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| 2008 Rallye Monte Carlo : WRC Round 1 of 15 : 24th - 27th January - FINAL Final Unofficial Leaderboard Final News Final Team by Team News Championship Points Next Event 1. Unofficial Leaderboard 1. S Loeb/D Elena F Citroen C4 3hr 39min 17.0sec 2. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 41min 51.4sec 3. C Atkinson/S Prévot AUS Subaru Impreza 3hr 42min 15.6sec 4. F Duval/E Chevailler B Ford Focus RS 3hr 42min 16.7sec 5. P Solberg/P Mills N Subaru Impreza 3hr 43min 57.9sec 6. G Galli/G Bernacchini I Ford Focus RS 3hr 48min 03.5sec 7. J-M Cuoq/P Janvier F Peugeot 307 3hr 49min 41.8sec 8. P-G Andersson/J Andersson S Suzuki SX4 3hr 50min 36.5sec 9. H Solberg/C Menkerud N Ford Focus RS 3hr 52min 00.6sec 10 M Wilson/S Martin GB Ford Focus RS 3hr 53min 17.1sec 2. Leg News Sébastien Loeb (Citroen) clinched a record fifth Rallye Monte Carlo win, the Frenchman 2min 34.4sec ahead of Hirvonen. The final podium place went to Chris Atkinson (Subaru) after a thrilling final day battle with François Duval (Ford). Duval began the day 20.1sec behind the Australian and won three of the four mountain tests to start the final Monaco stage just 1.1sec behind Atkinson. Racing head-to-head, the duo set identical times to allow Atkinson to hold onto third. Petter Solberg (Subaru) and Gigi Galli (Ford) rounded off the top six. Eighth place for Per-Gunnar Andersson (Suzuki) brought a drivers' point and manufacturers' points for the team on its championship debut. Dani Sordo (Citroen) finished 11th to claim the final manufacturers' point. Toni Gardemeister (Suzuki) retired last night before the transit to Monaco with engine overheating problems. 3. Team by Team News BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team http://ford.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=2 BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen produced their best performance on the legendary Rallye Monte Carlo to finish second when the tough four-day event ended in Monaco today. The Finns, driving a Ford Focus RS World Rally Car, have never claimed a podium position on this opening round of the FIA World Rally Championship in four previous starts but held a top three place from the very first kilometre. Team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila finished 12th in another Focus RS after a troubled rally, with Abu Dhabi's Khalid Al Qassimi and Michael Orr taking 16th in a third BP Ford Abu Dhabi car. Both finished after restarting under SupeRally rules having retired earlier in the rally. Five Fords finished in the top 10 with Focus RS cars also claiming six, ninth and 10th. #3 : Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen: Hirvonen claimed a secure third on the opening day before climbing to second yesterday morning. With no pressure behind and with no opportunity to chase down the leader, he eased through today's final five special stages, which included two passes over the famous Col de Turini and a spectacular test around the harbour area of Monaco's Formula 1 race circuit. He stepped onto the podium at Monaco's palace in front of Prince Albert with a 24.2sec advantage over third-placed Chris Atkinson. "Second is a great result for me and a perfect start to the season," said 27-year-old Hirvonen. "I've never had a good rally here so to take a podium is fantastic and it almost feels as good as a win. I started the season how I wanted to with a good result. I didn't know what to expect from this rally but my plan for the year is to finish second if I can't win a rally. When I moved into second I eased off because I was under no pressure from behind. I was uncertain how the news tyres from Pirelli would work. They were good but it's up to me to be careful on the recce when making the pace notes." #4 : Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila: Latvala lost time when he had to change a wheel on Thursday after clipping a wall and was forced to retire yesterday afternoon after hitting a stone and breaking his car's front suspension. He restarted this morning in 14th and posted three top three times to climb to 12th. For Anttila the event marked his 50th world rally alongside Latvala and his 150th career start. "I made two mistakes and it was a long and difficult weekend, but I found good speed today and I was happy with my times," said 22-year-old Latvala. "It's unfortunate they came three days too late. I've learned much about cutting corners with the new tyres - I can't afford to do that if I want to finish rallies. Today I also learned I have to be aggressive in turning for the tyres to work to their best." #19 : Khalid Al Qassimi/Michael Orr: Al Qassimi, making his debut here, retired on Friday after hitting a bank and breaking his car's suspension before recovering from 26th to 16th. "It was an incredibly difficult and technical rally but I compared my times to those of other drivers and was encouraged. I was delighted to be in the top 10 before I made my mistake and spent the rest of the event rebuilding my confidence. My relationship with my new co-driver was excellent and his WRC experience helped me with my pace notes." Citroen Total World Rally Team http://citroen.