2010 World Rally Championship Thread

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Solberg leads after Day 1 of New Zealand Rally

Post by mlittle » Sat May 08, 2010 5:32 pm

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Petter Solberg will start day two of Rally New Zealand in the lead following a dramatic start to round five of the World Rally Championship on the stages north of host city Auckland. However, Sebastien Loeb, who began the event with a 40-point lead in the drivers’ standings, is more than one minute off the pace following a major scare on the event’s fourth stage when he struck a bridge in his Citroen C4 WRC and lost vital time trying to keep his driver’s door closed.

Solberg, at the wheel of a privately-run C4, held the lead after the opening two stages but slipped behind Loeb’s team-mate Dani Sordo, falling to fourth before striking back in the afternoon to go fastest through stage eight, the repeat of the Cassidy test where Loeb hit trouble in the morning, which handed him the overnight advantage. “It has been very good today,” said Solberg. “I have been calm, controlled and I feel great. The main thing for me is to know that Seb is behind me.”

Solberg will begin day two at the head of the field, which will mean he will have to clean the road of the loose surface gravel. “I just have to deal with it,” said the 2003 world champion. “Seb has done a good job today [cleaning the road] and I didn’t do so bad myself [running just behind].”

Ford’s Jari-Matti Latvala is second heading into day two, despite reporting that he wasn’t happy with his driving during the morning’s loop of four stages. He heads Citroen Junior Team’s Sebastien Ogier, who was fastest on three of Friday’s eight gravel stages. Dani Sordo is fourth in the second works C4, having led after four stages. At the remote service halt in Whangarei, the Spaniard conceded that he might not be able to maintain his advantage through the afternoon and was proved right. “The morning was good but it will not decide the rally,” said Sordo. “The difference is not so big between the cars and I am really happy and enjoying it.”

Mikko Hirvonen is fifth overnight in the second works Focus and admitted he hadn’t been pleased with his performance. “I have been pushing really hard and haven’t made any mistakes but I just couldn’t go any faster,” said the Finn. “It has not been a good day.”

Matthew Wilson went second fastest on stage two but any hopes the Briton had of repeating his startling early pace evaporated on stage three when his driver’s side window shattered and filled the cockpit of his semi-works with shards of glass and dust. “What a nightmare,” he said. “We were on a long straight and it just fell down. It’s never happened before and it’s not like we went through a compression or anything.”

Loeb’s recovery from his moment on stage four included setting the fastest time through stage seven. Although he has given up on winning for a fourth consecutive rally, he still believes a podium finish is possible. “It’s going to be tough but we will try,” he said after completing day one in seventh overall.

Top-10 after Day 1
1st} Petter Solberg(NOR/Citroen), 1 hr., 35:51.3 sec
2nd} Jari-Matti Latvala(FIN/Ford), -1.4 sec
3rd} Sebastien Ogier(FRA/Citroen), -3.9 sec
4th} Daniel Sordo(SPN/Citroen), -8.7 sec
5th} Mikko Hirvonen(FIN/Ford), -20.2 sec
6th} Matthew Wilson(GBR/Ford), -1:09.7 sec
7th} Sebastien Loeb(FRA/Citroen), -1:19.8 sec
8th} Henning Solberg(NOR/Ford), -1:45.3 sec
9th} Jari Ketomaa(FIN/Ford), -4:18.0 sec
10th} Xavier Pons(SPN/Ford), -4:40.5 sec
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Ogier leads, Loeb jumps to 2nd after Day 2

Post by mlittle » Sun May 09, 2010 12:07 pm

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Sebastien Ogier is four stages away from a sensational debut victory on Rally New Zealand - providing he can fend off Sebastien Loeb on the final day of the world championship event. Loeb, the six-time world champion, was 1m19.8s adrift of the lead at the start of day two following a disastrous run through Friday’s fourth stage when he damaged his Citroen C4 WRC’s side door striking a bridge.

But a sensational performance by Loeb has catapulted the world championship leader to within touching distance of a fourth consecutive win after he went fastest on all six of Saturday’s gravel stages. He will start day three of the Auckland-based event 5.3 seconds behind Citroen Junior Team driver Ogier, who is chasing his first WRC victory in only his second full season in the global series.

"It has been in incredible day; flat-out from the start to the end and now we've made up the gap to first place," said Loeb. "We're five seconds behind Sebastien and everything is possible again. I'm really happy. I think I couldn’t do better," added the 36-year-old Frenchman, who said he had made the most of starting seventh on the road.

Ogier began day two in third place behind Petter Solberg and Jari-Matti Latvala but moved ahead of the pair on Saturday’s opening New Franklin stage. With Solberg and Latvala fighting through the loose surface gravel, Ogier gradually pulled clear and cemented a strong morning with the fastest time through the all-asphalt Hampton Downs Super Special. Despite his best efforts, Ogier was unable to prevent Loeb from eating into his advantage out front. “We had a good morning and we tried to push hard but Sebastien has just been too fast,” said Ogier.

Latvala is third overnight in his Ford Focus, 33.2 seconds behind Ogier. The Finn said he had been too cautious in the morning and also admitted he’d struggled adapting his pacenotes to suit the dry conditions after it had rained during reconnaissance.

Dani Sordo returned to overnight service in Auckland in fourth, 6.1s ahead of Solberg. “I tried to be fast but it has been difficult, especially if you brake too late because it’s easy to go out of the line,” said Sordo.

