01 t/m 03 oktober 2010 WRC Rally Frankrijk

De einduitslag:Latvala impresses again to claim fourth on French asphalt,

BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team drivers Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila finished fourth in Rallye de France today after a tough three days action. The Finns have improved their asphalt pace dramatically this season, and their second consecutive fourth place on the surface enabled the Ford Focus RS World Rally Car duo to strengthen their grip on third in the FIA World Rally Championship. Team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen finished sixth in another Focus RS WRC.

This 11th round of the championship was based in the Alsace region of north-east France after moving away from its traditional home on the Mediterranean island of Corsica. Strasbourg, on the border with Germany, was the host city. Drivers tackled 19 speed tests covering 328.18km on a mix of roads through narrow vineyards, forests, town centre streets and Alpine-like routes in the Vosges mountains.

Enormous crowds packed the special stages and today's penultimate test was cancelled for safety reasons due to the sheer volume of people. Rain made conditions treacherous on the opening two days. Cars dragged mud and stones on to the asphalt as they cut corners in search of a faster line, and the stages resembled gravel tracks in places. However, glorious autumn sunshine today provided a fitting end to the event.

Latvala, who used Pirelli's soft compound PZero tyres throughout the rally, enjoyed the slippery roads in the opening leg and won two stages to hold fourth place. He slipped to fifth on the second morning but added a third stage win, before climbing to fourth as he became involved in a fight with Petter Solberg for the final podium place. A spin on yesterday's last stage hampered his chances and there were insufficient kilometres today to regain the lost time and leapfrog Solberg.

However, Latvala added a fourth stage win as he and Hirvonen were first and second through the final stage in front of huge crowds in the streets of Haguenau, a stage broadcast live on TV across France.

"My target was to finish in the top five and I achieved that," said Latvala, for whom asphalt is his least favourite surface. "However, I'm slightly disappointed because a podium was so close and that shows how much progress I've made on asphalt. I wanted to drive safely today, but I also wanted to be close enough to Solberg to take advantage if he had a problem. The conditions were incredibly difficult and I'm delighted to have won four stages on this surface. I can almost call myself an asphalt driver!"

Hirvonen also opted for soft rubber but the 30-year-old Finn admitted he lacked confidence in the slippery conditions for most of the opening two legs and settled into sixth. However, he stepped up his pace significantly towards the end of the second day as he began to understand the behaviour of his Focus RS WRC in the mud and dirt. The time lost left him with no realistic chance to climb the leaderboard and he measured his pace through the final leg for a solid points finish.

"It was a disappointing weekend but at least I now know where it went wrong," he said. "I made many small changes to the set-up of the car during the weekend and when the conditions were slippery and tricky, they worked. I learned how to drive the car in those conditions. That gives me confidence for the next round in Spain later this month, where the weather could be wet and the asphalt could again be slippery."

Abu Dhabi's Khalid Al Qassimi and Michael Orr finished 13th in the team's other Focus RS WRC. Al Qassimi survived several spins and admitted the muddy roads were not enjoyable to drive.

BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson praised Latvala's performance. "We never expected to come to France and set fastest times against the French drivers. But Jari-Matti won four stages and that's a sign of how well his driving has developed as the season has progressed, especially on his least favourite surface. That's the big positive from the weekend. Unfortunately Mikko had a bad start, but picked up his pace as the rally went on, although his time loss was too great," he said.

Ford of Europe motorsport chief Gerard Quinn said: "I congratulate Citroen, Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena on winning the manufacturers' and drivers' world titles today. We look forward to renewing our battle with them next season with our all-new Ford Fiesta RS WRC. However, there are still two rallies remaining this season and we'll do our utmost to end the season on a high note."

News from other Ford teams

Munchi's Ford drivers Federico Villagra and Diego Curletto finished seventh in a Focus RS WRC on Villagra's first asphalt outing for a year, holding off the challenge of Stobart M-Sport Ford drivers Matthew Wilson and Scott Martin by 11.5sec. Stobart team-mates Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino finished 12th, climbing the order after overcoming hydraulic problems during the first leg. Henning Solberg and Stéphane Prévot won the S2000 category in a Ford Fiesta and finished ninth overall.

