18.5.2008 - Double podium in Sardinia keeps Ford ahead in world title race
BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team finished second and third in an enthralling Rally d'Italia Sardegna today to retain the lead in both the manufacturers' and drivers' standings in the FIA World Rally Championship. Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen claimed second in a Ford Focus RS World Rally Car, with Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila third in a similar car. Ford preserves its seven- point advantage in the manufacturers' series while Hirvonen is three points ahead in the drivers' table.
This sixth round of the 15-rally series was the first European gravel fixture of the season. Based in the north-east of Sardinia, the three-day event was characterised by tough narrow tracks south of Olbia. Competitors tackled 17 speed tests covering 344.73km, and despite heavy rain before the start, the rally itself was dry, although cloudy skies ensured temperatures were cooler than expected.
Hirvonen and Latvala began today's final leg in equal second place, tied to the tenth of a second. Both endured a disappointing opening day when Hirvonen struggled for speed after being first in the start order on roads covered by slippery loose gravel, and Latvala dropped more than 90sec with a puncture. However, the Finns fought back yesterday to take first and second on every stage to reel in leader Sébastien Loeb and start today just 29.4sec behind.
Both drivers ate into the Frenchman's lead during the opening three special stages, Hirvonen leading the charge. But when they realised the time gap was too big, they eased their pace, content to settle for podium positions. Twenty-seven-year-old Hirvonen won two tests today and eventually finished just 10.6sec behind Loeb and 4.7sec ahead of his 23-year-old team-mate.
"The first stage this morning was great but I went off the road briefly on the next about 1km after the start," said Hirvonen. "I hit a rock and didn't know what damage I had done so I knew I had to ease off slightly. I thought I had a puncture but Pirelli's tyres are strong and the rubber stayed inflated. At one point I was worried I wouldn't make the finish. This afternoon I started to go flat out to try to take time from Loeb, but I realised it wasn't going to happen so I decided not to take any more risks and dropped my pace. Jari-Matti's split times were good so I couldn't ease off too much.
"I needed more speed on Friday but apart from that, this was a good rally. If I continue to lead the championship and be first in the start order, then I need to find more speed on the first day when conditions are slippery. If I can't win, then I need to take second and that's what I did here," he added.
BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson was delighted with the weekend. "We decided that it wasn't realistic to catch Loeb and our drivers were happy to settle for their positions. Yesterday was very special, and I'm not sure anyone has taken that kind of time out of Loeb in a single day when he was fighting for victory and that bodes well for the future. Road position was more crucial here than we thought, and that was a surprise, but our cars ran reliably all rally," he said.
Ford of Europe motorsport director Mark Deans said: "Despite a truly committed charge to secure the win, the significance of maximising our points in the manufacturers' championship wasn't missed by the drivers and as a result we've maintained our seven point lead in the standings. That's a reassuring position in which to be as we head into the tough rallies in Greece and Turkey."
News from our Rivals
Sébastien Loeb (Citroen) claimed a record 40th world rally win with his fourth success of the season. Stobart's Gigi Galli (Ford) took fourth with Dani Sordo (Citroen) and Chris Atkinson(Subaru) rounding off the top six. Ninth for Per-Gunnar Andersson gave Suzuki the final manufacturers' point. Today's only major retirement was Toni Gardemeister (Suzuki), who stopped after an electrical fire.
Next round
The championship remains in the Mediterranean when round seven takes the team to Greece later this month. The all-gravel Acropolis Rally of Greece is based in Athens on 29 May - 1 June.
Final positions
1. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 3hr 57min 17.2sec
2. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 57min 27.8sec
3. J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 57min 32.5sec
4. G Galli/G Bernacchini ITA Ford Focus RS 3hr 58min 59.7sec
5. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 3hr 59min 22.8sec
6. C Atkinson/S Prévot AUS Subaru Impreza 4hr 02min 25.8sec
7. H Solberg/C Menkerud NOR Ford Focus RS 4hr 03min 18.2sec
8. U Aava/K Sikk EST Citroen C4 4hr 03min 38.5sec
9. P-G Andersson/J Andersson SWE Suzuki SX4 4hr 05min 05.9sec
10 P Solberg/P Mills NOR Subaru Impreza 4hr 06min 58.2sec
17.5.2008 - Hirvonen and Latvala shares second position in second day of WRC Italy
BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team delivered a perfect performance on today's second day of Rally d'Italia Sardegna to power up the leaderboard into second and third places. Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila won all six demanding speed tests on the gravel roads of the Mediterranean island in their Ford Focus RS World Rally Car to climb from seventh to second. Team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen were second on every test in a similar Focus RS to take third position.