Solberg’s pursuit of his first WRC victory since 2005 appears to have fallen short after he slipped to fifth overall, 53.6s behind Ogier. The Norwegian suffered from running first on the road to the extent he conceded he was powerless to halt his disappointing slide down the leaderboard. “I knew before the start it was going to be tough but there was so much [loose] gravel on the road in the morning that there really was nothing I could do,” said Solberg.

Mikko Hirvonen’s navigator Jarmo Lehtinen was convinced his driver could fight for victory after completing day one 20.2 off first place. However, a spin seven kilometres from the end of the 20.82-kilometre New Franklin stage on Saturday morning has dictated otherwise.
“I just tried to push too hard and made a mistake,” said Hirvonen, who is sixth overall with four stages remaining. “I thought I had broken the suspension but fortunately that wasn’t the case.”

Matthew Wilson began day two with a new gearbox fitted in his Stobart M-Sport Focus after the original began to malfunction on Friday afternoon. He is seventh overnight and comfortably clear of team-mate Henning Solberg.


Top-10 after Day 2..................
1st} Sebastien Ogier(FRA/Citroen), 3 hrs., 05:40.4 sec
2nd} Sebastien Loeb(FRA/Citroen), -5.3 sec
3rd} Jari-Matti Latvala(FIN/Ford), -33.2 sec
4th} Daniel Sordo(SPN/Citroen), -47.5 sec
5th} Petter Solberg(NOR/Citroen), -53.6 sec
6th} Mikko Hirvonen(FIN/Ford), -1:00.2 sec
7th} Matthew Wilson(GBR/Ford), -3:04.9 sec
8th} Henning Solber(NOR/Ford), -5:41.4 sec
9th} Jari Ketomaa(FIN/Ford), -8:12.7 sec
10th} Frederico Villegra(ARG/Ford), -8:28.8 sec
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Latvala wins Rally New Zealand!

Post by mlittle » Mon May 10, 2010 7:36 am

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Factory Ford ace Mikko Hirvonen says team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala’s victory on Rally New Zealand could prove a turning point in the Blue Oval’s fortunes this season. Latvala’s triumph in New Zealand was the marque’s first since Hirvonen’s win on the season-opening Rally Sweden in February. Citroen’s defending world champion Sebastien Loeb claimed first place on the subsequent three events.

With Hirvonen taking fourth behind Citroen pair Sebastien Ogier and Loeb, Ford has closed to within five points of the French firm in the manufacturers’ championship standings. “This was not just a fantastic result for Jari-Matti but also for the team because we have really narrowed the gap to Citroen,” said Hirvonen. “It was a difficult weekend for me and we have seen Citroen be very strong here but this result is really important for the season.”

Victory for Latvala meant Ford has overtaken Lancia as the most successful manufacturer in the history of the WRC with 75 wins to the Italian firm’s 74. “Ford is a stalwart supporter of world rallying and our 75th victory is a landmark achievement,” said the company’s European motorsport chief, Gerard Quinn. “Ford has won with the Escort and we have won with the Sierra but it’s fitting that the Focus, our most successful rally car, should claim our 75th victory in its final season as our WRC challenger.”

Although Rally New Zealand has given Ford several good memories - Hirvonen and Marcus Gronholm clinched Ford’s first manufacturers’ crown in 27 years on the event in 2006, while Gronholm won the closest finish to a WRC event when he beat Sebastien Loeb by three-tenths of a second the following season - it was in the country two years ago that Ford lost out on a one-two finish during a disastrous final day when Latvala crashed and Hirvonen suffered a puncture.


Final top-10, Rally New Zealand..................
1st} Jari-Matti Latvala(FIN/Ford), 4 hrs., 04:04.8 sec
2nd} Sebastien Ogier(FRA/Citroen), -2.4 sec
3rd} Sebastien Loeb(FIN/Citroen), -15.2 sec
4th} Mikko Hirvonen(FIN/Ford), -21.3 sec
5th} Daniel Sordo(FIN/Citroen), -25.8 sec
6th} Matthew Wilson(GBR/Ford), -3:26.0 sec
7th} Henning Solberg(NOR/Ford), -6:15.3 sec
8th} Jari Ketomaa(FIN/Ford), -10:19.3 sec
9th} Frederico Villegra(ARG/Ford), -10:49.8 sec
10th} Xavier Pons(SPN/Ford), -11:13.4 sec
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Post by mlittle » Mon May 10, 2010 7:45 am

Current WRC Standings................


-----WRC Drivers' Standings(top-10)..................
1st} Sebastien Loeb(FRA), 108 pts(3 wins)
2nd} Jari-Matti Latvala(FIN), 72 pts(1 win)
3rd} Mikko Hirvonen(FIN), 64 pts(1 win)
4th} Sebastien Ogier(FRA), 63 pts
5th} Petter Solberg(NOR), 53 pts
6th} Daniel Sordo(SPN), 34 pts
7th} Matthew Wilson(GBR), 30 pts
8th} Henning Solberg(NOR), 24 pts
9th} Frederico Villegra(ARG), 22 pts
10th} Kimi Raikkonen(FIN), 14 pts

-----WRC Manufacturers' Standings................
1st} Citroen Total WRT, 156 pts(3 wins)
2nd} BP Ford Abu Dhabi WRT, 151 pts(2 wins)
3rd} Citroen Junior Team, 75 pts
4th} Stobart M-Sport Ford WRT, 74 pts
5th} Munchi's Ford WRT, 32 pts
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Ogier leads after Day 1 of Rally Portugal

Post by mlittle » Sat May 29, 2010 6:44 pm

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----Sebastien Ogier will start day two of Vodafone Rally de Portugal with a lead of 26.6 seconds over Dani Sordo following a hugely impressive performance by the Citroen Junior Team driver. Ogier, who was fastest on five of Friday’s six stages in his C4 WRC, profited when Sordo suffered a suspected sticking throttle on the last stage of the day, which enabled Ogier to extend his advantage by almost 20 seconds over the Spaniard.

