Rally Mexico 2008 - Update 03-03-2008 officieel persbericht eindstand Rally Mexico.

Ford stretches World Championship lead in Rally Mexico:

BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team increased its advantage at the head of the FIA World Rally Championship after a strong double points haul in Mexico today. The team, chasing its third consecutive manufacturers' world title, is 12 points clear with the Focus RS World Rally Car after Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila finished third in Rally Mexico and team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen claimed fourth.

Hirvonen retains the lead in the drivers' standings after this third round of the 15-rally series, the 27-year-old Finn ahead by one point. Latvala lies third, five points behind his team-mate.

This opening gravel event of the season proved a tough challenge and few escaped problems over the three days and 331.45km of competition in the mountains of central Mexico, near León. The high altitude speed tests, which climbed to more than 2700m, meant engines lost about 25 percent of their normal power in the thinner air while the rocky tracks proved a constant hazard for the unwary.

Latvala, who led after Friday's opening action, started today's final day in third after a turbo pipe problem yesterday afternoon. With no pressure from behind and no chance of making progress up the leaderboard, the 22-year-old Finn paced himself through the final three special stages (the second test was cancelled for safety reasons due to the volume of spectators), but was still fastest on the opening stage to secure a podium finish.

"It's an important result for me and it's a good result for the team and our championship challenge," he said. "I achieved my goal of being on the podium and it's just a shame we had a problem yesterday when fighting for the lead. But if I think about things closely, it has been a good weekend and I don't have any complaints. The best aspect was being able to challenge Loeb and match his times and I hope I can get just as close to him in the future because I had good speed this weekend."

Hirvonen began the morning in fifth, after losing time through punctures on Friday and Saturday combined with being first in the start order and sweeping the roads clean of loose stones on the opening day. He was within striking distance of fourth and fastest time on the penultimate test moved him just ahead of Henning Solberg. He consolidated fourth on the final stage when the Norwegian struck trouble.

"I tried to catch Henning but when stage 18 was cancelled, I decided I didn't have enough kilometres left in which to do it," said Hirvonen. "I was lucky he had a problem and I'm glad to finish fourth and take good points after a difficult weekend. It just wasn't my rally unfortunately. Jari-Matti and Loeb were very fast and I couldn't reach their pace but I'll have to find that speed or say goodbye to the championship. I was unlucky with punctures but fourth is OK in the circumstances and hopefully this is the worst rally I'll have this year. Unfortunately I will be first on the road again on the next round in Argentina, but it feels good to be still leading the championship.

BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson said: "After what we encountered, we've come away with a great result which increases our lead in the championship. And for Mikko to still lead the drivers' standings after his problems is more than we thought we would achieve on Friday night. I'm pleased we showed the speed to lead the rally and that's promising looking forward to another high altitude event in Argentina later this month."

Ford of Europe motorsport director Mark Deans was equally happy. "This was the first gravel rally of the season and for the Focus RS WRC to prove its speed on what is the dominant surface of the year bodes well. Five Focus cars finished in the top seven and for BP Ford Abu Dhabi to maintain its lead in both championships after three rounds represents an excellent opening sector of the year," he said.

News from our rivals

Sébastien Loeb (Citroen) paced himself through the final stages to claim his third consecutive Rally Mexico victory. The Frenchman finished 66.1sec ahead of Chris Atkinson (Subaru), who scored his best ever result, despite feeling unwell and only three hours' sleep. Behind the BP Ford Abu Dhabi cars, Henning Solberg (Ford) took fifth, the Munchi's driver losing fourth place after front right punctures on the final two tests. Stobart driver Matthew Wilson (Ford) rounded off the top six while Munchi's Federico Villagra (Ford) equalled his career best result in seventh. Petter Solberg (Subaru) claimed the final manufacturers' point in 12th, despite a front right puncture on the penultimate stage and a spin on the final test.

Next round

The championship remains in the Americas for round four when Villa Carlos Paz hosts the all-gravel Rally Argentina on 27 - 30 March.