Next round

The penultimate round of the series takes BP Ford Abu Dhabi's drivers to Spain for a new-look Rally de Espańa on 21 - 24 October. Although still based in Salou, the rally will return to its roots as a mixed surface gravel and asphalt event.

Final positions

1. S Loeb/D Elena aa FRA aa Citroen C4 aa 3hr 05min 49.3sec
2. D Sordo/D Vallejo ESP Citroen C4 3hr 06min 25.0sec
3. P Solberg/C Patterson NOR Citroen C4 3hr 07min 06.1sec
4. J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 07min 18.6sec
5. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 09min 33.1sec
6. S Ogier/J Ingrassia FRA Citroen C4 3hr 17min 45.2sec
7. F Villagra/D Curletto ARG Ford Focus RS 3hr 20min 04.7sec
8. M Wilson/S Martin GBR Ford Focus RS 3hr 20min 16.2sec
9. H Solberg/S Prévot NOR Ford Fiesta S2000 3hr 22min 38.2sec
10 P Sandell/E Axelsson SWE Skoda Fabia S2000 3hr 23min 01.6sec

Drivers Championship

1. S Loeb aa 226pts
2. S Ogier 166pts
3. J-M Latvala 144pts
4. P Solberg 133pts
5. D Sordo 125pts
6. M Hirvonen 104pt

Manufacturers Championship

1. Citroen Total aa 388pts
2. BP Ford Abu Dhabi 277pts
3. Citroen Junior 193pts
4. Stobart M-Sport Ford 140pts
5. Munchi's Ford 54pts

Bron | M-Sport

Stand na dag 2:

Latvala fights for podium place in Rallye de France mudbath,

BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team drivers Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila maintained their good form on asphalt during today's second leg of Rallye de France. The Finns claimed another speed test win this morning and moved into the battle for a podium place in their Ford Focus RS World Rally Car. A small mistake in the day's final kilometres cost a handful of seconds but they returned to the rally's Strasbourg base in fourth, just 20sec from the podium, with one day remaining.

Team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen climbed from sixth after yesterday's opening leg of this 11th round of the FIA World Rally Championship to fifth in another Focus RS WRC. The Finns again found the slippery conditions difficult to master, but stepped up their pace with second fastest time on the final two special stages.

Today's action was based south-west of Strasbourg and comprised two identical loops of four asphalt stages covering 149.22km. The opening two tests were over narrow vineyard roads near Obernai, while the other two stages were more Alpine in their nature. Persistent rain all morning made the roads treacherously slippery, and cars dragged mud and dirt onto the surface to make conditions even more challenging. Although the rain stopped this afternoon, there was so much mud that stage times were significantly slower than the morning pass.

Latvala, fourth after the opening leg, opted for Pirelli's soft compound PZero tyres all day. He had a tough morning and the 30-year-old Finn dropped to fifth. However, he stormed to fastest time on the morning's final stage, which contained a fast gravel section, to reach the mid-leg service in Strasbourg just 7.5sec behind fourth-placed Petter Solberg.

"I was driving on gravel and that helped. I took some risks but it wasn't possible to cut the corners as much as in other stages, so less dirt was dragged onto the road and they were cleaner. I didn't have a consistent morning. My time on the last stage was great, but if conditions were more even I would have been happier. I think I hesitated a little too much when I didn't know the conditions and that cost me time," added Latvala.

More consistent grip this afternoon gave Latvala more confidence and he climbed to fourth as his battle with Solberg became a fight for a podium place. He dropped 10 seconds on the final stage after a spin near the start. "The second corner was covered in gravel and although I had it in my pace notes I was just going too fast. I went slightly off-line, spun and stalled the engine. I had to reverse several times," he said.

"This afternoon's long stage had so much dirt on the roads that it wasn't asphalt. There was so much mud that I couldn't get the cleaner fluid onto my windscreen quickly enough to see where I was going. I've learned a lot this year about driving on wet and slippery conditions and today it paid off. I want to fight with Solberg for third but I'm not prepared to take risks. I'm thinking about the podium but I also need to see the bigger picture and think about my championship position," added Latvala.