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=1 Sébastien Loeb is now the unqualified king of the Monte Carlo after he drove his Citroën C4 WRC to record fifth win of the world’s oldest rally, putting him one event ahead of Walter Röhrl, Sandro Munari and Tommi Mäkinen following his victories in 2007, 2005, 2004 and 2003 as well as this year. Citroën initially dominated the 2008 Monte Carlo Rally, with Loeb’s team mate, Dani Sordo setting the pace from the start before Loeb took over the lead on stage two and never looked back. On day two Loeb and Sordo completed a clean sweep of all the stages and it was only engine problems for Sordo on day three that stopped it being a Citroën 1-2. Sordo restarted on the final day under the super rally rules and finished 11, giving Citroën one valuable manufacturer’s point. #1 : Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: "More than the fact that this was our 37th WRC victory and our fifth Monte win, I think the most significant thing is the way we won this year,” said Loeb at the finish. “Our Citroën C4 performed faultlessly throughout and the set-up we chose for the start proved excellent, which shows how well we worked upstream. The C4 and the Pirelli tyres also functioned well together on these asphalt stages which were often damp. It's always nice to start the season with a win, but I have no intention of getting carried away because there are some very difficult rallies to come." #2 : Daniel Sordo/Marc Marti: Putting his woes behind him, Dani Sordo also concluded on a positive note: "We were the only ones who succeeded in staying with Sébastien's pace,” said Sordo. “Once again, our car was awesomely quick on asphalt and I was also pleased with the way our tyres performed. That was one of the unknown factors before the start. Last but not least, I'm glad to have picked up a Manufacturers' point for Citroën." Subaru World Rally Team http://subaru.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=5 After four days, 19 stages and 362.39 competitive kilometres, Chris Atkinson triumphed in his momentous battle for third to start the season with a well-deserved podium. Petter Solberg achieved his best result on this event in fifth place overall, earning the Subaru World Rally Team second in the Manufacturers’ Championship. The team started the day well with both Solberg and Atkinson achieving fastest split times as they climbed the notoriously challenging Col de Turini. As predicted, snow lined the side of the route and overnight patches of black ice made the conditions as tricky as always on arguably the most well-known stage in the WRC. #5 : Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: Solberg and Phil Mills delivered a solid and determined performance to achieve their highest finish on Rallye Monte Carlo, demonstrating their strong pace throughout the day. Pushing hard in the difficult conditions, they had no problems on a rally that has historically raised difficulties for them and crossed the finish line on the harbour front fifth. Taking advantage of the improved grip for the second passes, the pair consistently finished within the top six to retain a comfortable fifth position overall, helping the Subaru World Rally Team into second in the Manufacturers’ Championship. “Today has been good for us and the team for sure” said a satisfied Petter Solberg. “Fifth is good, and it’s my highest finish on this rally. We have some good points which are important to us and we have a lot of fastest splits today, which is very good. This weekend was difficult with all the ice and the slippery surface, but it’s a good rally. There are a lot of fans, especially in Monaco for the Superspecial, and it’s a great atmosphere. I’m happy for Chris in third, and that as well is of course good for the team. We’ve made a good start to the season and we must keep pushing for more good results.” #6 : Chris Atkinson/Stephane Prevot: Atkinson and Stephané Prévot started the day with a 20.1 second lead over Ford’s Francois Duval. In a fantastic display of commitment and determination reminiscent of Chris’ battle here last year, which also came down to the route around the Monaco harbour, both drivers took their fight to start the WRC season with a podium finish to the very last stage.After the first passes of the morning’s stages, Atkinson remained ahead despite his lead being reduced to just four seconds. Nearing its nail-biting conclusion, he