1.6.2008 - Hirvonen takes podium for Ford on gruelling Acropolis Rally
Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen claimed a gutsy podium finish on Acropolis Rally of Greece today as Ford maintained its lead in the manufacturers' standings of the FIA World Rally Championship. The Finns finished third in a Ford Focus RS World Rally Car after one of the roughest WRC events in recent memory. Team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila were seventh in a similar Focus RS on the three-day event, which proved a matter of survival as much as pure speed.
BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team holds a two-point lead after seven of the 15 rounds. Hirvonen staged a determined recovery after hitting problems on each of the first two days to remain in the midst of the battle for the drivers' title. He lies second, just one point off the lead.
The Acropolis is traditionally characterised by rock-strewn gravel tracks and searing temperatures and this year was no exception. Temperatures neared 35ºC and the roads were the roughest seen here in recent years. The rocks took a heavy toll on suspension parts while a combination of heat and rough roads ensured it was the toughest test yet for Pirelli's Scorpion tyres. Competitors tackled 20 speed tests covering 330.78km north and west of Athens, with yesterday's second leg a real car breaker.
The same rogue rock in the final few kilometres of the opening day cost Hirvonen and Latvala about a minute each with damaged suspension. Hirvonen dropped a further 2min 30sec yesterday morning when he slid into a bank, again damaging the suspension and brakes. However, the 27-year-old steered clear of trouble to recover to fourt and turned that into a podium today when third-placed Henning Solberg hit trouble.
"That was the hardest rally I've ever driven," said Hirvonen. "It was so rough and we had so many troubles that third is a great result. I've lost the championship lead but that will give me the advantage of a better start position on the next round in Turkey so it's still looking good. I saw that Henning had a problem this morning so I pushed hard. I didn't wake up this morning thinking about third, I just wanted to find good speed and secure fourth place points because I thought the time gap was too big.
"It's a nice surprise to be on the podium. It would have been difficult to beat Sébastien here but without our problems it would have been a good fight. Our emotions have been up and down and I thought we would be a long way behind Seb in the championship but it's only one point," he added.
BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson said: "We have to accept that we have some issues that we need to address. From a drivers' point of view experience counted for a lot here." Mark Deans, Ford of Europe's motorsport director added: "Rallies rarely come tougher than this and I'm delighted we brought all three cars to the finish after a roller-coaster weekend. A podium was a reward for our perseverance, especially for our mechanics who worked so hard to keep the cars going."
News from our Rivals
Sébastien Loeb (Citroen) claimed his 41st WRC win, finishing 69.5sec ahead of Petter Solberg (Subaru), an excellent second on the debut of his team's new car. Behind Hirvonen, Urmo Aava (Citroen) claimed a career best fourth with Dani Sordo (Citroen) and Stobart driver Matthew Wilson (Ford) completing the top six. Henning Solberg's (Ford) hopes of a podium ended with electrical problems this morning, the Norwegian slipping to eighth as it cut out intermittently. The only major retirements were Chris Atkinson (Subaru), who stopped with rear suspension damage after hitting a rock in stage 15, and Gigi Galli (Ford) who broke his car's rear suspension in stage 18.
Next round
The championship heads to Turkey later this month for the final round before the summer break. Rally of Turkey (12 - 15 June) is another hot, rough gravel event based in Kemer.
Final positions
1. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 3hr 54min 54.7sec
2. P Solberg/P Mills NOR Subaru Impreza 3hr 56min 04.2sec
3. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 56min 50.8sec
4. U Aava/K Sikk EST Citroen C4 3hr 59min 14.4sec
5. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 3hr 59min 44.1sec
6. M Wilson/S Martin GBR Ford Focus RS 4hr 01min 06.0sec
7. J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Focus RS 4hr 01min 42.2sec
8. H Solberg/C Menkerud NOR Ford Focus RS 4hr 04min 08.7sec
9. T Gardemeister/T Tuominen FIN Suzuki SX4 4hr 05min 08.5sec
10 C Rautenbach/D Senior ZIM Citroen C4 4hr 08min 23.8sec
31.5.2008 - Survival is the name of the game forMikko Hirvonen in rocky Greece
BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team endured another difficult time during today's second leg of the Acropolis Rally of Greece, but both cars remain in points positions after a gruelling and dramatic day's competition. On a day when mere survival became drivers' primary ambition over the rock-strewn gravel tracks, Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen lie fourth in their Ford Focus RS World Rally Car with team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila eighth in a similar Focus RS.