The 26-year-old now faces the prospect of tackling Saturday’s stages first on the road. With road clearing likely to be more of a factor on day two due to the rougher nature of the stage surface, Ogier will face a tall order if he is to remain at the head of the field. However, he is braced for the challenge that lies ahead.

“Everything was okay today, almost perfect,” said Ogier. “I tried to push from the first stage to the last one to try to make the gap. I am happy with the gap and it would have been difficult to make it more. Now we are going to be first on the road tomorrow and I know that will be quite difficult.”

Defending world champion Sebastien Loeb was fifth heading into the final stage of the day but vaulted up to third with the second fastest time through the last test. However, delays caused by clearing the road of the loose surface gravel in the morning means he is 44.8s off the lead.

Mikko Hirvonen is fourth overnight after admitting to backing off on the middle stage of the afternoon loop in order to preserve his tyres for the final run. He is 2.1s down on Loeb with Petter Solberg falling from third to fifth after destroying his right-rear tyre with an all-out attack on the last stage of the day. Jari-Matti Latvala is sixth after admitting his hard-charging style had caused his tyres to wear badly.

Henning Solberg completed the final stage with his car’s steering column resting on his knees following a component failure. However, he kept hold of seventh place after Stobart M-Sport team-mate Matthew Wilson lost time when he ran wide into a ditch on the second run through the Santa Clara stage and then suffered fading brakes on stage seven.

Mads Ostberg is ninth after enduring a heavy tyre wear and a bout of understeer on stage six. Kimi Raikkonen completes the top ten after improving the handling of his Citroen C4 by stiffening up the suspension for the afternoon stages. His co-driver, Kaj Lindstrom, said the Finn had also benefited from more consistent stage conditions after the changing grip levels in the morning had hit Raikkonen’s confidence.

Federico Villagra is 11th, one place ahead of Khalid Al Qassimi, who inflicted damage to the rear of his Focus when he ran wide and struck a rock on stage two. Ken Block rolled into retirement on stage four but is due to restart on day two after an initial inspection of his Focus revealed only light damage.


Top-10 following Day 1...................
1} Sebastien Ogier(FRA/Citroen), 1 hr., 20:34.4 sec
2} Daniel Sordo(SPN/Citroen), -26.6 sec
3} Sebastien Loeb(FRA/Citroen), -44.8 sec
4} Mikko Hirvonen(FIN/Ford), -46.9 sec
5} Petter Solberg(NOR/Citroen), -49.9 sec
6} Jari-Matti Latvala(FIN/Ford), -1:02.8 sec
7} Henning Solberg(NOR/Ford), -1:20.7 sec
8} Matthew Wilson(GBR/Ford), -1:54.6 sec
9} Mads Ostberg(NOR/Subaru), -2:37.3 sec
10} Kimi Raikkonen(FIN/Citroen), -3:18.1 sec
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Ogier leads after Day 2 of Rally Portugal

Post by mlittle » Sun May 30, 2010 1:26 pm

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Vodafone Rally de Portugal is set for a thrilling climax after Sebastien Ogier reached the end of day two 21.1 seconds in front of Citroen team leader Sebastien Loeb.

And with just four gravel stages remaining on Sunday, world champion Loeb fears he might not be able to prevent Ogier from landing his maiden victory in the World Rally Championship. “I have to push tomorrow but the gap is big and he is going very well,” said Loeb. “We are only second on the road tomorrow so it won’t be easy to make a difference. He was running very well but at the same time saving nicely his tyres. I was too cautious for the tyres and lost too much time.”

Ogier, who drives for the Citroen Junior Team, has held his lead throughout the day despite having to carve his way through the loose surface gravel by running first on the road. He said: “We try to push all day. It was difficult but we didn’t lose a lot of time being first on the road. I have to see for my gap to Seb because I know it will be hard again tomorrow.”

Petter Solberg returned to end of day service in Faro in third place in his privately-run Citroen C4. He started the afternoon loop 10.5 seconds down on Dani Sordo but moved in front when the tyres on the Spaniard’s C4 became badly worn and he had to slow. Solberg also reported excessive tyre wear - caused the by the hot temperatures and abrasive stage surface - and starts the final day 52.2 seconds adrift of Ogier.

Mikko Hirvonen is fifth and the leading non-Citroen driver in his works Ford Focus with Henning Solberg sixth, in a semi-works machine, after recovering from earlier fuel pump problems. Mads Ostberg is eighth overall behind Matthew Wilson despite reporting a powersteering problem on his Subaru Impreza.

Ex-Formula One driver Kimi Raikkonen remains on course for a points finish in the second Citroen Junior Team C4 after surviving an off approximately one and a half kilometres from the end of the final stage.
Raikkonen’s navigator Kaj Lindstrom said his driver’s lack of experience had been his biggest hindrance on the demanding gravel roads. Argentine Federico Villagra completes the top ten in his Munchi’s Ford Focus, equal on time with Abu Dhabi’s Khalid Al Qassimi.

Sunday’s itinerary features four gravel stages plus a second run through the Tarmac-based superspecial stage in Estadio Algarve ahead of the ceremonial finish.