Remarkably the Finnish pairings are tied to the tenth of a second after two days and 266.16km of flat out driving on narrow tracks south of the rally base in Olbia. Latvala holds second on the tie-break rule - a faster time on the rally's opening stage giving him the nod over his colleague. It also means that the 23-year-old will be second in the start order tomorrow, ahead of Hirvonen.
Two loops of three special stages covering 134.60km provided today's stern challenge. Early light rain cleared and the roads were essentially dry - just the conditions the BP Ford Abu Dhabi drivers wanted. Hirvonen, who restarted in fourth, and Latvala, in seventh, were in ideal road positions to attack their rivals ahead who had to endure more difficult conditions on the slippery gravel-covered surface.
With the loose stones swept from the roads by the cars ahead, the Focus RS duo set a blistering pace. They climbed to second and third on the final stage of the morning loop and continued their charge during the afternoon to end the day 29.4sec behind leader Sébastien Loeb. Such was Latvala's pace today that he was more than a minute quicker than Loeb.
Hirvonen had the unwanted position of being first in the start order yesterday and was delighted to reap the benefits of a lower position today. "I looked at the data from my car last night and decided not to make any changes to the set-up," said the 27-year-old. "Everything felt the same as yesterday but I set much better times. Maybe my bad road position yesterday was a bigger issue than we originally thought.
"My position tomorrow is better than Loeb and Jari-Matti, and Seb will need to drive flat out as he will be clearing the road for us. I didn't think first on the road would be so bad here, but I struggled yesterday and Loeb did the same today. He has a 29sec lead and that's still a big gap but we have a chance tomorrow. Much will depend on whether it is wet or dry," added Hirvonen.
BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson described his drivers' performances as 'stunning'. "Jari-Matti was fastest on every stage. I felt last night that we could climb to second and third but I didn't think we would do it as quickly as we did. There are still almost 80km remaining so we need to keep the pressure on. It looks good when you look at how much we've reduced the deficit," he said.
News from our Rivals
Sébastien Loeb (Citroen) had the unenviable task of starting first on the road today and sweeping slippery loose gravel from the surface, but retained his lead as Ford's duo closed in. Stobart's Gigi Galli (Ford) climbed to fourth on the opening stage this morning before a spin cost him a place. However, the Italian regained fourth on the penultimate test. Dani Sordo (Citroen) was second overnight but struggled throughout and slipped to fifth with Chris Atkinson (Subaru) rounding off the top six. Petter Solberg (Subaru) fell from third on the opening test and then stopped to change a puncture on the second stage. He ended the leg in 10th. The only major retirement was Toni Gardemeister (Suzuki), who stopped after the penultimate stage with broken rear suspension.
Tomorrow's Route
The final day is the shortest of the rally. After leaving Olbia at 07.00, competitors face two loops of two tests south of the town, before a short final stage along the Costa Smeralda coastline, just south of Porto Cervo. The finish is in Porto Cervo at 14.30 after another 78.57km of competition.
Leaderboard after Day 2
1. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 2hr 59min 21.5sec
2= J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Focus RS 2hr 59min 50.9sec
2= M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 2hr 59min 50.9sec
4. G Galli/G Bernacchini ITA Ford Focus RS 3hr 00min 39.2sec
5. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 3hr 00min 52.8sec
6. C Atkinson/S Prévot AUS Subaru Impreza 3hr 02min 03.6sec
7. H Solberg/C Menkerud NOR Ford Focus RS 3hr 03min 50.5sec
8. U Aava/K Sikk EST Citroen C4 3hr 03min 56.0sec
9. P-G Andersson/J Andersson SWE Suzuki SX4 3hr 05min 07.4sec
10 P Solberg/P Mills NOR Subaru Impreza 3hr 06min 50.7sec
16.5.2008 - Ford's Finns remain solid after tricky opening day in Sardinia
BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team completed today's opening leg of Rally d'Italia Sardegna with its lead pairings each holding points-scoring positions after a difficult day's competition on the Mediterranean island. Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen, leaders of the drivers' standings in the FIA World Rally Championship, hold fourth in a Ford Focus RS World Rally Car. Team-mates and fellow Finns Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila are seventh at the wheel of another Focus RS.
