Citroen Total World Rally Team

Last weekend was a crucial one in, arguably the most exciting season in the WRC for a long time. (I don't care what the misery guts say....I know you lot argue that Hirvonen only has a chance through Loeb’s mistakes...but duh that’s what sport is all about!).

Anyway, with just three rallies left Mikko Hirvonen was only three points ahead of his arch rival Sebastian Loeb. For both drivers then, the rally of Australia was a crucial one.

Seb did exactly what was needed to keep his title hopes very much alive. The Frenchman was unstoppable and thanks to some great driving and excellent Citroen tactics the reigning World Champion conquered the new stages of New South Wales.

Mikko drove his Focus to the limits and was clearly showing the immense pressure he must be feeling; nevertheless the Fin did exactly what was needed of him and came in a strong second. 

I thought the rally was fantastic; it was exciting, tense, and by the end of it all the Championship contenders were separated by just one point!  However, then came the news that Citroen would be penalised when post event scrutineering found that Loeb's Citroen C4 WRC was fitted with a front anti-roll bar link which did not comply with the homologation form of the car. 

Citroen agreed with the steward's findings and Loeb, Sordo, and Ogier were each given a one minute penalty. This meant that Hirvonen gained P1 and Loeb was set back to P2. 

I can't really explain how I felt when I heard this news. The Hirvonen fan in me was delighted as the Fin’s new five point lead  was extremely welcome. However, the Loeb fan in me felt slightly cheated; after all that excitement and hard work the Frenchman had been let down by his team.

This makes the next round in Spain even more crucial than had previously been thought. This is also where I think the most important man in the 2009 WRC Championship battle will help decide the final standings either way.

For me it all comes down to Sordo this year; to a great extent the young Spaniard has the title in his hands and is one of Sebastian's last chances in 2009 of re-writing the record books again.

In 2008 Citroen dominated the Spanish event and although last year it wasn’t as important, if Dani can wedge his way in between Sebastian and Mikko again the Championship will go right to the wire, which in my opinion can only be a good thing for the WRC.

The promising young Citroen number two has had a mixed 2009. A great start in Ireland with a P2 was followed by mixed results with another P2 in Argentina and a P23 in Italy.  Since his P12 finish in Greece, Sordo has really worked hard and showed us the raw pace he has, finishing no lower than fourth in the last three rallies.

In Australia, Sordo was great with four stage wins and an eventual P3 finish. Last year Loeb and Sordo were untouchable and strong performances from the BP Ford team were no match for the C4's raw pace.  

If Sordo can take his speed and consistency from New South Wales to his home event, this, coupled with Citroen's expected dominance of the black stuff, will make the 2009 Season even better than I previously thought!

I do realise that when all is said and done, if the British Rally gives us the same results as last year, (Loeb P1 and Hirvonen P8), all this pontificating about Spain is pointless.  That’s the thing I love about Rally, there are so many aspects to take into consideration and the smallest error could cost you the Championship. However, Mikko did a great job to fight back to P8 after his day one crash and don't forget his win in 2007. If both Sebastian and Mikko have eventless rallies in Wales they should finish first and second. 

If we think like that, Spain is truly the most important rally of the season.  For me, if Mikko can even get P2 the Championship is his to lose in Wales. But if Sebastian and Sordo can get Citroen’s third one two finish of 2009 in Catalunya, just one tantalising point will be the difference into the final event of the year.  I’m almost certain after his performance in Australia that Seb has the talent to do his job and win the rally.  The Question is can Dani keep Mikko on that third step of the podium?

As I say I love the WRC and there are no drivers I dislike. I have three favourite drivers this season and two of them are in the Title battle.  Perhaps if you pushed me I’d tell you that Mikko is my top driver and for that reason I’d like to see him crowned Champion in Wales. However, I believe that Sebastian’s performance in Australia earned him a shot at the title decider in the final round; realistically, this is only possible if Citroen can get that one two in October. 

Therefore, as of now, it’s not just up to Mikko and Sebastian but more to the man who could now be the most significant driver in the 2009 WRC Title...Dani Sordo!