Top-10 after Day 2.....................
1} Sebastian Ogier(FRA/Citroen), 2 hrs., 50:48.1 sec
2} Sebastian Loeb(FRA/Citroen), -21.1 sec
3} Petter Solberg(NOR/Citroen), -52.2 sec
4} Daniel Sordo(SPN/Citroen), -1:05.7 sec
5} Mikko Hirvonen(FIN/Ford), -1:13.9 sec
6} Henning Solberg(NOR/Ford), -3:02.8 sec
7} Matthew Wilson(GBR/Ford), -4:41.8 sec
8} Mads Ostberg(NOR/Subaru), -5:36.7 sec
9} Kimi Raikkonen(FIN/Citroen), -7:29.7 sec
t-10}[10]Frederico Villegra(ARG/Ford), -7:55.1 sec
t-10}[11]Khalid al-Qassimi(UAE/Ford), -7:55.1 sec
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Ogier taken maiden win in Portugal

Post by mlittle » Wed Jun 02, 2010 5:27 am

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For years the conventional WRC wisdom was that if a Citroen won, odds were it was Sebastien Loeb at the wheel..........not this rally. Sebastien Ogier has claimed his first world championship victory by narrowly defeating Sebastien Loeb on Vodafone Rally de Portugal. The Citroen Junior Team driver started the third and final day with a lead of 21.1 seconds and showed a level of maturity that belied his 26 years to hold firm as Loeb tried in vain to get ahead of his countryman.

After completing the final sun-baked gravel stage with a lead of 7.7s over Loeb, Ogier knew he would ensure first place by safely negotiating the rally-closing superspecial through the Estadio Algarve near Faro. Roared on by thousands of spectators, Ogier did exactly that and even set a time faster than Loeb, just for good measure, to win by 7.9s. “It’s a fantastic feeling and I am very, very happy,” said Ogier. “It has not been easy with Sebastien behind me, pushing me all the time, but we also pushed hard for all of the rally and made no mistakes.”

Ogier’s co-driver, Julien Ingrassia, added: “It’s a special feeling. I have worked so hard preparing to get to this level and to achieve this win is a big moment for me.”

Loeb was fastest on all four of Sunday’s gravel stages but ultimately couldn’t deny Ogier his day in the limelight. “I tried all the rally to beat him but he was just too fast,” said Loeb. “On the second pass through the stages he was untouchable. I have a new rival now.”

Dani Sordo completed a Citroen podium lockout after profiteering from the steering glitch that slowed Petter Solberg on the final morning and demoted the Norwegian to fourth overall heading into the super special. “I had to push really hard to get in front of him,” said the Spaniard.

Solberg looked set to take fourth only to clout a water-filled barrier in the superspecial and tip his privately-run Citroen C4 onto two wheels. The delay allowed Mikko Hirvonen, driving a works Ford Focus, to snatch fourth place by 3.7s. Matthew Wilson, who was up against Solberg in the superspecial, overcame brake and steering woes to complete the top six for the Stobart M-Sport team, which lost team-mate Henning Solberg’s similar Focus to an overheating engine on Sunday’s second stage.

Mads Ostberg brought his Subaru Impreza home in seventh overall despite fearing he might not make the finish when a number of engine warning lights flashed up on his car’s dashboard after stage 15. Federico Villagra survived striking a bank on the penultimate gravel stage, which ripped the front bumper from his Munchi’s Ford Focus, to claim eighth spot, 19.7s clear of Abu Dhabi’s Khalid Al Qassimi. The Argentine was fastest through the 2.03-kilometre superspecial.

Ex-Formula One world champion Kimi Raikkonen was slowed by a handling imbalance on his Citroen Junior Team-run C4 on the opening loop of stages and then a tyre deflation, caused by striking a rock, on stage 16. He finished 10th to claim the final drivers’ championship point.



Top-10, Rally Portugal
1} Sebastien Ogier(FRA/Citroen), 3 hrs., 51:16.1 sec
2} Sebastien Loeb(FRA/Citroen), -7.9 sec
3} Daniel Sordo(SPN/Citroen), -1:17.6 sec
4} Mikko Hirvonen(FIN/Ford), -1:32.0 sec
5} Petter Solberg(NOR/Ford), -1:35.7 sec
6} Matthew Wilson(GBR/Ford), -7:10.1 sec
7} Mads Ostberg(NOR/Subaru), -7:28.3 sec
8} Frederico Villegra(ARG/Ford), -10:36.1 sec
9} Khalid al-Qassimi(UAE/Ford), -10:55.8 sec
10} Kimi Raikkonen(FIN/Citroen), -11:34.3 sec
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Ogier's maiden win notches Spirit of the Rally Award.......

Post by mlittle » Wed Jun 02, 2010 5:29 am

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-----A virtuoso display of speed, courage and determination earned Sebastian Ogier double honours at Rally de Portugal. The Citroen driver’s maiden World Rally Championship victory on the Algarve after just two years in the top tier of rallying was followed up with the Abu Dhabi Spirit of the Rally Award to complete a remarkable weekend for the Frenchman.

The award, created by Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), is presented at each WRC round to mark an outstanding feat of leadership, integrity, respect or teamwork. Ogier’s impressive transition through rally’s grass roots levels to the pinnacle of the sport and now a debut WRC win, was judged to have demonstrated an outstanding work ethic and natural skill.

“This has been a perfect weekend. It was a big surprise and we did something special to get this award from ADTA too,” commented Ogier. “Our first victory against six times World Champion Sebastien Loeb is unexpected, but I am now confident for the rest of the Championship and look forward to the next rally.”

