Rally Japan 2008
Eindstand Rally Japan 2008:
Japanese joy as Hirvonen and Latvala claim 1-2
for Ford
BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team claimed a magnificent one-two result
with the record-breaking Focus RS World Rally Car in Rally Japan today.
Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen led from the opening speed test on
Friday morning to take their third victory of the FIA World Rally
Championship season. Team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila
completed the team's domination of the 14th and penultimate round of the
series by finishing second, 31.1sec behind their fellow countrymen.
It was the squad's third formation finish of the season following
one-two triumphs in Sweden and Turkey. The result also means the battle
for the manufacturers' title, which Ford is hoping to clinch for a third
consecutive year, will go to the final round in Great Britain next month.
The team is 11 points behind the leaders with a maximum 18 at stake.
Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island, hosted the rally which had a new
base at the ultra-modern Sapporo Dome sports stadium. The bulk of the
action took place over gravel forest roads east and south of the city,
which varied from twisty and narrow tracks on the opening day to wider
and faster roads during the final two legs. Four special stages were
cancelled during the three-day event as a result of snow, which caused
roads to deteriorate to an unsafe level, and an accident.
Conditions throughout were extremely demanding. Pre-event rain and snow
meant the soft surface quickly cut up to leave massive ruts. Torrential
rain today ensured standing water and aquaplaning were a constant
hazard, as well as ice patches after a cold night. After the
cancellations drivers tackled 25 stages covering 310.61km.
Hirvonen powered into the lead on the opening stage and was never headed.
The 28-year-old built up a comfortable advantage over Latvala during
Friday's opening leg. With no pressure from behind, Ford's Finns
continued to dominate during the second day and maintained their
positions during today's treacherous conditions. Hirvonen won 11 stages
to secure his third win of the campaign while 23-year-old Latvala
claimed three victories en route to his first podium since June.
"I'm delighted with the win but at the same time disappointed that my
hopes of the drivers' title are over," said Hirvonen. "We did all we
could but it wasn't enough to prevent Sébastien Loeb winning the title,
which he richly deserves, and I congratulate him. Conditions were so
changeable that it was a difficult and nervewracking weekend and I never
had the luxury of being able to ease off. I didn't want to take risks in
the wet weather today. I was aquaplaning many times and had several
lucky escapes.
"Although the drivers' championship is out of reach we will go to the
final round with the manufacturers' title still possible and my thoughts
will now focus on that," he added.
Latvala was delighted to score a podium for the first time since Rally
of Turkey. "It feels fantastic to take a top three finish on gravel
again. After a bad August this is my third strong rally and I really
wanted this result. The conditions were probably the worst I've seen and
I can't explain how much water there was in the forests. We seemed to be
aquaplaning all the time," he said.
"The difficult rallies really suit the Focus RS WRC, which is incredibly
strong. We've had no problems during the weekend and when you have to
attack in the rough and tough conditions then it's encouraging to know
that the car excels on that type of road," added Latvala.
BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson described the outcome as
a 'dream team result'. "It has been a difficult weekend for all of us
involved with the Ford team after the injuries to Patrick Pivato on
Friday. Full credit to both drivers for delivering incredible
performances in what were probably the most changeable road conditions
we've seen on a rally. It keeps our championship hopes alive and the
same top three on the final round would give us the crown again," he
said.
Ford of Europe motorsport director Mark Deans said: "To see a Ford 1-2
in such an arduous event is a tribute to man and machine. The team
worked tirelessly to bring the result we needed and will send us to
Rally GB with a chance to wrestle a third consecutive world
manufacturers' title. We vowed to fight right to the end of the season
and that positive attitude has put us back into contention for the crown."
News from our Rivals
Third place was sufficient for Sébastien Loeb (Citroen) to become the
first driver to win five world titles, despite a spin on the penultimate
stage. Chris Atkinson (Subaru) claimed fourth. Per-Gunnar Andersson (Suzuki)
climbed two places to take fifth, ahead of team-mate Toni Gardemeister,
who also overhauled Stobart driver Matthew Wilson (Ford). Petter Solberg
(Subaru) took the final points' position, despite breaking an exhaust
manifold this morning and incurring a 30sec penalty.
Next round
The season closes with the traditional final round in Britain next month.
The all-gravel Rally GB is based in Cardiff on 4 - 7 December.