Hirvonen endured a tricky morning and the 30-year-old Finn admitted his pace wasn't what he hoped for. "Even when the road was clean I felt I was waiting for the dirty sections, so perhaps I was too cautious and I lost my rhythm. My position in the start order had a big effect because some sections were just so dirty," he explained.

However, his pace improved dramatically this afternoon and Hirvonen was happier when he returned to Strasbourg for the final overnight halt. "I had the right feeling and confidence in the last two stages. I seem to have worked out how the car behaves in the mud, but it's frustrating it has taken me so long because it has ruined my rally. I finally learned to trust the car in the slippery conditions. There was a great atmosphere with so many spectators that it felt like my home event in Finland," he added.

Abu Dhabi's Khalid Al Qassimi and Michael Orr climbed to ninth in the team's other Focus RS WRC, but they spun in the third stage and dropped about 75sec. "We were a couple of kilometres from the end when we spun. There was some damage to the car and we had to get assistance from spectators to push the car back into position. It was frustrating as we lost over a minute," said Al Qassimi, who ended the leg in 13th.

News from other Ford teams

Munchi's Ford drivers Federico Villagra and Diego Curletto moved up to seventh in their Focus RS WRC and they are engrossed in a tight battle with Stobart M-Sport Ford duo Matthew Wilson and Scott Martin. Villagra headed Wilson by 33.1sec after the opening loop, during which Wilson spun. However, Wilson closed the gap to just 2.9sec this evening. Stobart M-Sport Ford team-mates Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino incurred a 1min 40sec penalty when they were late checking out of the service park this morning as the team completed repairs to the hydraulic system that affected the car's gearchange yesterday evening. They lie 16th tonight.

Tomorrow's Route

The final day is the shortest of the rally and covers roads of a very different nature to the previous two days. Competitors leave Strasbourg at 07.15 and journey north for two passes through a short test in the streets of Haguenau and two runs over a long test in the Bitche military camp, covering 57.80km. The finish ceremony takes place outside the European Parliament in Strasbourg at 14.59.

Leaderboard after Day 2

1. S Loeb/D Elena aa FRA aa Citroen C4 aa 2hr 46min 39.2sec
2. D Sordo/D Vallejo ESP Citroen C4 2hr 47min 22.0sec
3. P Solberg/C Patterson NOR Citroen C4 2hr 47min 53.4sec
4. J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Focus RS 2hr 48min 13.4sec
5. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 2hr 50min 02.7sec
6. S Ogier/J Ingrassia FRA Citroen C4 2hr 57min 53.3sec
7. F Villagra/D Curletto ARG Ford Focus RS 3hr 00min 06.2sec
8. M Wilson/S Martin GBR Ford Focus RS 3hr 00min 09.1sec
9. H Solberg/S Prévot NOR Ford Fiesta S2000 3hr 01min 37.0sec
10 P Sandell/E Axelsson SWE Skoda Fabia 3hr 02min 17.6sec

Bron | M-Sport

Stand na dag 1:

Double win helps Latvala make promising start in France,

BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team drivers Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila won two speed tests en route to fourth place after today's opening leg of the new-look Rallye de France. The Finns topped the time charts twice this afternoon in their Ford Focus RS World Rally Car over treacherously slippery roads through the Vosges mountains, in the Alsace region of north-east France. Team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen lie sixth in a similar Focus RS WRC.

The Mediterranean island of Corsica hosted France's fixture in the FIA World Rally Championship since the series began in 1973. However, this year's rally switched to Strasbourg, nestled alongside the River Rhine on the border with Germany, for the 11th round of the 13-event championship.

The city hosted last night's start ceremony before the 67 starters journeyed south towards Colmar for today's opening action, comprising two identical loops of four special stages covering 145.96km through vineyards, forests and mountains. The route included the climb to Le Grand Ballon ski station, the highest point of the rally at 1424m.