Ogier’s Junior World Rally Championship (J-WRC) win in his debut season in that class earned him his first Spirit of the Rally Award in 2008. “Grass roots programmes are essential to the long-term growth and development of any sport, and Ogier’s impressive WRC win has demonstrated this to great effect,” said Ahmed Hussein, Deputy Director General, ADTA.
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Post by mlittle » Wed Jun 02, 2010 5:37 am

Current WRC Standings


-----Drivers' Standings(top-10)
1st} Sebastien Loeb(FRA), 126 pts(3 wins)
2nd} Sebastien Ogier(FRA), 88 pts(1 win)
3rd} Mikko Hirvonen(FIN), 76 pts(1 win)
4th} Jari-Matti Latvala(FIN), 72 pts(1 win)
5th} Petter Solberg(NOR), 63 pts
6th} Daniel Sordo(SPN), 49 pts
7th} Matthew Wilson(GBR), 38 pts
8th} Frederico Villegra(ARG), 26 pts
9th} Henning Solberg)NOR), 24 pts
10th} Kimi Raikkonen(FIN), 15 pts
-----Manufacturers' Standings
1st} Citroen Total WRT, 189 pts(3 wins)
2nd} BP Ford Abu Dhabi WRT, 163 pts(2 wins)
3rd} Citroen Junior Team, 106 pts(1 win)
4th} Stobart M-Sport Ford WRT, 84 pts
5th} Munchi's Ford WRT, 40 pts
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Loeb Leads Day 1 of Rally Bulgaria

Post by mlittle » Sun Jul 11, 2010 3:14 am

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Sebastien Loeb and his Citroen C4 WRC didn’t miss a beat through the first four stages of the inaugural World Rally Championship round in Bulgaria. The Frenchman, who has won the last 15 pure asphalt rounds of the WRC, was peerless for every one of the opening day’s 118 competitive kilometres. The only change for Loeb through the afternoon came in his rear-view mirror as Sebastien Ogier slipped off the road in the third test, allowing Dani Sordo to move into second place.

Petter Solberg was third at the end of day one, ensuring that, while Citroen’s domination of the top five might have slipped with Ford’s Mikko Hirvonen running fourth this evening, the French firm still has the provisional podium locked down.

“The feeling for me has been very good today,” said Loeb. “There was some gravel in some of the corners this afternoon, but nothing too bad. I tried to drive the same as this morning and the times were close [to what he set through the morning]. But, there is still a long way to go in this event, and the weather could make it difficult tomorrow. I will try to be confident again tomorrow, but today has been perfect for me and the car.”

Ogier was just 2.6 seconds ahead of Sordo when he went off the road and - given the Spaniard’s upturn in pace through the second run of stages - the Citroen Junior Team driver might have found it tough to keep Sordo behind. That all became academic when the Rally Portugal winner misheard a pace note call mid-way through the stage and went straight off the road. “It took some time for me to get back on the road,” said Ogier, who dropped to sixth in the standings. “It’s quite frustrating, but that can be the rally some times.”

Sordo was much happier through the afternoon. Second fastest on both stages, he added eight seconds to his advantage over third-placed Solberg. “We made a change to the rear of the car,” said Sordo, “and this really worked for me this afternoon. The car had less understeer. But still it’s not easy, Sebastien [Loeb] is driving so well, some times it’s unbelievable what he is doing.”

Solberg, who ran on the same tyres for the afternoon as he did through the morning - hoping the scrubbed rubber would offer better grip - was pleased to still be in touch with Sordo, particularly after spending his first day with new co-driver Chris Patterson. Hirvonen’s fastest Ford was 32.9 seconds down on Solberg and more than a minute off the lead. The Finn had moved up one more position after Kimi Raikkonen crashed out of the rally on the fourth stage. “This hasn’t been a good day,” said Hirvonen. “I wasn’t so confident in the pace notes this morning, sometimes they were too fast and then in some corners too slow. Like this morning, when the road was dirty or technical, I felt we were okay and the pace was good, but in the fast sections we were not really there. We made some changes at lunchtime and this helped the car, it was definitely better this afternoon.”

Hirvonen’s Ford team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala is fifth, 10 seconds behind his countryman with Ogier sixth. Stobart new boy P-G Andersson is seventh with Hungarian Peugeot 307 WRC driver Frigyes Turan eighth.


Top-10, Day 1-Rally Bulgaria
1} Sebastien Loeb(FRA/Citroen), 1 hr., 05:26.7 sec
2} Daniel Sordo(SPN/Citroen), -28.1 sec
3} Petter Solberg(NOR/Citroen), -38.0 sec
4} Mikko Hirvonen(FIN/Ford), -1:10.9 sec
5} Jari-Matti Latvala(FIN/Ford), -1:21.2 sec
6} Sebastien Ogier(FRA/Citroen), -1:31.3 sec
7} Per Gunnar Andersson(SWE/Ford), -2:26.3 sec
8} Frigyes Turan(HUN/Peugeot), -2:49.1 sec
9} Matthew Wilson(GBR/Ford), -3:45.6 sec
10} Henning Solberg(NOR/Ford), -4:43.4 sec
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Loeb Leads Day 2 of Rally Bulgaria

Post by mlittle » Mon Jul 12, 2010 5:05 pm

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----Sebastien Loeb continues to lead Rally Bulgaria at the end of the second day, but all eyes were on another Citroen C4 WRC this afternoon as Norwegian Petter Solberg dominated the timesheets to win each of the three stages.

The Citroen Total World Rally Team had been warned of potential storms on the stages this afternoon and rather than risk being caught out on an unsuitable hard compound Pirelli tyre, the French squad elected to send Loeb out on soft rubber. In the end, the rain didn’t arrive, but the six-time champion made it safely back to service - and with an extended advantage over team-mate Dani Sordo.