Final positions (championship positions subject to the official
publication of the results by the FIA)
Final Leaderboard
1. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 3h25m03.0sec
2. J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Focus RS +31.1s
3. S Loeb/D Elena F Citroën C4 +2m30.6s
4. C Atkinson/S Prevot AUS Subaru Impreza +3m42.4s
5. P-G Andersson/J Andersson SWE Suzuki SX4 +5m12.9s
6. T Gardemeister/T Tuominen FIN Suzuki SX4 +6m09.4s
7. M Wilson/S Martin GB Ford Focus RS +7m05.3s
8. P Solberg/P Mills N Subaru Impreza +13m19.9s
9. F Villagra/J Perez Companc RA Ford Focus RS +15m40.8s
10. D Sordo/M Marti E Citroën C4 +17m08.5s
FIA WRC Manufacturer Standings
1. Citroën Total WRT – 175 pts
2. BP Ford Abu Dhabi WRT – 164 pts
3. Subaru WRT – 93 pts
4. Stobart VK M-Sport Ford – 64 pts
6. Suzuki WRT – 28 pts
5. Munchi’s Ford WRT – 22 pts
FIA WRC Driver Standings
1. S Loeb – 112 pts
2. M Hirvonen – 102 pts
3. D Sordo – 59 pts
4. J-M Latvala – 50 pts
5. C Atkinson – 50 pts
7. F Duval – 22 pts
9. G Galli – 17 pts
10. M Wilson – 15 pts
Bron: M-Sport
Ford duo retains command at head of Rally Japan
leaderboard, BP Ford
Abu Dhabi World Rally Team maintained its firm grip of the leading
positions in Rally Japan during today's hugely challenging second leg in
the forests near Sapporo. Day one pacesetters Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo
Lehtinen retained their lead of this 14th and penultimate round of the
FIA World Rally Championship. The Finns headed team-mates and fellow
countrymen Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila by 15.5sec as they
reached the final overnight halt of this three-day event.
After yesterday's shortened leg north-east of Sapporo, the largest city
on Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido, today's action moved south
for tests near Chitose and the coastal town of Tomokamai. In contrast to
yesterday's narrow and twisty roads, today's competition was held over
faster and wider gravel tracks, many of which cut up badly and became
deeply rutted for the second pass this afternoon following heavy
overnight rain.
Drivers tackled 10 stages covering 156.78km, eight in the countryside
before two more passes over a super special stage in the spectacular
ultra-modern Sapporo Dome.
Twenty-eight-year-old Hirvonen started today with a 26.2sec lead but
lost a small part of that after swiping a fence with the rear of his
Focus RS WRC on the opening test. He avoided problems on the remaining
three stages to end the morning loop with a 16.9sec lead over Latvala.
Despite deteriorating conditions, Hirvonen won two afternoon stages to
extend his advantage, before Latvala narrowed it again through the two
Dome tests.
"It was quite a nervewracking day," he said. "The roads were much faster
and it took a while for me to get used to that after the narrow, twisty
stages yesterday. This afternoon there were ruts everywhere but I
couldn't afford to ease my pace too much. The conditions were difficult
and Jari-Matti drove quickly behind me. The strangest moment came this
morning when I lost my rhythm after I had to slow when two deer ran
across the road in front of me.
"I came to Japan looking for a victory but even if I achieve that
tomorrow, it looks like that won't help my championship challenge now.
Tomorrow's stages are soft but they shouldn't be as slippery, so I hope
we have an easier time," added Hirvonen.
Latvala powered to fastest time on the morning's third test and added
another stage win this afternoon as the 23-year-old focused his
attentions on staying ahead of third-placed Sébastien Loeb. "I succeeded
in doing that. Maybe he drove carefully in the ruts but, if so, it made
my life easier. I needed to drive fast because I didn't want Seb close
to me, but equally I didn't want to put Mikko under pressure, so I
followed Seb's split times in the stages," he said.
"I drove cautiously through the first two stages and then stepped up my
pace," said Latvala. "I wanted to find the right balance and not risk
too much, before increasing my speed when I found my confidence. This
afternoon I punctured a tyre on the first stage of the loop so I drove a
little more cautiously because I had only one spare in the car and
another puncture would have meant the end of my rally. In these
conditions the only thing to do was follow the ruts and be brave. The
tactic was to keep all four wheels in the ruts, like a train track,"
added Latvala.
BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson reflected on another
positive day. "It was a very controlled performance from both drivers,
dictating the pace from the front. Both delivered measured drives,
especially in such difficult conditions on the stages," he said.
News from our Rivals
Behind Hirvonen and Latvala, Sébastien Loeb (Citroen) retained third,
the Frenchman's only problem coming this afternoon when he dropped time
on a badly rutted stage. Petter Solberg (Subaru) climbed to fourth this
morning ahead of team-mate Chris Atkinson, but retired with smashed rear
suspension after hitting a hole and spinning in the final countryside
test. Atkinson survived a 360 degree spin after hitting the same hole.
Stobart driver Matthew Wilson (Ford) climbed to fifth after a steady day,
with Toni Gardemeister (Suzuki) rounding off the top six. Per-Gunnar
Andersson (Suzuki) dropped two minutes and two places with a puncture
this afternoon. The Swede is now seventh. Munchi's driver Henning
Solberg (Ford) retired from sixth after stage 17 with broken suspension.
