MANILA, Philippines — The Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team claimed a dominant one-two finish in Rally Australia last Sunday with Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen winning the 10th round of the FIA World Rally Championship by 14.7sec in a Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Car, ahead of fellow Finns Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila in a similar car. Peter Solberg claimed third place aboard the Citroen DS3.
It was the team’s first double success since May 2009 in Italy and the result promoted Hirvonen to second in the drivers’ standings, just 15 points from the lead with three rounds remaining.
Overnight leader Latvala, whose own hopes of championship success vanished earlier in the season, was happy to support his teammate’s title bid. He went into the penultimate speed test with a 13.4-second advantage over 31-year-old Hirvonen, but slowed near the finish to allow him to move ahead.
Hirvonen was quick to pay tribute to his colleague. “At the start of the season we agreed to help each other, and Jari-Matti showed today what a team player he is. He had a great opportunity to win this rally but he gave it up to help me in my fight for the championship and I appreciate that. Two years ago I lost the world title by a single point, so every point counts,” he said.
Ford held the upper hand since midway through Friday’s treacherously slippery rain-soaked opening leg near the east coast rally base of Coffs Harbour, midway between Sydney and Brisbane. Hirvonen headed Latvala after the first day, before Latvala took advantage of more favorable conditions on the rapidly drying gravel roads to move ahead.
The 26-year-old started today with a 22.7-second advantage and with no pressure from behind, the pairing were able to control their pace to the finish after 26 special stages and 368.96-km of predominantly dirt-road competition. Latvala claimed two bonus points after setting second fastest time on the final live TV Power Stage.
Ford paid tribute to the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks by carrying memorial stickers on its Fiesta RS WRCs to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the tragic events in Washington and New York.
The championship returns to asphalt when Rallye de France takes place from Sept. 29 to Oct. 2. The rally is based in the Northeastern city of Strasbourg, close to the German border.
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It was the team’s first double success since May 2009 in Italy and the result promoted Hirvonen to second in the drivers’ standings, just 15 points from the lead with three rounds remaining.
Overnight leader Latvala, whose own hopes of championship success vanished earlier in the season, was happy to support his teammate’s title bid. He went into the penultimate speed test with a 13.4-second advantage over 31-year-old Hirvonen, but slowed near the finish to allow him to move ahead.
Hirvonen was quick to pay tribute to his colleague. “At the start of the season we agreed to help each other, and Jari-Matti showed today what a team player he is. He had a great opportunity to win this rally but he gave it up to help me in my fight for the championship and I appreciate that. Two years ago I lost the world title by a single point, so every point counts,” he said.
Ford held the upper hand since midway through Friday’s treacherously slippery rain-soaked opening leg near the east coast rally base of Coffs Harbour, midway between Sydney and Brisbane. Hirvonen headed Latvala after the first day, before Latvala took advantage of more favorable conditions on the rapidly drying gravel roads to move ahead.
The 26-year-old started today with a 22.7-second advantage and with no pressure from behind, the pairing were able to control their pace to the finish after 26 special stages and 368.96-km of predominantly dirt-road competition. Latvala claimed two bonus points after setting second fastest time on the final live TV Power Stage.
Ford paid tribute to the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks by carrying memorial stickers on its Fiesta RS WRCs to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the tragic events in Washington and New York.
The championship returns to asphalt when Rallye de France takes place from Sept. 29 to Oct. 2. The rally is based in the Northeastern city of Strasbourg, close to the German border.
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