Sordo ran with hard tyres at the front of his C4 and soft compound at the back. The compromise made it tricky for the Spaniard to fend off Solberg’s advances. He departed service with a 26.8-second advantage and returned just 4.7 seconds ahead of the 2003 world champion.

At the head of the field, Loeb was relaxed about his position. “Everything is perfect,” he said. “The tyre was not the right choice, but it was the safe choice for me this afternoon. It made sense to do this. The tyre worked well, it was moving about and that changed the handling of the car a little, but it was okay, I could adapt to it.”

Sordo wasn’t quite so relaxed about the diminishing gap between steps two and three of the provisional podium. “We had some understeer from the car running it with the tyres like this,” he said. “It wasn’t easy, but if the rain had come we could have made the advantage - we were carrying two spare soft tyres. It’s just a shame the rain didn’t arrive.” Asked if he was confident for the final-day fight with Solberg, he replied: “I’m looking forward to the battle, it’s always interesting to fight.”

Solberg was on top form after his string of scratch times, but he insisted he wouldn’t be getting carried away. “We’ve got to remember that a podium result is the thing I am chasing here. I’m not going to go mad - but it’s been a good afternoon. We made some changes to the suspension at service mid-way through today and I have the real confidence in the car now. I could go fast before, but now I can fly.”

Sebastien Ogier remained firmly in no-mans’ land with a big gap to Solberg and the same behind to Mikko Hirvonen’s fastest Ford. After a torrid morning in his Focus RS WRC, Hirvonen was happier through the afternoon’s three stages.

Hirvonen’s team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala suffered more misery through the afternoon as his car hit power steering problems when a pipe was damaged on the system. He had to drive two stages with no assistance.

“In the long corners, I had no power in my arms to hold on to the steering wheel,” he said. “It was better in the less twisty, faster sections. My priority now is to see the physio. It’s frustrating because I feel I was driving well - before this problem my times were closer to Mikko than on previous asphalt rallies.” P-G Andersson is seventh overnight having continued to level his learning curve aboard the Stobart Ford.


Top-10, Day 2--Rally Bulgaria
1} Sebastien Loeb(FRA/Citroen), 2 hrs, 12:49.3 sec
2} Daniel Sordo(SPN/Citroen), -40.5 sec
3} Petter Solberg(NOR/Citroen), -45.2 sec
4} Sebastien Ogier(FRA/Citroen), -2:05.7 sec
5} Mikko Hirvonen(FIN/Ford), -2:50.4 sec
6} Jari-Matti Latvala(FIN/Ford), -3:33.1 sec
7} Per-Gunnar Andersson(SWE/Ford), -4:35.8 sec
8} Frigyes Turan(HUN/Peugeot), -5:39.2 sec
9} Matthew Wilson(GBR/Ford), -7:34.7 sec
10} Henning Solberg(NOR/Ford), -10.04.6 sec
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Loeb Crusies to Victory in Bulgaria.........

Post by mlittle » Wed Jul 14, 2010 3:37 pm

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-----With only four stages remaining Sebestien Loeb easily sailed to the Rally Bulgaria victory, entering the record books yet again with his 58th win and as the first World Rally Championship winner at the historic event. If the maiden event for 2010 is any indication this rally may very well be a new staple on the calendar. Loeb would most likely have no problem with that, having taken every stage on Friday and creating such a lead that no one could touch him for the remaining two days.

"It's all gone off like a dream, really," smiled Loeb. "We began with a good first day and we consolidated our position on the next one. Today was a bit more relaxed! I like the first Rally Bulgaria! It's got good stages that highlight the qualities of the drivers and the cars. Bravo to Dani [Sorod] who drove a great race."

Dani Sordo had no choice but to drive a great race, as Petter Solberg was hot on his heels for much of it. Stating today the pair were less than a second apart and while the two traded faster times the gap stayed about the same. On the final stage Sordo was finally able to make a positive gain of 1.3 seconds, and therefore held onto second from the charging privateer.

"I've achieved my aim in this rally," affirmed Sordo. "Seb [Loeb] made a decisive break in the opening stages and once again he was the quickest this weekend. My role was to bag as many points as possible for Citroen for the Manufacturers' World Championship title, and I also wanted to win my duel with Petter. My second podium on the trot has boosted my confidence for the rest of the season."

The Citroen World Rally Team earned a one, two finish while Citroen the manufacturer saw the C4 take all top four positions, proving once again the French automaker's rally car has no equal on tarmac. Loeb is now 51 points ahead for the driver's title while Citroen WRT has 26 over the BP-Ford team. While a privateer, Petter Solberg is equally happy to fly the Citroen flag and tried his best to chase down Sordo's works C4. With new co-driver Chris Patterson the Norwegian earned his sixth podium since forming his own team.

"This feels so great," said Solberg. "Two weeks ago we didn't even have a codriver, so being at the podium today feels like a big achievement. What Chris has done this weekend is absolutely amazing, and being on the podium is a big bonus. The car has worked perfectly during the rally and the team has made a great effort in getting us where we are today. It makes me really proud when our little private team is able to actually have a proper fight with the big manufacturers."

Off the podium but still happy to finish was Sebestien Ogier for the Citroen Junior team. The Frenchman had just won in Portugal before the summer break and looked on form for another strong result this weekend until a mistake lost him time. On Friday while in second place Ogier got his notes wrong and went too hot into a sharp left handed turn. Flying off into the trees he lost more than a minute in time before getting pushed back onto the road. On Saturday he was able to recover some ground but the chance of a podium was already gone.