Early in this year’s World Rally Championship, people weren’t asking if Sebastien Loeb would win the title again, but if he would win every event. 

With two thirds of the season to run, what was unimaginable earlier has happened.  Loeb has dropped from the points lead.

Sebastien Loeb started the season with five consecutive wins in dominant fashion but has suffered accidents in the last three, and has even failed to reach the podium in the last two.

Mikko Hirvonen has passed Loeb and now has a one-point lead in the World Rally Championship after clinching victory in the Rally Poland.

"This has been the best rally of the season so far," said 28-year-old Hirvonen. "The roads here are fast and narrow and the crowds provided a superb atmosphere.  It's the first time I have won two consecutive rallies and it has put me into the lead of the championship ahead of my home rally in Finland.  The weekend was perfect from start to finish. After Loeb's mistake on Friday, I thought I might have an easy drive but it wasn't to be. I had to drive flat out yesterday to stay ahead and it's a fantastic feeling to win after such a great fight.”

Hirvonen began the final leg 12 seconds up on his BP Ford Abu Dhabi teammate, Jari-Matti Latvala, but finished over a minute ahead, after his compatriot crashed out in the final stage, the short 2.5 kilometer Mikolajki super special.

"It was my mistake," admitted a distraught Latvala. "I wasn't driving too quickly but I turned into the bend too early and clipped an oil barrel which was full of sand. The impact broke the steering and I couldn't turn into the next bend and hit the barrier on the opposite side of the road. I've let down the team and damaged Ford's dream of winning the manufacturers' title this year."

A determined Latvala and co-driver Anttila tried to push the car to the finish of the stage and completed a whole lap before being forced to stop and retire. Latvala's late crash hurt the BP Ford Abu Dhabi Team, which had been on course for another 1-2 and a third maximum 18-point haul in succession.

Citroen Total World Rally Team’s Dani Sordo took advantage of Latvala’s mistake and finished second.

The Solberg brothers Henning and Petter ended the Rally Poland third and fourth respectively, both having gained not only from Latvala's exit, but also from the retirement of Sebastien Ogier. Ogier had been in front until he had engine problems in SS16.

Rounding out the top five was Stobart Ford driver Matthew Wilson, followed by local hero and Stobart Ford "guest driver" Krzysztof Holowczyc and then Sebastien Loeb.

Loeb re-started under the SuperRally rules on Saturday after crashing out in SS4. He clawed back with help, up to take two drivers' points and three manufacturers' points for Citroen. Citroen Junior Team men, Conrad Rautenbach and Evgeny Novikov both slowed to allow the Frenchman to pass. Rautenbach and Novikov came in eighth and ninth.

Hirvonen will now go to his home event in Finland at the end of next month, following the summer break, with a one point advantage over Sebastien Loeb in the drivers' standings.

Leading finishers:
Pos  Driver               Car           Time/Gap
 1.  Mikko Hirvonen       Ford        3h07m27.5s
 2.  Dani Sordo           Citroen     +  1m10.3s
 3.  Henning Solberg      Ford        +  2m05.7s
 4.  Petter Solberg       Citroen     +  2m24.3s
 5.  Matthew Wilson       Ford        +  4m17.5s
 6.  Krzysztof Holowczyc  Ford        +  4m33.9s
 7.  Sebastien Loeb       Citroen     + 19m15.1s
 8.  Conrad Rautenbach    Citroen     + 19m20.6s
 9.  Evgeny Novikov       Citroen     + 19m26.2s
10.  Michal Bebenek       Mitsubishi  + 23m08.7s

Quote & Photo: BP Ford Abu Dhabi

Mikko Hirvonen extended his overall lead in the Orlen Platinum 66th Rally Poland to 12 seconds, after the 13 timed special stages at the end of day two on Saturday afternoon.

“It has been fantastic, a proper fight for the lead, and I've enjoyed today so much,” said Hirvonen. “I struggled a little with being first through the stages, which I also didn't expect. The road surface was damp with hard mud on top after the rain and I was breaking up the surface to leave better grip for those behind.”

The BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team driver remains on course to snatch the FIA Drivers’ Championship advantage from Sébastien Loeb. 

Citroen Total WRT driver Sebastien Loeb crashed out on SS4.  He ripped a wheel off his C4 WRC 1.2km into the stage, after apparently hitting a tree stump. Both Loeb and co-driver Daniel Elena were OK according to a Citroen spokesman.  This marks the third straight rally in which Loeb has dropped out early.  This is in marked contrast to earlier in the season where he looked invincible.

BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala maintained second place and Loeb’s teammate Dani Sordo played the tried to maintain pressure on the leading Fords with third overall.

Sébastien Ogier, Henning and Petter Solberg fought a frenzied battle for fourth, fifth and sixth places. Ogier maintained fourth position, but Petter passed his brother into fifth place on the final few kilometers of the 13th stage. Henning’s teammate, Matthew Wilson was secure in seventh position in his Stobart Ford Focus.

The final five special stages on Sunday promise to be a thrilling prospect, with Latvala needing to fend off Sordo’s challenge to give Ford two crucial extra points towards the FIA Manufacturers’ Championship.

Leaderboard after Day 2
1. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 2hr 21min 45.8sec
2. J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Focus RS 2hr 21min 57.8sec
3. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 2hr 22min 24.3sec
4. S Ogier/J Ingrassia FRA Citroen C4 2hr 23min 45.1sec
5. P Solberg/P Mills NOR Citroen Xsara 2hr 23min 52.5sec
6. H Solberg/C Menkerud NOR Ford Focus RS 2hr 23min 53.8sec
7. M Wilson/S Martin GBR Ford Focus RS 2hr 25min 33.8sec
8. K Holowczyc/L Kurzeja POL Ford Focus RS 2hr 25min 59.1sec
9. C Rautenbach/D Barritt ZIM Citroen C4 2hr 27min 11.7sec
10 M Østberg/ J Andersson NOR Subaru Impreza 2hr 28min 21.3sec

Mikko Hirvonen drove an almost flawless rally and cruised to an easy victory by over a minute in the World Rally Championship Acropolis Rally. 

In doing so, he closed the gap on championship leader Sebastien Loeb.

Hirvonen explained his strategy on taking his first victory of the year.

“I drove a clever rally and my plan worked perfectly, with no mistakes and no punctures. I knew that if we finished the rally without problems then we would be high in the order and that was the case. The key to success was to stay on the road and be cautious rather than drive flat out all the way.”

Capping a great event for the BP Ford Abu Dhabi team was Jari-Matti Latvala’s third place to put the team firmly back in the running for the manufacturers’ title.

Loeb’s challenge came to a halt on Saturday morning as he crashed out of the rally. The team’s challenge was further damaged as Dani Sordo was also hit by problems on day two.

The Citroen Junior team’s young drivers salvaged the French manufacturer’s honor by posting some excellent times over the weekend.  Sebastien Ogier took his first ever WRC podium as he placed second with teammate Conrad Rautenbach a little farther back in fifth.

Benoit Nogier, Manager of the Citroën Junior Team, was obviously pleased with his driver’s results.

“This made result of the good to all the team. We have come through a difficult start to the season, but the team progressed and the success is perhaps from now on our side. It is the first time that a non-works C4 WRC has finished on the podium in a WRC event. Seeing all three cars safely home is also very satisfying.”

Munchi’s Ford driver Federico Villagra equaled his best ever WRC result with fourth place.