Competitors feared today's speed tests west of Athens could be car breakers and so they proved. The three special stages were already rough in the morning's first pass. Their condition deteriorated after the passage of almost 60 cars and rocks littered the tracks for the repeat run this afternoon, providing the sternest challenge for cars' suspensions. With shade temperatures again topping 30ºC, the mix of rough roads and extreme heat provided the toughest conditions yet for Pirelli's Scorpion tyres.
Hirvonen was eager to forget last night's suspension troubles which dropped him to seventh. He started in style winning the opening 32.16km test, the longest and most feared of today's six stages, covering 119.12km. However, the 27-year-old Finn damaged his car's suspension and brakes in the next test and dropped 2min 30sec in the final two stages of the loop to fall to eighth.
"It was my mistake," he admitted. "In a slow corner I slid wide and the car hit a bank. It seemed harmless but the impact broke the rear right brake disc. I isolated the brakes on that corner of the car and started the next stage with just three brakes. But 4km after the start the suspension broke and I finished the stage with virtually no brakes. I think the suspension must have been damaged in the previous stage but I didn't notice anything."
The team replaced the rear differential and the suspension on all four corners in service before Hirvonen steered clear of trouble this afternoon to climb back to fourth, winning two more stages. "My position could have been much worse because I've never driven a rally this rough. I saved the car and tyres this afternoon to come home in one piece. I'm sure everyone will take it easier tomorrow and not take risks. The stages are in better condition and my aim is simply to finish, not to attack," he said.
BP-Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson described the event as 'one of the toughest Acropolis rallies we've seen in recent years.' "I'm shocked at the damage the cars are incurring compared to previous years. We started today with such high spirits but it has been another difficult leg. But both cars are in the points and I'm pleased with the way both Mikko and Jari-Matti preserved their tyres," he said.
News from our Rivals
Few drivers escaped without problems, including leader Sébastien Loeb (Citroen). The Frenchman lost the lead to team-mate Dani Sordo after puncturing on the second stage. He regained it this afternoon when Sordo lost six minutes with punctures of his own, sliding to seventh. Petter Solberg (Subaru) holds second just 28.7sec behind Loeb, ahead of brother Henning (Ford). Urmo Aava (Citroen) lies fifth behind Hirvonen, despite losing 2min 30osec with a puncture this morning and Stobart driver Matthew Wilson (Ford) is sixth. Chris Atkinson (Subaru) retired before the second stage with an electrical problem. Munchi's Aris Vovos (Ford) retired on the same test with a steering problem and Stobart driver Gigi Galli (Ford) failed to start the opening stage this afternoon with hydraulic troubles. Per-Gunnar Andersson (Suzuki) retired at the end of stage 11 with broken rear suspension and team-mate Toni Gardemeister dropped four minutes this afternoon with turbo troubles.
Tomorrow's Route
The final day offers another 102.32km of gruelling competition. After starting at 05.50, drivers tackle two identical loops of three stages north-west of Athens before a second pass over the Tatoi super special stage on the edge of the service park. The finish takes place there at 15.03.
