen's run at the front ended. "I hit a big rock in a left corner with the wheel on full lock and the impact broke the bolts in the track control arm. The rock was in a rut and became exposed after the first pass through the stage so it's not something I would have had in my pace notes. I was unlucky and I'm disappointed because the rally started well and I needed a win here and the points," he said. He will restart tomorrow under SupeRally rules in 25th position.
BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson said the day was 'probably the most difficult we've had since we launched the new Focus RS in Finland last August'. "We were in an incredible position after the first stage only to lose Jari-Matti and then Mikko after an uncharacteristic mistake. But the Focus RS won seven out of the nine stages, and that's quite some statistic," he said.
News from our Rivals
Sébastien Loeb (Citroen) replaced Hirvonen in top spot and built an overnight lead of 1min 30.6sec, despite winning only one stage. Chris Atkinson (Subaru) lies second, despite spinning twice on the penultimate test, with team-mate Petter Solberg in third, although the Norwegian drove all afternoon with a broken front shock absorber. Stobart driver Gigi Galli (Ford) won one stage and lies fourth, moving ahead of Dani Sordo (Citroen) on the penultimate stage when the Spaniard had power steering problems. Munchi's Federico Villagra (Ford) rounds off the top six on his home rally. There have been many retirements, including Henning Solberg (Ford) and Toni Gardemeister (Suzuki), who both hit rocks and broke their cars' suspension. Per-Gunnar Andersson (Suzuki) failed to reach the first stage following an engine sensor problem and Luis Perez Companc (Ford) slid off the road on the penultimate test.
Tomorrow's Route
The second day is held over faster roads south of Carlos Paz in the Calamuchita valley. After starting at 06.10, drivers face two identical loops of four tests, split by a return to Carlos Paz for service in the middle of the day. The leg ends with a second pass over the short test at Cordoba's soccer stadium before competitors reach the final overnight halt at 20.10 after 154.38km of competition.
Leaderboard after Day 1
1. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 1hr 54min 28.0sec
2. C Atkinson/S Prévot AUS Subaru Impreza 1hr 55min 58.6sec
3. P Solberg/P Mills NOR Subaru Impreza 1hr 56min 06.9sec
4. G Galli/G Bernacchini ITA Ford Focus RS 1hr 56min 15.7sec
5. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 1hr 56min 34.9sec
6. F Villagra/J Perez Companc ARG Ford Focus RS 1hr 59min 16.3sec
7. M Wilson/S Martin GBR Ford Focus RS 2hr 00min 46.3sec
8. J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Focus RS 2hr 03min 55.5sec
9. C Rautenbach/D Senior ZIM Citroen C4 2hr 04min 59.8sec
10 A Aigner/K Wicha GER Mitsubishi Lancer 2hr 06min 49.0sec
20.3.2008 - Passion in the pampas awaits Ford drivers on Argentine mission
Ford takes its FIA World Rally Championship lead back across the Atlantic Ocean next week for the second fixture in the Americas this month. Having increased its advantage in the manufacturers' standings on Mexico's gravel roads, BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team journeys to Rally Argentina (27 - 30 March) for an event that generates a special ambience unmatched anywhere else during the season.
The reigning champion holds a 12-point lead with the Ford Focus RS World Rally Car going into this fourth round of the 15-event series. Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen top the drivers' championship by a single point with team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila in third place ahead of this second consecutive gravel event.
Rally Argentina never fails to excite in a country where the tango mirrors the passion and fervour for life. It is surrounded by colour and the atmosphere crackles as more than a million fanatical Latin Americans flock out into the vast pampas of Cordoba province for a weekend-long fiesta. The scenery is stunning too, ranging from huge expanses of open plains north of the host town of Carlos Paz to the mountains further west where rocky ribbons of road wind through a dramatic moon-like landscape.
The Argentine speed tests differ hugely in their characteristics as the rally visits three different valleys of the province and provide some of the most varied special stages of the season. In general the roads are soft and sandy, with many river crossings, and frequently become rutted during the second pass. In contrast, Sunday morning's El Condor and Giulio Césare mountain tests are narrow and rocky with no margin for error.
This will be Hirvonen's fifth Argentine start with third last year the best result for the 27-year-old Finn. As championship leader he will again be first in the start order on the opening day. If conditions are dry he is likely to encounter slippery loose gravel on the road surface in the morning, which he will sweep clean for the benefit of those behind.
"I can't change that situation so there's no point in worrying about it," said Hirvonen. "I learned things about running first on the road in Mexico that will help me in Argentina, but I don't think it will be as big a disadvantage here as it was in Mexico. Argentina is the greatest country to drive in of any of the WRC rounds. The fans are so enthusiastic and on some stages the road is lined with people virtually from start to finish. It's a fantastic atmosphere and something that I really notice from inside the car.
"The rally is varied, with many different types of roads which make it interesting to drive. It's quite flowing throughout, but it's not flat out all the way and the stages can be rough in places. It's important to be careful at the river crossings. During the recce we check how deep the water is, and it's not normally a problem for the Focus to tackle them flat out. But if it rains between the recce and the rally then more care is needed because we don't know how deep the water will be," added Hirvonen.
Team News
* As part of the sport's new regulations, BP Ford Abu Dhabi will have just one tyre pattern from Pirelli. The Scorpion gravel tyre will be available in hard compound only. Because anti-deflation mousse is also outlawed this year, the Scorpion includes reinforced sidewalls to offer increased protection against punctures Teams are not allowed to hand-carve additional cuts into the rubber and each car can carry two spares.
* Five other Focus RS cars will start the rally. Gigi Galli / Giovanni Bernacchini and Henning Solberg / Cato Menkerud will be nominated for points by the Stobart VK M-Sport team. Matthew Wilson / Scott Martin will drive a third Stobart car. Munchi's Ford World Rally Team, competing on home ground, has nominated Federico Villagra / Jorge Pérez Companc and Luis Pérez Companc / José María Volta to score.
* Following Rally Argentina, BP Ford Abu Dhabi will hold a four-day research and development test on gravel in Spain on 14 - 17 April. Hirvonen will drive for the first two days with Latvala taking over for the last two.
Rally Route
The rally remains faithful to its traditional format of visiting the three valleys of Cordoba province, each of which offers stages of differing character and landscape. However, several of last year's scheduled opening day tests near La Falda have been dropped and two stages not used for several years have been reintroduced. Organisers have also scrapped the opening stage in Buenos Aires' River Plate soccer stadium. The first day heads north from the Carlos Paz base into the Punilla Valley while the second leg, the longest of the event, heads south to the Calamuchita valley for a double pass over faster roads. Both days end with a new stage at Cordoba's soccer stadium, but without using the main arena. The final leg covers just 42km south-west of Carlos Paz in the Traslasierra mountains, comprising the rocky El Condor and Giulio Césare tests, two of the most famous and toughest in the championship, which peak at 2195m. It ends with a super special stage over a different route at the stadium. Drivers face 21 stages covering 347.91km in a route of 1619.45km.