Final positions

1. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 3hr 33min 29.9sec
2. C Atkinson/S Prévot AUS Subaru Impreza 3hr 34min 36.0sec
3. J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 35min 09.6sec
4. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 37min 08.6sec
5. H Solberg/C Menkerud NOR Ford Focus RS 3hr 38min 27.8sec
6. M Wilson/S Martin GBR Ford Focus RS 3hr 39min 58.8sec
7. F Villagra/J Perez Companc ARG Ford Focus RS 3hr 52min 32.9sec
8. R Trivino/C Salom MEX Peugeot 206 3hr 54min 47.2sec*
9. S Ogier/J Ingrassia FRA Citroen C2 3hr 58min 54.8sec
10 J Mölder/F Miclotte EST Suzuki Swift 4hr 00min 26.7sec
*subject to the result of an appeal
Drivers

1. M Hirvonen 21pts
2. S Loeb 20pts
3. J-M Latvala 16pts
4. C Atkinson 14pts
5. G Galli 9pts
6. P Solberg 9pts

Manufacturers

1. BP Ford Abu Dhabi 37pts
2. Citroen Total 25pts
3. Subaru 25pts
4. Stobart VK M-Sport 19pts
5. Munchi's Ford 6pts
6. Suzuki 5pts

Bron: M-Sport

Update 02-03-2008 - 20:30 uur

Het officiële persbericht laat nog even op zich wachten maar inmiddels is bekend geworden dat Loeb (helaas voor ons als Ford fans) eerste is geworden in de Rally van Mexico, dit voor de 3e keer op rij. Latvala wist zijn 3e plaats te behouden en Mikko heeft door pech/uitval van Petter Solberg de 4e plaats behaald, dit betekend dat hij nu nog steeds aan kop gaat in het algemeen klassement want hij staat nog maar 1 puntje voor op Loeb. Achter Hirvonen vinden we Henning Solberg deze staat 5e. De 6e plaats wordt ingenomen door Matthew Wilson en de 7e plaats is voor Villagra van het Munchi's Team. Ondanks de grote tijdsverschillen is het toch wel leuk om even te noemen dat de plaatsen 3 t/m 7 allemaal Ford Focus rijders zijn.

Later meer over deze ruige Rally in Mexico.

Update 02-03-2008 uitslag dag 2 met alle ups en downs van deze dag.

Rally Mexico bites hard but Ford drivers hold firm in top five:

Despite setbacks for both cars, BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team ended the second day of Rally Mexico in a strong position as the only squad with both pairings in the top five on the leaderboard. Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila are third in a Ford Focus RS World Rally Car with team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen in fifth as this opening gravel encounter of the FIA World Rally Championship season continued to pose problems for the leading competitors.

Latvala, who claimed his maiden victory in Sweden last month, was engaged in an enthralling fight for the lead with Sébastien Loeb until a broken turbo pipe this afternoon cost over two minutes. Hirvonen was comfortable in fourth until a double puncture this afternoon cost a place on the leaderboard.

Today was the longest of this third round of the series. Drivers tackled 157.32km of competition, split into two identical loops of three speed tests in the hot and dusty mountains north and east of the rally base in León, before two more passes over the super special stage on the edge of the city. Temperatures again hovered just under 30ºC in the city, although they were a few degrees cooler in the hills as the route took competitors up to 2600m.

Overnight leader Latvala had the dubious privilege of being first in the start order in his Focus RS. It meant the 22-year-old Finn had to cope all morning with the same slippery loose stones on the road surface that hampered Hirvonen in the same position yesterday. His disadvantage was typified on the opening special stage when he dropped 9.5sec to Loeb, but he got to grips with the conditions on the following two tests to end the loop just 5.8sec behind the Frenchman.

The battle continued on cleaner roads this afternoon until a broken turbo charge pipe on the second test slowed the BP Ford Abu Dhabi driver. Latvala and Anttila tried to make repairs after the stage but to no avail and they dropped over two minutes during the rest of the day before the team could replace it.

