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| 2008 Rally Argentina : WRC Round 4 of 15 : 28th - 30th March Remember to add our email address to your contacts and safe senders list to help avoid our email being detected as spam and to download images linked into our newsletter. Thanks. If you are having trouble viewing this email click here. In this issue: Final Unofficial Leaderboard Final News Final Team by Team News Championship Points Next Event 1. Final Unofficial Leaderboard 1. S. Loeb/D. Elena (Citroën C4) 5 h 05 min 48,6 s 2. C. Atkinson/S. Prevot (Subaru Impreza) + 2 min 33,2 s 3. D. Sordo/M. Martí (Citroën C4) + 4 min 04,7 s 4. C. Rautenbach/D. Senior (Citroën C4) + 20 min 03,5 s 5. M. Hirvonen/J. Lehtinen (Ford Focus) + 25 min 15,3 s 6. F. Villagra/J. Pérez-Companc (Ford Focus) + 27 min 42 s 7. G. Galli/G. Bernacchini (Ford Focus) + 27 min 51,8 s 8. A. Aigner/K. Wicha (Mitsubishi Lancer) + 28 min 59,3 s 9. S. Beltrán/R. Rojas (Mitsubishi Lancer) + 30 min 04,9 s 10. J. Ketomaa/M. Teiskonen (Subaru Impreza) + 31 min 52,6 s 2. Final News Sébastien Loeb (Citroen) secured his fourth consecutive Rally Argentina victory, crossing the finish with a 2min 33.2sec advantage. Petter Solberg (Subaru) was on course for second but the Norwegian stopped on the opening stage with electrical problems. Team-mate Chris Atkinson benefited to take his second consecutive runners-up position ahead of Dani Sordo (Citroen). Privateer Conrad Rautenbach (Citroen) took a career-best fourth - Hirvonen and Lehtinen staged a tremendous fightback after suspension problems on the opening day to finish fifth - with Munchi's Federico Villagra (Ford) claiming his best WRC result in sixth. The problems continued to pile up for the leading drivers. Stobart's Matthew Wilson and Henning Solberg (both Ford) each stopped with broken front suspension while Toni Gardemeister (Suzuki) suffered his third retirement of the weekend with broken power steering. 4. 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 retained its lead in the FIA World Rally Championship after a punishing fourth round in Argentina this weekend. Resilient performances from Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen and team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila in Ford Focus RS World Rally Cars earned the squad a solid points score on the rain-hit Rally Argentina. The double world champions now lead the manufacturers' standings by three points. Hirvonen and Lehtinen staged a tremendous fightback after suspension problems on the opening day to finish fifth, while fellow Finns Latvala and Anttila recovered from a first day roll and a broken starter motor yesterday to finish 15th. The double points haul was far more than had looked possible midway through yesterday's second leg as rocky roads and treacherous conditions sparked a high rate of attrition among the leading drivers. Latvala dropped nine minutes with a roll on the opening morning, but recovered to eighth until an impact with a rock yesterday morning shattered his car's starter motor and he exceeded the permitted time limit. He restarted this morning in 21st and won two of the three special stages to climb to 15th, which was good enough for two points in the manufacturers' championship. The 22-year-old is now fourth in the drivers' standings. #3 : Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen: "After Friday's problems, I never thought I could climb this high," said Hirvonen. "I'm surprised to score points and luckily Loeb isn't so far ahead in the championship. He's only five points in front and I thought it would be nine, so that's some comfort. But I'm still disappointed because I made such a good start to lead and I could have won, but that's life. I found more speed than I had on the last round in Mexico but today I drove carefully because conditions were slippery and foggy." #4 : Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila: "My performance was disappointing but I think these were the most difficult conditions I've encountered," he said. "I've had to adapt to different ways of driving to match the conditions. I'm surprised to score points for the team because yesterday I thought we had lost everything and wasn't motivated, but my confidence came back this morning. One thing I learned from yesterday was that I need to check the engine after an impact, even when everything seems OK. I've also gained good experience of Pirelli's tyres in wet and muddy conditions which will be good for future events." Citroen Total World Rally Team http://citroen.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=1 Citroen’s Sébastien Loeb has regained the lead in the 2008 World Rally Championship Drivers’ title chase after a dominant win – his fourth consecutive Argentinean win – in the South American round of the 2008 World Rally Championship at the weekend (28-30 March 2008) and thanks to a third place for team mate Dani Sordo, Citroën is now within three points of the manufacturers’ title chase. #1 : Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: "Believe me, it wasn't easy," admitted Seb. "Given the delicate conditions, we had to stay doubly concentrated from start to finish. We also benefited from a faultless performance from our Citroën C4 which was once again competitive and reliable. Before coming here, we had been hoping that Rally Argentina would enable us to take the lead in the Drivers championship and score points for Citroën, and that's what we've done!" #2 : Daniel Sordo/Marc Marti: The event was also a notable success for Sordo and essential to keep Citroën on track to win the manufactures’’ title. "It would have been so easy to get caught out," remarked Dani Sordo before the podium ceremony. "It really has been a difficult event: a single bend could have compromised all the good work put in by everyone in the team and the chance for Citroën to close the gap in the championship. I am pleased to have finished third and my times were on a par with what I was hoping for." Subaru World Rally Team http://subaru.