responded in firm fashion on the second running of the Col de Turini. In improved conditions, his hunger for his first podium since Rally Japan in 2006 saw him complete the stage 32 seconds faster than his first pass to stay ahead of Duval. The duo entered the final Superspecial around the glamorous Grand Prix circuit that skirts the harbour separated by just 1.1 seconds. Atkinson and Duval recorded exactly the same stage time, which was also the fastest of the field, to finish the first event of the year just 1.1 seconds apart after nearly four hours of competition. “To finish third is fantastic for me and the team” enthused an overjoyed and relieved Chris Atkinson. “The pressure today was huge, we just had to drive flat out and do everything we could to stay ahead. Duval is such a fast guy, and I always knew today would be really tough going up against him. I lost a few seconds in SS18 with a half spin, and after that I was just going for it. The same thing happened last year when I was fighting for position going into the final stage, but this year is so much more important as I was fighting for a podium. I’m so happy for the team – all the guys have done such a great job and we deserved this. It’s a fantastic start to the year and we’ll celebrate tonight for sure!” Stobart VK M-Sport Ford World Rally Team http://ford.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=2 On conclusion of the opening round of the 2008 FIA World Rally Championship, Rallye Monte-Carlo, the Stobart VK M-Sport Ford rally team has all four crews in the top-ten. The superb result also puts the team equal third in the manufacturers’ championship just three points behind the top spot. Belgium’s François Duval/Eddy Chevailler starred in the Stobart show by finishing fourth, unfortunately just 1.1 seconds off a podium spot after they reeled in 19 seconds over third placed Chris Atkinson during the day. Duval also picked-up four from five stage wins on this final day to add to the achievements tally for the team. Gigi Galli/Giovanni Bernacchini were the backbone of the team on this event as they set consistent stage times over all four days to comfortably finish sixth overall. Both Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud and Matthew Wilson/Scott Martin achieved their best ever results here by finishing ninth and tenth respectively. Both crews had a fairly trouble-free run and were rewarded deservingly with their top-ten finishes. #7 : Francois Duval/Eddy Chevaillier: “It’s great for me to finish in fourth position here. It has been difficult with new tyres, a new car, new co-driver and new stages on the rally but we have done a good job here and collected important points. It took some time to adjust and get confidence with everything but as you can see we were able to set some fastest times today. Hopefully there will be more events to come for me this year.” #8 : Gigi Galli/Giovanni Bernacchini: For Italian Galli it has been a superb start to his first full season in the WRC and with the Stobart team. Using the event as a means of reacquainting himself with the intense speeds at which these cars travel, he has managed to finish Rallye Monte-Carlo as planned and in style. Continuing his flamboyant manner where he left off in Portugal last season, 35-year-old Galli was a hit on this opening round with many of his fans from the famous #25 fan club flocking from across Europe to support their WRC hero. “What a great start to the season for me. Now that I have a full year secured I am able to take time to adjust to the car and the most important thing for me in this rally was to get to the finish and learn as much as I can. To finish with drivers points and score points for the Stobart team makes it even more special. The Focus is really a wonderful rally car, I love driving it, and we got to grips with it sooner than I thought. For me the most important thing is to get to the end of this event. Last year I had to prove myself in three events but now I have the whole year to learn about the car and can push harder later in the year.” #14 : Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud: Solberg’s consistency on this event rewarded him with his best ever result in Monte-Carlo which previously stood at a less that justified 14th. In just his second year competing on tarmac events the Norwegian was pleased with his finish which stands him in a promising position for the remaining three asphalt challenges in 2008. “It’s great for me to finish in fourth position here. It has been difficult with new tyres, a new car, new co-driver and new stages on the rally but we have done a good job here and collected important points. It took some time to adjust and get confidence with everything but as you can see we were able to set some fastest times today. Hopefully there will be more events to