Tomorrow’s Route
Drivers face another nine stages during the final day's competition.
After a 06.00 start from Sapporo, the route again heads south towards
the cost at Tomokamai. Competitors face two identical loops of four
tests, split by a final pass through the Sapporo Dome super special
stage, providing 96.43km of competition. The finish takes place in the
Dome at 15.00.
Leaderboard after Day 2
1. M Hirvonen/J LehtinenFIN Ford Focus RS 2hr 21min 31.8sec
2. J-M Latvala/M AnttilaFIN Ford Focus RS 2hr 21min 47.3sec
3. S Loeb/D ElenaFRA Citroen C4 2hr 22min 25.3sec
4. C Atkinson/S PrévotAUS Subaru Impreza 2hr 23min 57.8sec
5. M Wilson/S Martin GBR Ford Focus RS 2hr 26min 03.4sec
6. T Gardemeister/T Tuominen FINSuzuki SX4 2hr 26min 10.3sec
7. P-G Andersson/J AnderssonSWESuzuki SX4 2hr 26min 43.6sec
8. F Villagra/J Perez Companc ARGFord Focus RS2hr 31min 31.4sec
9. J Ketomaa/M StenbergFIN Subaru Impreza 2hr 33min 18.2sec
10 E Novikov/D Moscatt RUSMitsubishi Lancer 2hr 34min 01.3sec
Bron: M-Sport
Hirvonen and Latvala provide Ford with perfect
start in Japan, BP
Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team hit top form on the vastly shortened
opening leg of Rally Japan to hold first and second places tonight.
Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen dominated in their Ford Focus RS World
Rally Car to lead from the opening speed test in this 14th and
penultimate round of the FIA World Rally Championship. They built a 26.2
second advantage over team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila.
This shortest leg of the three-day event was truncated as a result of
bad weather and a serious accident. Snow earlier in the week damaged the
roads in the longest special stage and organisers scrapped both passes
over the test for safety reasons. An accident this afternoon halted that
stage and the resulting delay meant another test was cancelled to put
the rally back on schedule. Drivers tackled just 57.40km of the
scheduled 90.48km.
The rally is based in Sapporo, the largest city on Japan's northernmost
island of Hokkaido, for the first time after moving west from the
previous host town of Obihiro. The bulk of today's tests were to the
north-east over twisty and muddy gravel forest tracks, often tree-lined
and with large drainage ditches alongside. The leg ended with two passes
over a super special stage inside the ultra-modern Sapporo Dome, a
baseball stadium and host to soccer's World Cup in 2002.
Hirvonen was fastest over two of the morning's three stages to open a
6.9sec lead over Latvala by the time the cars returned to Sapporo for
service. He was quickest through both afternoon tests over the same
roads, before winning both passes over the Dome test, for a tally of six
wins from seven stages.
"Today was soft, narrow and twisty but everything felt good so I pushed
hard all day," said 28-year-old Hirvonen. "It was cold and muddy in the
opening stage this morning, so cold that I never really got any heat
into the tyres, although the grip was still consistently good. I didn't
expect so much snow there and in some places when I cut a corner, it
came over the car. This afternoon the roads were really rutted but I
expected them to be worse. It was difficult to drive because the ruts
were so deep. But I had a clear run and everything went smoothly.
"Tomorrow's stages are wider and faster. There was a lot of loose gravel
on the surface during the recce so I hope it continues to rain tonight
to dampen everything down because first in the start order won't be the
best place to be otherwise. The stages will require a different rhythm
from today and I hope I can find that immediately," added Hirvonen.
Latvala struggled to find a good feeling initially. "My position is good
but it was an up and down day," said the 23-year-old Finn. "I made no
big mistakes but I wasn't totally satisfied with my driving. I couldn't
find a rhythm in the first two stages this morning. I pushed too hard
and the car was going too wide into corners. I changed the differential
programme for the final stage and that really helped.
"The conditions were challenging, both inside and outside. There was so
much rain outside tonight that when we entered the stage inside the Dome,
the concrete was soaked. It was like driving on ice and I had to be so
careful," added Latvala.
BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson reflected on 'a perfect
day' for the team. "We had no issues with the cars on what was one of
the most challenging days' driving of the season. The drivers had wet,
dry and snow to contend with and both dealt with the conditions in a
highly mature fashion," he said.