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=5 Chris Atkinson and Stéphane Prévot finished Rally Argentina in second position overall, making it three out of four podiums from the 2008 season. Team-mates Petter Solberg and Phil Mills were however dealt a cruel blow, being forced into retirement from second position with only two stages to go after complete electrical failure. Following a fantastic performance that saw them climb to second position overall on Saturday?s stages, Solberg and Mills suffered the cruellest of fates as their Impreza WRC2007 rolled to a stop midway through the first stage of the morning as they lost all electrical power. The duo were denied what would have been their best result since Rally Portugal last year. Solberg and Mills attempted roadside repairs to their stricken car but were unable to locate the source of the problem and rectify it within the time they had available, exceeding the stage time limit despite their best efforts. The crestfallen duo were unable to complete the final day of a rally on which they demonstrated a reinvigorated level of performance. In the ensuing reshuffle of the overall standings, Atkinson and Prévot were promoted to second position overall. Fully aware of the hazards posed by the trickiest of the rally's stages, the duo continued their measured and mature drive to bring their Impreza home on the middle step of the podium. The result means that Atkinson has had his best ever start to a WRC season, scoring an impressive three podium finishes from the first four events of the year. #5 : Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: Retired. #6 : Chris Atkinson/Stephane Prevot: Atkinson?s second place in Argentina moves him into third overall in the Drivers? Championship, just three points behind second-placed Hirvonen (Ford). The Subaru World Rally Team emerge from South America in third position overall in the Manufacturers' Championship, but as a result of the electrical problems lost a potential eight points that would have put them within just three of the lead. It?s been such a hard weekend it's more of a relief to finish!? said Chris Atkinson. ?Another podium is fantastic for us and for the team, there?s nothing that motivates the guys more than a great result at the end of all the hard work. The feeling in the car was just so much more consistent this weekend and it was easier to drive so I was able to push without making any big mistakes. It?s clear we?ve taken some good steps forward with the car this year and it?s sort of a surprise for me to be third in the championship at the moment. It?s a real shame about Petter as he was going very well and we should have had two cars on the podium, but it demonstrates that we?re definitely moving in the right direction.? Stobart VK M-Sport Ford World Rally Team http://ford.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=2 Italian crew Gigi Galli/Giovanni Bernacchini have helped the Stobart VK M-Sport Ford rally team to three vital manufacturers’ points on the fourth round of the FIA World Rally Championship this weekend. Galli’s seventh place in his Stobart Ford Focus RS WRC07 sees him maintain fifth in the Drivers’ Championship and the team hold fourth in the Manufacturers’ Championship after Rally Argentina. Results were not so fortunate for Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud and Matthew Wilson/Scott Martin who all retired from the event on the final day. Both drivers were running well inside the points at different stages of the event but were struck down by the treacherous weather conditions which hampered this year’s South American round. Galli’s result was a fantastic achievement considering he retired from day 2 at mid-day service with problems caused by the rough terrain that took over the given time limit to fix. The 35-year-old set a multitude of top-three stage times on the opening day of Rally Argentina posting the fastest on the second pass of San Marcos on Friday afternoon. Twenty-one-year-old Wilson was running well at the halfway point of Rally Argentina sitting in sixth position and staying out of trouble. Unfortunately on stage 15 the Brit struck trouble on the final corner when the track control arm on his Focus RS broke forcing him to retire from the leg. The youngster re-started the final day in an effort to gain maximum experience and some more gravel miles before Jordan but unfortunately retired on the opening test with broken front suspension. #7 : Gigi Galli/Giovanni Bernacchini: “Wow, last night I did not think I could finish this rally in seventh position but it just goes to show the rally isn’t over until you cross the finish ramp. What happened yesterday was unlucky for us and my mechanics did a fantastic job trying so hard to fix the car before time ran out so I must say thank you to them all. On the first day things felt very good even though the conditions were the worst I have ever driven in my career. We had some good stage times and even a fastest