Latvala led this sixth round of the championship this morning before a mistake sent him tumbling down the leaderboard but he recovered well to climb the order again. Hirvonen was never truly happy with his performance, although the Finn was hindered by running first in the start order when road conditions were at their most difficult this morning.
Following last night's start ceremony in the exclusive resort of Porto Cervo, perched on Sardinia's shimmering Costa Smeralda coastline, competitors tackled two identical loops of three narrow gravel speed tests south of the rally base in Olbia. Clouds covered the normally sun-kissed holiday island throughout the 131.56km of competition and a stiff breeze kept temperatures lower than anticipated.
As championship leader Hirvonen was first in the start order all day. Conditions were slippery throughout, but during the morning he was unsure whether that was due to heavy rain earlier this week or loose gravel on the road surface. He completed the opening loop tied in third before dropping one position this afternoon. The 27-year-old Finn is just 5.1sec from third and in the middle of a fierce four-car battle which is covered by just over 18sec.
"My feeling with the car was good and the handling was fine but when I tried to control my speed it didn't work," said Hirvonen. "I've not had the pace and I don't know why because I've not been over-driving. I want to go and check the data from my car to try to find where I'm losing time. Jari-Matti has a slightly different set-up so I'll check his data too. It was slippery all day but it wasn't just me that was affected by that. It's still possible to get to second, which is the minimum I want from this rally.
"This morning the roads were really slippery and I couldn't push any harder. At times I was driving from ditch to ditch and in places I eased off because I didn't want to go off the road. I'm not sure if I was losing time because I was cleaning the loose gravel, or because I was breaking the damp surface and the cars behind had better grip. It was a strange day," he added.
News from our Rivals
Sébastien Loeb (Citroen) moved to the front on the second stage and set three fastest times as he built a 35.7sec advantage over team-mate Dani Sordo, who improved his car's balance this afternoon. Petter Solberg (Subaru) was unhappy with his car's shock absorbers this morning but changes in service helped the Norwegian climb from fifth to third. Team-mate Chris Atkinson went the other way, the Australian holding third this morning before ending the day in fifth. Stobart's Gigi Galli (Ford) dropped a minute on the second stage with a rear left puncture but the Italian delighted home fans by winning one stage and posting top three times on all the others to recover to sixth. Andreas Mikkelsen (Ford) was fifth fastest on the opening test but rolled out on the next stage.
Tomorrow's Route
The second day is the longest of the rally and again comprises two identical loops of three stages, split by a return to Olbia for service. The opening stage is based in the same territory as today, while the other two are slightly further inland in the Gallura region. After leaving Olbia at 08.00, drivers cover 134.60km of competition before returning for the final overnight halt at 18.44.
Leaderboard after Day 1
1. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 1hr 31min 27.6sec
2. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 1hr 32min 03.3sec
3. P Solberg/P Mills NOR Subaru Impreza 1hr 32min 21.4sec
4. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 1hr 32min 26.5sec
5. C Atkinson/S Prévot AUS Subaru Impreza 1hr 32min 36.6sec
6. G Galli/G Bernacchini ITA Ford Focus RS 1hr 32min 39.9sec
7. J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Focus RS 1hr 32min 58.7sec
8. H Solberg/C Menkerud NOR Ford Focus RS 1hr 33min 20.1sec
9. U Aava/K Sikk EST Citroen C4 1hr 33min 47.4sec
10 T Gardemeister/T Tuominen FIN Suzuki SX4 1hr 33min 50.5sec
9.5.2008 - Ford bids to bring Finnish sparkle to Sardinia's Emerald Coast
Following three consecutive fixtures outside Europe, BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team steps up the pace in the FIA World Rally Championship next week as the series returns there for the first time since February. After mastering near 40ºC temperatures with victory in Jordan last month, the heat is turned up metaphorically for the championship leader as Rally d'Italia Sardegna (15 - 18 May) marks the first of a burst of three Mediterranean rallies in five weekends to take the series to the summer halt.