come for me this year.” #16 : Matthew Wilson/Scott Martin: Twenty-year-old Wilson continued to improve his pace on this final day but lost a small amount of time on stage 16 when he stalled his Stobart Ford Focus RS WRC07 on the start-line. On a rally which the young Briton admits is not one of his favoured, this is a fantastic result and a great way to start the year with new car and new co-driver. “This rally was always going to be difficult for me as I’m not an expert on this surface. I think we have done a good job here though and I achieved my goal of finishing without any major problems; this was the most important thing for me to gain more experience. The start of the rally was difficult as we had to adjust to the new tyres and also the night time stages, but once we got more confidence then it felt good. The car has worked well during the four days and now we have gathered more information and experience for the rest of the asphalt rallies this year.” Suzuki World Rally Team http://suzuki.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=12 Suzuki driver P-G Andersson has finished an excellent eighth on his WRC debut in a World Rally Car, marking the start of the Suzuki World Rally Team's first season in the top category of the sport. Despite some small problems on the opening leg, the young Swede set a fifth-fastest stage time and proved himself regularly capable of posting times close to the frontrunners. After nearly 400 competitive kilometres over ice, snow and some flat-out asphalt mountain roads, P-G and Suzuki have the satisfaction of a top-eight placing. Toni Gardemeister was on course to join his team mate in a points-scoring finish, having completed all but five special stages of this challenging event. Unfortunately the Finn was forced into retirement at the very end of the penultimate day, but he too managed to set a sixth-fastest stage time and prove that the new Suzuki SX4 WRC has the pace to run towards the front. #11 : Toni Gardemeister/Tomi Tuominen: The experienced Toni Gardemeister, driving on his ninth Monte Carlo Rally, was also pleased with his Suzuki debut despite being forced into retirement. The 32 year-old Finn commented: "Without the problems that we unfortunately encountered, we would have been fighting for points here - which I knew was possible from the start and P-G has also proved with his excellent performance. It's clear that the car has a lot of potential, so actually I'm very happy. Now that the season is underway, we have to keep working hard to improve the car all the time. Our next rally is Sweden, which I like a lot. If we can find a good rhythm, it's certainly possible for us to do well there." #12 : Per-Gunnar Andersson/Jonas Andersson: P-G Andersson was delighted by his World Rally Car debut after only 500 kilometres of testing before the start of the rally - meaning that he has doubled his time in the car over just the space of the Monte Carlo Rally. As well as learning more about the SX4 WRC, he also improved his driving technique considerably over all four days of the event. The 27 year-old, who won the Junior World Rally Championship with Suzuki for the second time last year, said: "There's a lot to learn, but I've really enjoyed it and I couldn't have asked for more. To score points on my debut with a brand-new car is a truly fantastic result. My four-wheel drive experience before this event was limited to just a few rallies in a Group N car and some tests, so for me this rally has been all about learning to use the speed and traction of a World Rally Car. There's a lot more to come from both me and the car though. It was very important for me to get a good result here as it means I can head into the next round - my home rally in Sweden - with a very positive frame of mind." 4. Championship Points Drivers 1. S Loeb 10pts 2. M Hirvonen 8pts 3. C Atkinson 6pts 4. F Duval 5pts 5. P Solberg 4pts 6. G Galli 3pts Manufacturers 1. Citroen Total 11pts 2. Subaru 10pts 3. BP Ford Abu Dhabi 8pts 4. Stobart VK M-Sport 8pts 5. Suzuki 2pts Full standings http://www.rallye-info.com/points.asp 5. Next Event In just two weeks crews head to the city of Karlstad for Rally Sweden, where this year the service park will be located permanently located. The rally consists of 20 stages, most familiar from previous years, over a total of 342 competitive kilometres. The event kicks off with a Superspecial stage inside the Karlstad trotting track. Repeated Friday night, it is the only stage that the crews will tackle after nightfall. There are two remote services in the region of Hadfors, 100km north of Karlstad. Like Monte Carlo, it’s another specialist event, always having been run in the snow. Weather predictions this year however throw the chances of a white rally into doubt however, raising questions as to the condition of the stages. |