on one of them so this is a good sign for Jordan because I have only had limited kilometres on gravel, in the car. There have been so many people out supporting this rally even though the weather has been terrible and this is great to see.” #8 : Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud: “Well it has not been the best event for us but OK this is the way it goes sometimes. We started off quite slow as there was a lot of fog on Friday morning but then on the next few stages we found the feeling and the times were good. It was unfortunate we retired on the first day, the conditions were quite rough and I was unlucky to hit a sharp rock which broke our suspension. This has been the most challenging event in my career but hopefully it will help in the future if there is another event where the weather is really bad like this. Now I am looking forward to Jordan Rally where it is a new event for everybody.” #16 : Matthew Wilson/Scott Martin: “This has been the most difficult rally of my career and is one from which I will take away a lot of experience. It was a disappointing end because we were looking good yesterday and my mechanics did an awesome job to get us back out in the afternoon after the problems on Saturday morning. On stage 15 we broke the TCA which was in a slow and smooth corner but it was just one of those things unfortunately. Today was definitely the hardest day in my career, the rain was unbelievable and you could barely see 20 metres in front of you on the stage because of all the thick fog. It would have been nice to finish this event but we had some good times on the first two days and have gained some experience in some of the worst conditions you will face in rallying.” Suzuki World Rally Team http://suzuki.rallye-info.com/teams.asp?sid=12 The SX4 WRC of P-G Andersson has scored a manufacturers' point for Suzuki after an extremely challenging event featuring some of the worst conditions in recent memory. Just three stages made up the final day, but two of them were the most legendary and difficult of the whole event: Giulio Cesare and El Condor. These two stages reach an altitude of more than 2000 metres through the foothills of the Andes. There is often dense fog, and huge rocks that can catch out the unwary. In these challenging conditions, P-G Andersson set an eighth-fastest time - beating many more experienced competitors and hinting at the potential of the SX4 WRC on a clean run with no problems. The Swede's visibility was hampered through the El Condor stage as his windscreen misted up in the damp conditions, but he eventually finished the rally to score a precious manufacturers' point for Suzuki. Toni Gardemeister re-started the final day in order to rack up some test kilometres but unfortunately he was not able to make the finish. This year's Rally Argentina - which took place in the southern hemisphere's early autumn - presented the crews with an unprecedented range of weather conditions, meaning that only eight of the original 14 World Rally Car starters made the finish. #11 : Toni Gardemeister/Tomi Tuominen: "We've had a few problems on this event, but the conditions have been even tougher than we expected. The surfaces were extremely slippery, and it was very easy to make a mistake. We just tried to keep the car on the road as much as possible and get to the end. Unfortunately we weren't quite able to manage that, but we learnt several important lessons along the way and we have a very clear idea of the areas in which we can improve." #12 : Per-Gunnar Andersson/Jonas Andersson: "I'm pleased to get to the end of what has been a very tough rally for us. I'm also pleased that we have scored a manufacturers' point for Suzuki, although I would have been even happier if we had been able to score some drivers' points for ourselves as well! We had a good solid run through the Giulio Cesare stage this morning, without pushing too hard, and that indicates the sort of thing we can do when everything is working well. We just have to treat the problems we have experienced here as opportunities to improve and move on. Now we will be working hard in preparation for the next event, Jordan, which is brand new. Nobody starts with an advantage in terms of experience there, so I hope we can do well." 5. Championship Points FIA World rally Championship’s rankings ‘Manufacturers’ (round 4/15)* 1. Ford, 44 points – 2. Citroën-Total, 41 pts – 3. Subaru, 33 pts – 4. Stobart, 22 pts – 5. Munchi's, 10 pts – 6. Suzuki, 6 pts. FIA World rally Championship’s rankings ‘Drivers’ (round 4/15)* 1. S. Loeb, 30 points – 2. M. Hirvonen, 25 points – 3. C. Atkinson, 22 pts – 4. JM Latvala, 16 pts – 5. G. Galli, 11 pts – 6. D. Sordo, 9 pts – 7. P. Solberg, 9 pts – 8. C. Rautenbach, 5 pts – 9. F. Villagra, 5 pts – 10. F. Duval, 5 pts – 6. Next Event The next challenge in the World Rally Championship lies in the Middle East. Rally Jordan is a brand new event for all teams, this being the first year in which Jordan has hosted a WRC event. Set on the banks of the Dead Sea, almost all of the hard-packed sandy routes run below sea level, to a lowest point of 408m below. Temperatures are expected to be upwards 35 degrees Celsius, making it the hottest rally to date this season, and much more suited to Pirelli?s hard compound gravel tyre. The rally consists of 21 stages totalling 351 competitive kilometres, and will bring a new challenge to crews as they will battle with the difficulty of judging distances in the vast expanses of desert they will encounter. |