News from our rivals
Behind Hirvonen and Latvala, Sébastien Loeb (Citroen) held third, the
Frenchman driving cautiously in his quest for a fifth world title. Chris
Atkinson (Subaru) made a steady start but climbed from ninth to fourth,
overhauling team-mate Petter Solberg on the final stage. Stobart driver
Matthew Wilson (Ford) rounded off the top six. Team-mate François Duval
(Ford) climbed to second, ahead of Latvala, on stage five but retired on
the following test after crashing heavily into a steel post supporting a
roadside barrier. The Belgian was uninjured but co-driver Patrick Pivato
was airlifted to hospital with a broken pelvis and a fractured tibia and
is undergoing surgery this evening. Dani Sordo (Citroen) retired from
fifth on stage six with engine problems while Conrad Rautenbach
(Citroen) went out after sliding off the road on the opening test.
Tomorrow’s route
The second day is the longest of the rally. After leaving Sapporo at
07.30, drivers tackle two identical loops of four stages near the town
of Chitose and Tomakomai, before another two passes over the Dome super
special stage. They reach the final overnight halt at 19.17 after
156.78km of competition.
Leaderboard after Day 1
1. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 42min 40.8sec
2. J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Focus RS 43min 07.0sec
3. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 43min 11.4sec
4. C Atkinson/S Prévot AUS Subaru Impreza 43min 41.1sec
5. P Solberg/P Mills NOR Subaru Impreza 43min 42.8sec
6. M Wilson/S Martin GBR Ford Focus RS 43min 52.0sec
7. P-G Andersson/J Andersson SWE Suzuki SX4 43min 52.4sec
8. T Gardemeister/T Tuominen FIN Suzuki SX4 44min 17.6sec
9. H Solberg/C Menkerud NOR Ford Focus RS 44min 27.4sec
10 J Ketomaa/M Stenberg FIN Subaru Impreza 45min 42.2sec
Stage Times
Stage 1: 1. Hirvonen 9min 57.9sec; 2. Latvala + 3.8; 3. Duval + 7.0; 4.
Sordo + 11.1; 5. Wilson + 13.0; 6. Loeb + 13.3.
Stage 2: 1. Hirvonen 8min 24.2sec; 2. Loeb + 2.1; 3. Duval + 3.3; 4.
Latvala + 4.1; 5. Sordo + 4.7; 6. Wilson + 8.0.
Overall: 1. Hirvonen 18min 22.1sec; 2. Latvala + 7.9; 3. Duval + 10.3;
4. Loeb + 15.4; 5. Sordo + 15.8; 6. Wilson + 21.9.
Stage 3: Cancelled
Stage 4: 1. Loeb 3min 17.3sec; 2. Latvala + 1.3; 3. Hirvonen + 2.3; 4.
Duval + 2.6; 5. Atkinson + 3.6; 6. P Solberg + 3.7.
Overall: 1. Hirvonen 21min 41.7sec; 2. Latvala + 6.9; 3. Duval + 10.6;
4. Loeb + 13.1; 5. Sordo + 17.5; 6. Wilson + 24.5.
Stage 5: 1. Hirvonen 9min 35.6sec; 2. Duval + 1.3; 3. Loeb + 7.3; 4.
Latvala + 8.6; 5. Atkinson + 13.3; 6. Sordo + 16.0.
Overall: 1. Hirvonen 31min 17.3sec; 2. Duval + 11.9; 3. Latvala + 15.5;
4. Loeb + 20.4; 5. Sordo + 33.5; 6. P Solberg + 42.0.
Stage 6: 1. Hirvonen 8min 02.5sec; 2. Latvala + 6.6; 3. Loeb + 6.9; 4.
Atkinson + 11.2; 5. P Solberg + 12.4; 6= H Solberg + 16.7.
Overall: 1. Hirvonen 39min 19.8sec; 2. Latvala + 22.1; 3. Loeb + 27.3;
4. P Solberg + 54.4; 5. Atkinson + 56.1; 6. Wilson + 59.6.
Stage 7: Cancelled
Stage 8: Cancelled
Stage 9: 1. Hirvonen 1min 39.4sec; 2. Loeb + 0.1; 3. Latvala + 2.0; 4.
Atkinson + 2.9; 5. H Solberg + 3.3; 6. P Solberg + 3.4.
Overall: 1. Hirvonen 40min 59.2sec; 2. Latvala + 24.1; 3. Loeb + 27.4;
4. P Solberg + 57.8; 5. Atkinson + 59.0; 6. Wilson + 1:07.0.
Stage 10: 1. Hirvonen 1min 41.6sec; 2. Atkinson + 1.3; 3. Latvala + 2.1;
4. Gardemeister + 2.9; 5. Loeb + 3.2; 6= P Solberg, Wilson, Villagra +
4.2.
Overall: 1. Hirvonen 42min 40.8sec; 2. Latvala + 26.2; 3. Loeb + 30.6;
4. Atkinson + 1:00.3; 5. P Solberg + 1:02.0; 6. Wilson + 1:11.2.
Bron: M-Sport
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