Leaderboard after Day 2
1. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 2hr 48min 11.1sec
2. P Solberg/P Mills NOR Subaru Impreza 2hr 48min 39.8sec
3. H Solberg/C Menkerud NOR Ford Focus RS 2hr 49min 16.4sec
4. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 2hr 51min 12.3sec
5. U Aava/K Sikk EST Citroen C4 2hr 52min 22.7sec
6. M Wilson/S Martin GBR Ford Focus RS 2hr 52min 33.9sec
7. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 2hr 53min 44.7sec
8. J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Focus RS 2hr 57min 02.4sec
9. C Rautenbach/D Senior ZIM Citroen C4 2hr 57min 09.1sec
10 T Gardemeister/T Tuominen FIN Suzuki SX4 2hr 57min 24.1sec
30.5.2008 - Ford trio on the rocks after opening day setbacks in Greece
BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team made a strong start to the toughest round of the FIA World Rally Championship in Greece today, only for its daylong endeavours to end in disappointment in the final kilometres. Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila lie sixth on the Acropolis Rally of Greece in a Ford Focus RS World Rally Car, after leading for the first half of the opening leg. Team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen are seventh in a similar Focus RS.
Latvala was second and Hirvonen overcame the disadvantage of a poor start position to hold fourth as they began the final short speed test on the northern edge of Athens. However, suspension problems forced both drivers to nurse their cars through the 4.40km special stage, Latvala conceding more than a minute and Hirvonen dropping 50sec to slip down the order.
This seventh round of the series traditionally poses the toughest of challenges to both man and machine. Searing temperatures, which today reached 32ºC in the shade, placed a high burden on engines and gearboxes while drivers faced even higher temperatures inside their cockpit. But it was the rough gravel tracks that, as usual, provided the major concerns. Rocks littered the surface and hard bedrock, which forms the basis of the roads, ensured a punishing day for the cars.
After the start ceremony at the foot of Athens' historic Acropolis last night, drivers faced two identical loops of three tests north and west of the city today. The leg ended with a short 'spectator-friendly' stage at the city's military airfield at Tatoi next to the service park, providing competitors with 109.34km of action.
As championship leader, Hirvonen was disadvantaged by being first in the start order, sweeping slippery loose stones from the surface to leave a cleaner and faster driving line for those behind. The 27-year-old Finn quickly settled into fourth and set his sights on limiting the time loss so that he could take advantage of a better road position tomorrow from which to attack the drivers ahead.
However, the same rock that damaged Latvala's hopes, also ruined Hirvonen's day. "It was so rough and the damage could have happened anywhere. Just before the finish I braked going into a corner and the front right compression strut broke. We tried to fix it after the finish but I had to drive slowly through the final stage. I have a better road position for tomorrow, and that's the best positive I can draw from today. Third could still be possible, but that will be the best I can achieve," he said.
News from our Rivals
Sébastien Loeb (Citroen) moved into the lead when Latvala punctured this afternoon and ended with a 15.7sec advantage over team-mate Dani Sordo, having won four stages. Sordo's only concern came on the opening stage this afternoon with an engine overheating problem. Petter Solberg (Subaru) climbed into third on the final stage on the debut for the latest-version Impreza after a daylong battle with brother Henning (Ford). The gap between the two is just 5.1sec. Toni Gardemeister (Suzuki) stopped briefly in the second stage with a fuel pump problem while Matthew Wilson (Ford) dropped 30sec after hitting two rocks in stage three and breaking his car's propshaft. The day's only major retirement was Stobart driver Gigi Galli (Ford) on the second stage. He hit a rock and the impact broke the front right track control arm in the suspension and this in turn pulled the driveshaft out of the gearbox.
Tomorrow's Route
The second day promises to be the toughest, with drivers reporting from the recce that the three tests, which are used twice, are the roughest of the event. Competitors leave Tatoi at 08.30 to tackle 119.12km of competition, west of Athens. The two loops of stages pass close to the Corinth Canal and are split by a return to the service park. Drivers return there for the final overnight halt at 19.06.