Final Leaderboard

1. Hirvonen/Lehtinen Ford Focus 4h09’42’’5
2. Ogier/Ingrassia Citroën C4 +1’12’’9
3. Latvala/Antilla Ford Focus +1’45’’0
4. Villagra/Diaz Ford Focus + 3’48’’3
5. Rautenbach/Barritt Citroën C4 +3’59’’8
6. Al Qassimi/Orr Ford Focus +7’04’’3
7. Ostberg/Andersson Subaru Impreza +12’24’’9
8. Athanassoulas/Zakheos Skoda Fabia +12’47’’6
9. Al Attiyah/Bernacchini Subaru Impreza +13’09’’9
10. Araujo/Ramalho Mitsubishi Lancer +15’04’’5
11. Arai/Mac Neall Subaru Impreza +16’02’’5
12. Sordo / Marti Citroën C4 +18’41’’0

FIA WRC Manufacturer Standings

1. Citroen Total WRT - 94
2. BP Ford Abu Dhabi WRT - 79
3. Stobart VK M-Sport Ford - 49
4. Citroen Junior Rally Team - 24
5. Munchi’s Ford WRT – 18

FIA WRC Driver Standings

1. S Loeb - 55
2. M Hirvonen - 48
3. D Sordo - 31
4. J-M Latvala - 25
5. H Solberg - 21
6. P Solberg - 20
7. M Wilson - 15
8. Federico Villagra – 14

Photo: ©willyweyens-rallyworld

Sebastien Loeb's unbeaten run in the 2009 World Rally Championship was ended by Jari-Matti Latvala at the World Rally Championship’s Rally Sardinia.

The Finn has turned his troubled season around which was a string of mistakes, including a ferocious accident in Portugal that saw his car roll 17 times down the side of a cliff.

"It is a big relief," said Latvala. "It was a great thing that I was able to win this rally, it really means a lot to me. It's been unbelievable, but I have also been a little bit lucky with things being on my side. This has come at a really important point."

Road order was expected to be a major factor this weekend and Latvala benefited from his seventh place in the starting line up to lead on Friday, while Loeb and Hirvonen both deliberately slowed at the end of the first day to have more favorable conditions for Saturday. Latvala pressed harder and ended the day 40 seconds in front.

While Hirvonen closed the gap to 9 seconds during leg two, Loeb's challenge for victory ended when he was delayed by a puncture which cost the Citroen driver a minute to change.

On the final day it looked like Hirvonen could pass Latvala before the finish, but running first on the road became an advantage rather than a disadvantage, as dust hung in the very still morning air and ruined visibility for those chasing Latvala. The young Finn pulled away again.

"The dust was a surprise and I was lucky with that.  This is a very important win for me.  I've had many unhappy moments since my first win, but now I'm back on the top step of the podium.  I was starting to question my role in the team but I've proved the team's confidence in me was right and I thank Malcolm Wilson (team director) for that. You saw a new evolution of Jari-Matti here," he added.

Hirvonen struggled with a fever during the rally and 28-year-old was exhausted at the finish.  "I have no energy and I've never felt so tired after a rally," he said.  "This result, and the timing of it, is perfect for Ford.  I thought I could fight for the win but the dust ended those hopes.  Everyone behind Jari-Matti expected to have an advantage because he was sweeping the road but, ironically, he was the one who benefited because of the dust.  I went off the road on a fifth gear corner in the first stage this morning because I couldn't see so I stopped taking risks.

"Jari-Matti deserves the win after his problems this season and I'm delighted for him.  We had a great pre-rally test and the work we did there paid off on the event itself," he added.

Malcolm Wilson, team director for the BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team, as expected, had nothing but praise for his drivers.  "They coped with whatever was thrown at them.  It's a dream to see Jari-Matti win after a difficult year and I'm delighted to see him full of confidence.  Mikko did an outstanding job and if the conditions were different this morning, there could have been a different winner.  It was a great team effort and my thanks go to everyone involved," he said.

Loeb recovered to third, beating Petter Solberg on the final loop, but the world champion's was later accessed a two minute penalty because his co-driver Daniel Elena unfastened his safety belts while their car was still in motion when they stopped to change a punctured tire on SS11 on Saturday.  The penalty dropped him to fourth on final results.

Loeb's team-mate Dani Sordo was never a factor, due to turbo problems of varying severity on all three days and a damaging rock impact on Friday.

Solberg did not give up third without a fight, but had to settle for fourth, 14 seconds behind Loeb later inheriting third, after Loeb’s penalty.