The asphalt roads proved every bit as demanding as drivers had forecast. Overnight rain left the surface damp, especially under the trees, and as the early cars dragged mud and stones onto the roads, conditions became increasingly difficult during the morning. The road surfaces were even dirtier this afternoon when the stages were repeated, and the challenge was made even harder as competitors had to use Pirelli's PZero asphalt tyres on roads that resembled a gravel rally in many places.

Latvala, who opted for soft compound rubber all day, ended the opening loop in fifth place, 28.3sec from the lead. The 25-year-old Finn was fastest on the first and last tests this afternoon, winning the final stage by more than four seconds to climb into fourth, 41.8sec from the lead.

"This morning was OK, but I struggled to find my rhythm on the first two stages," he said. "This afternoon I had a better rhythm. When the roads were slippery and covered in gravel, I felt confident. The car worked well in those conditions and that's where I had the advantage. Normally those are the conditions in which I struggle, but I wasn't afraid of them today. The final few kilometres of the last stage were incredibly greasy and muddy and it felt like a Monte Carlo Rally stage on ice.

"My good result on the last asphalt round in Germany lifted the pressure from me. To win two stages in France against the French drivers was quite special," added Latvala.

Hirvonen also opted for soft rubber throughout the day. He was sixth on all four stages to arrive at the service zone in Mulhouse 37.7sec behind his fellow countrymen after the opening loop. The 30-year-old Finn retained the position during the afternoon, despite damaging the front and rear left wheel rims during the final stage.

"I was lucky," he admitted. "I came into a right bend which was muddy and I hit a rock. The road became narrow and slippery immediately afterwards and on the next corner I almost went off the road. I lost my confidence and wasn't sure if I had broken anything, so I decided to take it more steadily for the rest of the stage."

"I was sixth in the start order and the roads were incredibly dirty. The cars ahead dragged mud and stones onto the asphalt and I wasn't prepared to take any risks. I didn't have confidence in the damp high-speed sections, especially this morning, so I played it safe and didn't attack," added Hirvonen.

Abu Dhabi's Khalid Al Qassimi and Michael Orr are 11th in the team's third car. "I was cautious and only pushed when I felt confident because the roads were so greasy," he said.

BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson was delighted with Latvala's stage victories. "To win two stages against the French on home ground was a fantastic performance from Jari-Matti. Today was our most competitive on asphalt for some time and I'm confident we can maintain that form tomorrow," he said.

News from other Ford teams

Munchi's Ford drivers Federico Villagra and Diego Curletto are eighth in their Focus RS WRC in their first asphalt outing for a year. Stobart Ford duo Matthew Wilson and Scott Martin struggled to adapt to the constant grip changes and the slippery surface in their Focus RS WRC. They are ninth tonight, one place ahead of team-mates Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino. Block had brake difficulties this morning and reverted to the manual gearchange system this afternoon after problems changing gear.

Tomorrow’s Route

The second leg is based south-west of Strasbourg, close to the town of Obernai. In contrast to today, much of the competition is based on extremely narrow roads, across flat and open plains. Drivers leave Strasbourg at 07.30 and tackle two identical loops of four stages before returning to the city for the final overnight halt at 19.09.

Leaderboard after Day 1

1. S Loeb/D Elena AA FRA AA Citroen C4 AA 1hr 18min 27.8sec
2. D Sordo/D Vallejo ESP Citroen C4 1hr 18min 50.5sec
3. S Ogier/J Ingrassia FRA Citroen C4 1hr 18min 53.4sec
4. J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Focus RS 1hr 19min 09.6sec
5. P Solberg/C Patterson NOR Citroen C4 1hr 19min 13.6sec
6. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 1hr 20min 18.6sec
7. K Räikkönen/K Lindström FIN Citroen C4 1hr 21min 55.2sec
8. F Villagra/D Curletto ARG Ford Focus RS 1hr 24min 02.4sec
9. M Wilson/S Martin GBR Ford Focus RS 1hr 24min 25.9sec
10 K Block/A Gelsomino USA Ford Focus RS 1hr 25min 29.2sec

Bron | M-Sport

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