"About 1km after the start of the stage the car suddenly lost power, with no warning," said Latvala. "The pipe between the intercooler and the turbo came loose and I had some power, but not full boost. We wrapped some aluminium tape around it before the next stage but it didn't help. I couldn't fight with Loeb for the lead this afternoon and I wanted to do that. It was bad luck but it's not my time yet to win this rally. I'm still third though and tomorrow I will drive to save my podium.

"The first stage this morning was slippery and I couldn't find the right way to drive. I understand how difficult it was for Mikko yesterday. I was cleaning the corners and that's the difference between first in the start order and second, where I was yesterday. There were many different grip levels on the loose stones and it was hard for braking. In the third stage I did everything I could, and maybe too much, because I had a close escape after a crest when the car was totally off the road," he added.

Hirvonen restarted in fifth but quickly moved into fourth, without ever feeling truly happy with his performance. However, two punctures on the opening afternoon stage, one of which he stopped to change, cost almost three minutes. Caution was the watchword through the final four stages, with both spare wheels that competitors are allowed to carry in the car already used. He is just 15.9sec behind fourth-placed Henning Solberg.

"Early in the stage, there was a big rock on the inside of a fast right bend," he explained. "I couldn't avoid it and hit it with both right wheels. I immediately knew the front tyre was punctured and stopped to change it but didn't notice the rear puncture. It was only after a couple of kilometres more that the rear tyre started to slowly lose pressure. I had to be really careful in left corners and actually slid off the road at one point. Now my aim is to catch Henning for fourth tomorrow.

"I made some small changes last night and the car didn't slide as much this morning but I drove too cautiously. I was better than yesterday but I don't deserve a 'well done' yet. It was better not being first on the road but I started this morning with the intention of driving flat out and while I drove fast, improvements are still needed. I'm at the same pace as last year and it's not enough," he added.

BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson said Latvala's problems were 'unfortunate'. "He's still third and so many drivers have had problems that the rally isn't over yet. Mikko had a tough day but he made it back and will be out there battling again tomorrow," he said.

News from our Rivals

Fastest time on the opening two tests carried Sébastien Loeb (Citroen) into the lead. He won another three stages this afternoon to finish 61.4sec ahead of Chris Atkinson (Subaru). The Australian's only concern was a problem with the car's launch control system. Behind Latvala, Munchi's driver Henning Solberg (Ford) capitalised on Hirvonen's punctures to move into fourth, despite brake trouble on the opening test. Stobart's Matthew Wilson (Ford) climbed to sixth, despite spinning and stalling on the morning's final test. Dani Sordo (Citroen), competing under SupeRally rules after retiring yesterday, won two stages as he fought to climb into the manufacturers' points. The only major retirement was Petter Solberg (Subaru) who stopped after a broken driveshaft on stage 10 cost four minutes.

Tomorrow’s Route

The final day is a short, sharp affair with just four stages and 60.69km for competitors to tackle. After a 07.45 start, they face three tests north and east of León before a final pass over the super special stage on the edge of the city. The finish ceremony is at 13.00.

Day 2 Leaderboard
1. S Loeb/D Elena F Citroen C4 3h08m39.8s
2. C Atkinson/S Prevot AUS Subaru Impreza +1m01.4s
3. J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Focus RS +2m06.4s *
4. H Solberg/C Menkerud NFord Focus RS +3m51.6s *
5. M Hirvonen/J LehtinenFIN Ford Focus RS +4m07.5s *
6. M Wilson/S Martin GB Ford Focus RS +6m10.6s *
7. F Villagra/J P CompancRA Ford Focus RS +18m14.3s *
8. R Trivino/C Salom MEX Peugeot 206 +19m31.1s
9. S Ogier/J Ingrassis F Citroen C2 +22m30.8s
10. J Molder/F Miclotte EESuzuki Swift +24m02.9s

Bron: M-Sport

Update 01-03-2008 14:45 uur

29-02-2008

Hirvonen ‘annoyed’ by the pace of his team-mate:

Mikko Hirvonen says he is annoyed about being beaten by his Ford team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala.