"After losing a minute on the first day, we can't fight with Dani Sordo and Petter Solberg anymore," commented Ogier after two stages today. "That's a pity, but it also allows us to concentrate on understanding our Citroen C4 WRC in asphalt specification. We're trying out some settings that maybe we wouldn't have risked if we were in the middle of a tight battle and that's very good for our learning process."

For the Ford team this weekend was more of an exercise of damage control than attacking for the podium. Both drivers couldn't match their rival's pace and were relegated to fifth and sixth on Saturday after a tire choice proved wrong. Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala then decided to focus on earning points and saving their strength for their home turf, Rally Finland, at the end of this month.

"I had a good feeling with the car and enjoyed the stages, which were extremely fast in places. But the times weren't as good as we hoped, so we have to keep working hard to improve. With no chance of moving up today, we tested a few things for future rallies. Today was better and I think we learned something that will help on the remaining asphalt rallies," said Hirvonen. "Fifth brings good points for the team but I hoped for more. Now I'm looking forward to my home rally in Finland later this month where I want to fight for a win."

Per Gunnar Andersson took seventh in his first WRC event since Norway last year. Eighth went to Frigyes Turan while Matthew Wilson came ninth. The top ten was closed by Henning Solberg in a S2000 Ford Fiesta leaving Kimi Raikkonen to settle for eleventh after crashing out on the first day.

Rally Finland will see a slight change in the Citroen team as Sebastien Ogier will step up to the main team for the remaining gravel races. Sordo will move into the Citroen Junior camp as the primary driver in these events. These two will switch again for all tarmac events, insuring Citroen has the best second driver to Loeb on each surface. Meanwhile at the Ford camp, the strategy is to let both Finnish drivers loose to earn a one, two victory at home as payback to their rivals dominance this weekend.
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Post by mlittle » Wed Jul 14, 2010 3:45 pm

Current WRC Standings


~~Drivers Championship(top-10)
1st} Sebastien Loeb(FRA), 151 pts(4 wins)
2nd} Sebastien Ogier(FRA), 100 pts(1 win)
3rd} Mikko Hirvonen(FIN), 86 pts(1 win)
4th} Jari-Matti Latvala(FIN), 80 pts(1 win)
5th} Petter Solberg(NOR), 78 pts
6th} Daniel Sordo(SPN), 67 pts
7th} Matthew Wilson(GBR), 40 pts
8th} Frederico Villegra(ARG), 26 pts
9th} Henning Solberg(NOR), 25 pts
10th} Kimi Raikkonen(FIN), 15 pts

~~Manufacturers' Standings
1st} Citroen Total WRT, 232 pts(4 wins)
2nd} BP Ford Abu Dhabi WRT, 185 pts(2 wins)
3rd} Citroen Junior Team, 125 pts(1 win)
4th} Stobert M-Sport Ford WRT, 98 pts
5th} Munchi's Ford WRT, 40 pts
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Latvala Leads After Day 1 of Rally Finland

Post by mlittle » Sun Aug 01, 2010 9:53 am

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(from FR, 30 July 2010)
----The opening leg of the World Rally Championship's eighth round had a dramatic outcome with a Finn holding the edge by 9.1 seconds. Jari-Matti Latvala and his navigator Miikka Anttila are holding down the fort for the Ford team, flying alone with a gaggle of four Citroens giving chase in Rally Finland. "It's a dream to be in this position," said Latvala. "When I arrived in the service park tonight the grandstands were full and all the fans cheered and applauded me. That gave me a real boost. It's too early to think about winning though, I'm just concentrating on one stage at a time."

Norwegian Petter Solberg sits second in his privateer Citroen C4 followed by Sebastien Ogier, who is nearly 13 seconds off the pace of Solberg and a further 22 seconds adrift of the leader in his first rally with the Citroen World Rally Team.

Latvala took three of the 11 stages and moved ahead of Solberg on the seventh special after just sitting one-tenth off the Norwegian at the end of stage six. Solberg won Thursday's first stage but on Friday, Mikko Hirvonen put on a performance that saw him move into first overall until the fourth stage. The Finn -- teammate to Latvala -- then crashed his Ford Focus, though. "Mikko's retirement put more pressure on me," admitted Latvala, "but it didn't change my way of thinking."

Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen were not injured in the crash. They were headed into a right-hand bend on the second pass called Urria when they "rolled up the road five times" per Ford Racing. The Focus was heavily damaged and was retired. The 30th birthday for Hirvonen is tomorrow. "The section at which I crashed is my favourite corner on any stage, anywhere in the world. It happened at a fast right corner which led into a jump," explained Hirvonen. "I landed after the jump in the perfect place on the road but the car pulled left and started rolling. I was surprised the landing pulled the car across the road so violently. It happened so fast that I had no time to react."

The contest is close with Petter Solberg taking two stage wins and Ogier had one. Sebastien Loeb sits fourth with two stage wins with Dani Sordo fifth after one stage win for the Citroen Junior squad. The gap between Latvala and Sordo is 43.7 seconds.

With only one day left for the event, road position will play a major role tomorrow as Loeb tries to regain time from being first on the road this morning, "It wasn't an easy day! The others are motoring very quickly and I lost a bit of time here and there. I don't really know to what extent I was handicapped by being first out on the road today. We're starting fourth tomorrow and we'll see if that changes anything. I'm going to continue to push, but winning looks a bit problematic given Jari-Matti Latvala's lead."