The series moves into its second half at the Acropolis Rally of Greece on 11 - 14 June.


Leading finishers:

Pos  Driver              Car      Time
 1.  Jari-Matti Latvala  Ford     4h00m55.7s
 2.  Mikko Hirvonen      Ford     +    29.4s
 3.  Petter Solberg      Citroen  +  1m57.6s
 4.  Sebastien Loeb      Citroen  +  3m43.7s
 5.  Evgeny Novikov      Citroen  +  5m11.8s
 6.  Matthew Wilson      Ford     +  7m29.3s
 7.  Mads Ostberg        Subaru   + 13m20.6s
 8.  Henning Solberg     Ford     + 13m21.2s
 9.  Conrad Rautenbach   Citroen  + 19m31.1s
10.  Nasser Al-Attiyah   Subaru   + 19m43.7s

Quotes and Photo: BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team

Saturday morning at the Rally Portugal, there was excitement in the air as the top of the leader board displayed a name that wasn’t Sebastien Loeb.

The Citroen driver had won every World Rally Championship event this year, but that feeling wouldn’t last as Loeb rose from third place to finish the day on top. 

Sunday, Loeb showed why he is the five-time WRC champion as he pulled away from the field and added to his record victory total which now stands at 51. 

Mikko Hirvonen tried his best to challenge his Citroen rival, but conceded defeat early in the morning when the gap between them became insurmountable. The BP Ford team decided to play it safe and settle for second place points.

"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 realized 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.

Loeb’s teammate, Dani Sordo's super claimed a strong third place, which moved him into fourth in the points standings and added to Citroen’s lead in the all important Manufacturer’s Championship

Privateer Petter Solberg Team again outperformed better funded, factory drivers to finish in fourth. This marks the third time that Solberg has finished in a top six position out of four rallies.

Matthew Wilson looked like he was once again set for a points paying finish, but crashed off course and was forced to retire on the final gravel stage. This opened the door for his Stobart Ford teammate Henning Solberg to claim fifth spot.

One interesting result that came out of the Rally Portugal was that for the first time three Norwegians finished in the top six of the WRC event. 

This was due to Mads Ostberg's fine, sixth-place result in his privateer Subaru. The other two Norwegians in the top six being the Brothers Solberg (Petter and Henning).

The next round of this year's championship will take place in Argentina, starting April 24.

Pos  Driver             Car         Time
 1.  Sebastien Loeb     Citroen     3h53m13.1s
 2.  Mikko Hirvonen     Ford        +    24.3s
 3.  Dani Sordo         Citroen     +  1m45.4s
 4.  Petter Solberg     Citroen     +  2m44.6s
 5.  Henning Solberg    Ford        +  5m46.3s
 6.  Mads Ostberg       Subaru      +  6m20.8s
 7.  Federico Villagra  Ford        + 12m59.5s
 8.  Khalid Al Qassimi  Ford        + 18m21.7s

Photo and quotes Courtesy of: WRC, BP Ford Rally Team

Mikko Hirvonen currently leads the pack after day one of the Rally of Portugal.

Dani Sordo in his Citroen had been in the lead at the mid-day service, but amazingly he committed the same blunder his teammate Sebastien Loeb had made in the morning and went off on the first corner of the Ourique stage when it was re-run at the start of the loop.

Hirvonen made a move to the front of the field as Sordo’s off cost the Citroen driver 20 seconds. The Ford driver will be first on the road tomorrow as he has established a 15s lead over the recovering Sordo.

"It's great to be leading and I will give everything tomorrow to try to retain that," Hirvonen said. "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," he continued on.

"This morning my pace notes were a little slow for these roads," Hirvonen also said. "I think that was a carryover from the previous round in Cyprus where the stages were much slower."

It wasn't a happy birthday for Latvala. The Finn, who is 24 today, took full advantage of his lower start position to set the fastest time through the morning's opening two tests to build a 10.6s 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 meters 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.

Loeb made progress after his error this morning while running first on the dusty surface. He improved his position on the leaderboard from seventh to third, but is 18s behind leader Hirvonen.