Leaderboard after Day 1
1. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 1hr 21min 34.8sec
2. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 1hr 21min 50.5sec
3. P Solberg/P Mills NOR Subaru Impreza 1hr 22min 33.9sec
4. H Solberg/C Menkerud NOR Ford Focus RS 1hr 22min 40.8sec
5. U Aava/K Sikk EST Citroen C4 1hr 22min 50.3sec
6. J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Focus RS 1hr 22min 53.7sec
7. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 1hr 23min 11.2sec
8. C Atkinson/S Prévot AUS Subaru Impreza 1hr 23min 11.6sec
9. P-G Andersson/J Andersson SWE Suzuki SX4 1hr 23min 58.6sec
10 F Villagra/J Perez Companc ARG Ford Focus RS 1hr 24min 04.1sec
23.5.2008 - Going gets tough as Ford strives to add to win record in Greece
Rocky mountain tracks, punishing heat and physically demanding cockpit conditions are the hallmarks of the Acropolis Rally of Greece (29 May - 1 June), widely regarded as the toughest challenge in the FIA World Rally Championship calendar. It is a trial in which BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team, leader of both the manufacturers' and drivers' standings, has excelled to claim six wins in the last eight years with the Focus RS World Rally Car.
Success in Greece, round seven of the 15-event series and one of the championship's classic fixtures, demands a blend of strength, reliability and speed. Drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen and team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila will hope to reproduce the form which powered them to second and third in Italy earlier this month to keep Ford on top in both title races. The team heads the manufacturers' battle by seven points and Hirvonen tops the drivers' table by three points.
The Acropolis Rally's gravel speed tests west of Athens have a fearsome reputation. Cars must withstand severe punishment from loose rocks which litter the surface of the mountain tracks as well as hard bedrock which forms the base of the roads. Air temperatures often exceed 30ºC, placing high demands on engines and gearboxes. Because the winding roads and hairpins make this a relatively slow rally (only Argentina was slower in 2007), there is little cooling from the through-flow of air.
Drivers, too, can expect a tough time for the same reasons. There is no cooling inside the cars during special stages so cockpit temperatures are high and fitness plays a crucial role. A regular fluid intake is also vital to stave off dehydration and ensure drivers and co-drivers operate at peak performance.
Twenty-seven-year-old Hirvonen finished third in both 2006 and 2007 and five starts have given him plenty of experience of what lies ahead.
The Acropolis is usually the hottest rally in the championship but having been to Jordan last month where temperatures were close to 40ºC, I don't think we will experience that kind of heat here," said Hirvonen. "Although Jordan was also abrasive, I think Greece will be more so. There are plenty of loose rocks, especially during the second pass of stages, and the road base is hard bedrock. That's why the rally has earned its reputation as a car-breaker.
"The conditions are tough on cars and tyres but I'm not worried about either. The Focus RS has proved its strength many times. Pirelli's tyres have also been remarkably strong this year with few punctures. The heat and rough roads will combine to make tyre wear greater than on other gravel events so I'll need to remember that I must look after them," he added.
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 are nominated for points by the Stobart VK M-Sport team while Matthew Wilson / Scott Martin will drive a third car. Munchi's Ford World Rally Team has nominated Federico Villagra / Jorge Pérez Companc and Greeks Aris Vovos / 'El-Em' to score.
* Hirvonen will conduct a two-day asphalt test in Scotland on 5 - 6 June.
* Lehtinen attended Wednesday's night's UEFA Champions League soccer final between Manchester United and Chelsea in Moscow as a guest of Ford of Europe. Ford is a major partner of the Champions League and used the half-time break to premiere its 60-second TV advertisement for the all-new Kuga vehicle.
Rally Route
For the third consecutive year, the rally has a new base. It will be centred at the military airport of Tatoi, 20km north of the centre of Athens. The airfield hosted a stage of the rally in 1975 and this year will also be home to a gravel super special stage on Friday evening and the rally's finale on Sunday afternoon. Also new for 2008 is the start ceremony at the famous Acropolis, high above the city and for many years the traditional start location. The route itself is broadly similar to 2007. The opening leg heads north and west of Athens, and contains the only all-new test of the rally. The second day is the longest of the event and takes competitors west of the city, passing close to the Corinth Canal. The final day is again north-west of the city before the finish ceremony at Tatoi. Drivers tackle 20 tests covering 339.94km in a total route of 1311.32km.