Although this is round six of the 15-event championship, the speed tests on Italy's sun-kissed holiday island mark the first occasion in which Ford's WRC gladiators will taste European gravel this season - it is quickly followed by Greece and Turkey. The industrial town of Olbia, below the shimmering Costa Smeralda coastline in the north-east of the island, provides the rally base while Porto Cervo, one of Europe's most luxurious resorts, hosts the start and finish ceremonies.
A key characteristic of Sardinia's speed tests is their narrowness and drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen and team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila know mistakes can be punished as rocks line the edge of the tracks, waiting to batter a car's suspension or attack its tyres. A sandy surface masks a hard base below and roads can be rutted and rocky during the second pass, demanding strength from the team's Focus RS World Rally Cars and durability from Pirelli's Scorpion tyres.
Hirvonen's first win of the season, in Jordan, helped Ford extend its manufacturers' series lead to seven points and took him back to the top of the drivers' table with a five point advantage. Hirvonen finished second here in 2006 and 2007 so knows what it takes to be successful on this challenging event.
"The stages are narrow but fast and although there are rough sections, it's by no means the roughest rally of the season. It's the first hot gravel rally in Europe but we have good knowledge of how Pirelli's tyres work in those conditions from Mexico and Jordan. The roads are probably rougher than either of those events but they're not too harsh on tyres and I have no concerns about that.
"Because I lead the championship, I'm first in the start order on Friday. That's never the best place on a dry gravel rally because the first car cleans the loose stones and those behind have a better driving line. But it's not usually a big disadvantage in Sardinia and I'm not going to worry about that. My focus is finding the right speed on Friday morning because I can't afford to let any driver break clear. At the end of the first day in Jordan four cars were covered by less than 15sec. It could be just as close in Sardinia and I need to be in that group," added the 27-year-old Finn.
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.
* Six other Focus RS cars will start the rally - the highest representation so far this season. Gigi Galli / Giovanni Bernacchini and Matthew Wilson / Scott Martin will be nominated for points by the Stobart VK M-Sport team. Munchi's Ford World Rally Team has nominated Federico Villagra / Jorge Pérez Companc and Henning Solberg / Cato Menkerud to score. Additional privately-entered Focus RS cars will be driven by Andreas Mikkelsen / Ola Floene and Peter Van Merksteijn / Hans Van Beek.
* The team's three day test in Sardinia ends tomorrow (Saturday). Hirvonen completed the opening two days before Latvala takes over for the last day. Both are concentrating on finalising car set-up.
* Ford Italy is a major partner of the rally. It will provide 20 of Ford's new Kuga cars to the organisers and 50 C-MAX vehicles. The four-wheel drive Kuga is Ford of Europe's first entry into the crossover market and goes on sale across Europe this summer.
* Hirvonen and Lehtinen will attend the Champions League soccer final between Manchester United and Chelsea in Moscow on Wednesday 21 May as guests of Ford of Europe. Ford is a major partner of the Champions League. Sadly for the Finns, both are fans of beaten semi-finalists Liverpool.
Rally Route
The base remains in Olbia, with the single service park in the town's port, but organisers have maintained their policy of ringing the changes with 29 per cent of the stages new and some competitive distance used in the opposite direction to previous years. The exclusive coastal resort of Porto Cervo again hosts both the start and finish ceremonies. Much of the new distance is covered on the opening day which nevertheless returns to traditional territory south of Olbia in the Nuoro region. The second leg is similar to last year, covering more inland tests in Gallura and including the spectacular Monte Lerno jump. The final day moves away from Tempio Pausania and Arzachena for tests south of Olbia before a short, final stage just south of Porto Cervo in the famous Cala di Volpe gulf. Drivers tackle 17 stages covering 344.73km in a route of 1040.35km.