After over a year away, Marcus Gronholm ran second on his return to the World Rally Championship, until losing 20s on the final stage of the day. That dropped Gronholm in his Prodrive Subaru to fourth, only 8s behind Loeb, and should benefit from a better starting position tomorrow.

Petter Solberg completes the top five in his privately run Citroen Xsara, maintaining a 42-second deficit, while pulling clear of the skirmish for sixth.

Improving his pace, as the leg progressed, Sebastien Ogier has now moved past his Citroen Junior's teammate, Evgeny Novikov and Stobart Ford's Matthew Wilson to break into the top six.

Stobart Ford's Henning Solberg was hampered by brake problems this morning, but was on pace for the repeat loop and caught Novikov, and is just 0.1s behind.

Leading Positions After Day One

Pos  Driver                Car             Time
 1.  Mikko Hirvonen    Ford            1h24m12.6
 2.  Dani Sordo          Citroen        +15.0s
 3.  Sebastien Loeb    Citroen        +18.0s
 4.  Marcus Gronholm Subaru        +25.9s
 5.  Petter Solberg      Citroen        +42.2s
 6.  Sebastien Ogier    Citroen        +1m04.0s
 7.  Matthew Wilson    Ford            +1m14.6s
 8.  Evgeny Novikov    Citroen        +1m33.7s
 9.  Henning Solberg   Ford            +1m33.8s
10.  Mads Ostberg      Subaru         +2m42.1s

Photo and Quotes Courtesy of BP Ford World Rally Team

Sebastien Loeb is one day away from notching his 50th World Rally Championship victory.  The Citroen C4 driver ended the second day of the WRC Rally Cyprus with an overall lead to 49.8 seconds through unpredictable conditions that started muddy in the morning.   

Erratic overnight rain created difficult driving conditions, with damp and soggy roads on morning stages, and dry and dusty surfaces in the afternoon.
Loeb remained untouchable in the mud but the situation changed for Loeb in the afternoon when dry roads left the Frenchman struggling for grip.

Then Loeb had to back off the pace on both afternoon stages when he experienced brake problems.
 
“We tried to fix them after the previous stage but we still had problems with the balance and their temperature on this one,” Loeb explained after SS11. “The brakes reached 600°C at the rear and 200°C at the front so we had to drive very smoothly to keep the temperature down.

"Then, one kilometer from the end, we spun and stalled on a hairpin and I had to reverse to get going again. So okay, two very difficult stages in the afternoon, we lost some time, but we’re still in the lead and that’s the most important thing for the moment.”

Spaniard Dani Sordo in a Citroen slipped a spot to third place which allowed Mikko Hirvonen in a Ford moved up to second position.

Norwegian Petter Solberg in a Citroen Xsara was fourth, amazingly setting the fastest times in the 10th and 11th stages.

Jari-Matti Latvala's Ford Focus crashed off the road in the second stage, as the Finn was then running fourth in the overall line-up.

He was then forced to run for a kilometer for help to get the car out of a ditch.

Leaderboard after day two
1. S Loeb/D Elena (FRA)                         Citroën C4               3h33m43.8s
2. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen (FIN)                 Ford Focus RS          +49.8s
3.D Sordo/M Marti (ESP)                         Citroën C4               +1m36.0s
4. P Solberg/P Mills (NOR)                       Citroën Xsara           +1m51.9s
5. M Wilson/S Martin (GB)                        Ford Focus RS           +5m13.7s
6. S Ogier/J Ingrassia (FRA)                    Citroën C4               +5m42.8s
7. E Novikov/D Moscatt  (RUS)                 Citroën C4               +6m22.8s
8. C Rautenbach/D Barritt (ZW)               Citroën C4               +7m23.5s
9. F Villagra/J Perez Companc (ARG)         Ford Focus RS          +9m00.9s
10. K Al Qassimi/M Orr (UAE)                   Ford Focus RS          +9m29.6s
23. H Solberg/C Menkerud (NOR)           Ford Focus RS           +32m09.7s

Photo and Quotes Courtsey of WRC