That leaves the task to Solberg to trump Latvala and the Ford team at their home race, "I know I can be much faster, and will push a lot more on tomorrows stages, not only to keep the others behind, but will chase for Latvala also."
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Latvala Wins Rally Finland!

Post by mlittle » Sun Aug 01, 2010 9:57 am

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----Jari-Matti Latvala kept his cool and the lead to become the youngest winner of Rally Finland. Try as they might the Citroens of Sebastien Ogier and Sebastien Loeb were unable to reel in the Finn in the eight stages ran today. This will mark the second time Ogier has finished ahead of Loeb in the season. Fourth went to privateer Petter Solberg, who just didn't have the pace compared to the factory teams.

"It's amazing to win my home rally and it's something I have dreamed of since I was a small boy," said Latvala. "The first time I watched this rally was in 1992 when I was seven and the only thing I could think about then was that I would never be able to drive as fast as the stars I was watching. In 2003 I drove this rally for the first time and still I never thought I would win. To win in front of my home fans, in a country where rallying means so much to everyone, is a dream."

Rally Finland could arguably be called the "Monaco" of the World Rally Championship. It's the one stop on the calendar everyone looks forward to, the one rally they'd all like to win. No where else are the roads so fast, the jumps so high and the fans so passionate. To win at home is a dream for any Finn that joins the series, following in the footsteps of legends like Marcus Gronholm or Tommi Makinen.

Last year Mikko Hirvonen earned his first win here and carried on the local tradition of Finnish dominance, the rally was safe again from a foreign victor. This year tragedy struck the Ford ace while leading, one day from victory on his birthday weekend Hirvonen crashed hard. It was his favorite turn, not just for the rally, but in the whole championship. This time the turn betrayed him, sent him heading in the wrong direction when his Focus landed from the jump. In-car footage shows the desperate struggle to save the car, to regain control, but it was too late. Tripping on its side the Ford rolled multiple times, destroying itself bit by bit in its tumble.

"It happened at a fast right corner which led into a jump. I landed after the jump in the perfect place on the road but the car pulled left and started rolling. I was surprised the landing pulled the car across the road so violently. It happened so fast that I had no time to react," explained Hirvonen. Hirvonen and co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen were fine, but their spirits were crushed. There would be no repeat win this year, no springboard back into the title fight with Loeb and the powerful Citroen team. The charge was left for Latvala to win Rally Finland for the home team. At only 25 years-old, Latvala felt the added pressure.

The response was instant; Latvala went on the attack and won two stages to move into the lead over Solberg. The Norwegian tried to answer back but Latvala's pace couldn't be matched. He was 10 seconds ahead of his rivals at the end of Friday. With eight stages scheduled today Latvala wasn't safe at all from the four Citroens chasing him. Loeb suffered from sweeping the road on the first day but would now be starting down the order on well worn paths. The chase lasted all through today's stages with Loeb, Ogier and Latvala trading stage wins as the gaps fluctuated. Solberg tried to stay in the fight but lost the final podium spot on stage 16. The privateer missed his fifth podium of the season by less than five seconds to Loeb.

"It has been a good rally, and though I am disappointed that I lost my podium, it has been good fun to drive this weekend and to fight with the big teams," said Solberg. "I really tried to keep Loeb behind me, but I lost too much time on the stages that I didn't drive last year. You need to experience them to be able to drive them fast."

As for Loeb, third isn't ideal but the team choose not to step in and have Ogier give his position to the championship leader. Instead they finished how they raced, letting the two Sebs challenge each other on the roads instead of going by points. "Bravo to Jari-Matti and Sebastien who drove great rallies," cheered Loeb. "It's good for the sport that the team didn't give any orders at the end of the race. The fifteen points I scored today are a precious help in view of the championship. I've achieved my aim in this rally."

Winning the final stage Ogier closed the gap down to 10 seconds within Latvala. The Citroen directors made a choice to put Ogier in the main team on gravel rallies to maximize their winning potential. The decision paid off with two podiums today and more points for the team in the manufacturers' title.

"Even if it's difficult for me to be satisfied with second place, I have to say that this result is even better than I expected," commented Ogier. "For our second Rally Finland, we were able to up the pace without overdoing it. I'm very satisfied with the second day as we've finished only ten seconds behind the winner. I'd really like to thank the whole team, which helped to fight right up till the finish."

Racing for the Citroen Junior team this weekend Dani Sordo closed the weekend fifth, putting four Citroens in the top five. Sordo came into the WRC as a tarmac specialist and while he's improved over time on gravel, he didn't have the same pace as his teammates. Sordo will be back into the main team at the next event in Germany on tarmac.

Matthew Wilson rounded out the top six, ahead of the many locals that enter this rally. One such local, by the name of Kimi Raikkonen, was better known as a Formula One champion before the start of this year when he joined the Citroen Junior team. The Finn was in the top eight after leg one but made a mistake in the morning that cost him a points finish.

"We arrived a bit too quickly into a corner at the start of the stage," explained Raikkonen. "The car slid towards the outside and became stuck in a ditch. It was unfortunately a place where there were no spectators nearby. Several eventually came running to help get us out. We had to change a wheel in order to complete the stage. The front bumper was broken, but there was no other serious damage. We were then able to continue the rally with no further problems."

The next event will be Rally Deutschland in three weeks time. It will be a rally decidedly more in favor with Loeb. The Frenchman holds a perfect win record here so far and will be looking to make it eight out of eight this year. With Ford still off the pace on tarmac his main threats will come from within the Citroen camp and Sordo, Solberg and possibly Ogier all look to take the victory for themselves.
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