Hirvonen, who currently leads the WRC drivers' championship, is fifth overall after a difficult day during which he faced the worst of the slippery road conditions on the first loop.

Hirvonen was fifth on all three morning tests to hold fourth, 18.7sec behind his team-mate. However, a slow puncture caused by a cracked wheel on SS5 cost 40sec and one place. Hirvonen will start the second day 1min 10.6sec behind Latvala.

"It's annoying when your young team-mate is beating you,” said Hirvonen. “And it wasn't the car or my road position that was the reason why Jari-Matti is so far ahead of me. He's driven very well. The time gap between myself and Loeb is what I expected but the difference to Jari-Matti is far more than I thought. I need to find more speed tomorrow. This morning's conditions were as I expected. It was difficult in the braking areas and the loose gravel meant there was no traction accelerating out of the bends."

Bron: wrc.com

29-02-2008 20:05 uur

Roll cage damage means no restart for Galli:

Gigi Galli has retired from Rally Mexico as a result of roll cage damage sustained in his accident on stage four.

Galli was in third place before the accident which happened just 40 metres into the stage. After running wide on a fast left-hand bend, the right-hand rear wheel of Galli’s Ford Focus collided with a rock, damaging the trailing arm.

Back in the service area the team discovered that the broken trailing arm had damaged to the rear section of the roll cage and a decision was made by the FIA and the team to retire the car from the event on safety grounds.

“I am very disappointed,” said Galli. “It was just so silly because everything was feeling good and I felt like I was set up well for the corner. The first two stages today were okay I actually didn’t really expect to get such good times because we were taking no risks and just driving sensibly and everything, the car, tyres and setup, was all perfect. It is a shame because I only got to drive about 60 kilometres on gravel and with the new tyres but the experience will help me when we go to Argentina for the next round.”

The team’s remaining driver, 21-year-old Matthew Wilson, is seventh overall. “Our speed this morning was very good despite being held up in Toni’s dust on stage two where we lost around 50 seconds,” said Wilson. “The first two in the afternoon weren’t the best for me because the roads had cleared up which offered more grip that I didn’t quite use to full effect. The final proper stage before the Superspecial was really good though and had if it not been for a couple of silly little mistakes we would have been well under a second a kilometre off the fastest guys. This was a good way to finish the day as we head into tomorrow which I know will be another challenging day.”

Bron: wrc.com

Update 29-02-2008 17:00 uur

Zojuist van start gegaan de eerste dag van de Rally in Mexico, dus valt er nog weinig te vertellen, behalve dat er zich bij de openingsronde donderdag, Loeb al vroeg te maken kreeg met pech, de motor van zijn C4 vertoonde allereerste vreemde geluiden waarop hij dacht dat het beter zou zijn terug te keren naar de service, helaas kwam het niet zover en viel de motor helemaal stil. Bij Citroen is daarop besloten een nieuwe motor te plaatsen, wat Loeb een 5 minuten aan straftijd op leverde. Later bleek de straftijd van 5 minuten te zijn kwijtgescholden, omdat Citroen de eerst defecte motor terug heeft geplaatst.

Dit schijnt niet het de Rally van Citroen te worden, want zojuist werd bekend dat ook Sordo na 15 km. al aan de kant staat met een gebroken schokbreker en de ophanging daarvan.

Het is nog te vroeg te zeggen wat dit alles voor gevolgen heeft op de andere rijders, maar Petter Solberg en Chris Atkinson waren de eerste proef het snelste, maar laten we even afwachten hoe dit het er eind van deze dag in Mexico uit zal zien.

Wel is het er droog en zonnig en de dag begon er aan het begin van de Rally om 08:00 uur met comfortabele 20 graden, dit lijken ons een heerlijk temperatuurtje om een Rally in te rijden. Daar kunnen de profs waarschijnlijk wel heel anders over denken.

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