WORLD RALLY - RALLY NORWAY
Rally Norway – Round 2 of the World Rally Championship
Norway has enjoyed a spectacular winter and temperatures nudging -30ºC ensured the ice-packed roads were in perfect condition for a classic snow rally.
The outcome of the 2009 Rally Norway went all the way down to the wire, but Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena ended up securing the win after a thrilling clash with Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen.
Mikko Hirvonen led for much of the opening leg but could not shake off Loeb, who moved to the front and built a lead of 15.0sec by the end of the second day.
The final day started badly for Citroen driver Loeb, as he lost 5.3s to Hirvonen on SS18 (Valer 1). Loeb said, "A snowplough had been through and I found myself having to sweep aside the layer of loose snow that was covering the ice. I drove well, but there was nothing much I could about it."
Hirvonen retaliated during the final leg and four wins from the first five speed tests reduced the margin to just 7.7sec ahead of the final 19.74km special stage.
This meant that the second round of the 2009 World Rally Championship would be settled on the 19.74km Bodum stage, a test reputed for its long straights, which enable the cars to exceed the 200kph mark!
However, the deficit proved just too much and Hirvonen had to settle for second at the finish in Hamar, 9.8sec behind after 23 stages covering 360.90km of competition.
So it was Loeb that took the win but it had been nip and tuck all the way and it shows that Hirvonen looks to be the Citroen driver's biggest threat to retaining his world title.
A happy Loeb stated, "Mentally, this has been a very tough rally. It got very tense when I learnt that Mikko had narrowed the gap on this morning's first stage, but we didn't ease up, even if that did mean having one or two hairy moments! Going into the last stage, I knew that even a small mistake would ruin all the hard work we have put in this weekend. Everything turned out well, however, and it's great to have won this rally for the first time. It's been a fantastic rally and the conditions were perfect form start to finish. Our C4 WRC was a big ally, too, in terms of both its performance and its reliability."
Meanwhile the BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team claimed a double podium finish in Rally Norway after a gripping final day's action in the frozen forests near the Olympic city of Lillehammer. Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen finished second in a Ford Focus RS World Rally Car while fellow Finns Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila were third in another Focus RS WRC.
Citroen driver, Dani Sordo started the day in fifth place and held position to the flag to achieve his objective. "It wasn't an easy day. Our aim was to make sure of scoring Manufacturers' points for Citroën but I wasn't one hundred per cent relaxed this morning, especially on the first stage where I was using my pacenotes from 2007. I went better second time round and I am pleased with this afternoon's result, which means Citroën stays 10 points clear at the top of the table."
With a score of two wins from two to kick off his team's 2009 campaign, Olivier Quesnel was very upbeat about the way the year has started. Director of Citroën Sport Quesnel said,"We began the weekend as outsiders but the rally unfolded much the same way as it did in Finland in 2008. "Hats off to Mikko Hirvonen. He put up a great fight, and I think both drivers were at the same level here in Norway. It was very close. By winning their 20th different World Championship round, Sébastien and Daniel have provided further evidence of their extraordinary versatility. Dani also had a good run. We held him back a bit today because it was vital for us to make sure we scored points if ever Sébastien hit a problem. Once again, he has made a key contribution to Citroën's overall result."
Second placed Hirvonen said, "This was the best winter rally I've competed on – and I have driven many. It was fantastic to drive on the edge in snow and ice for three days, and to be involved in such a great battle. To be split by less than 10sec after more than 360km of competition says it all. The line between making a small mistake and being perfect at those speeds is so tiny and I couldn't have done any more. I took so many risks but we both had to do that because the competition was so close. I'm disappointed to be second. I lost the rally yesterday because I couldn't respond to Loeb's speed then. It wasn't the result I wanted but I'm glad that we went down fighting and it was a hugely enjoyable battle."
Jari Matti Latvala claimed third early on the first morning and while the 23-year-old was unable to match his Ford team-mate's pace, he was comfortably faster than anyone else and finished more than two minutes clear of the fourth-placed Focus RS WRC of Henning Solberg.
Latvala stated, "I'm happy to score a podium but at the same time disappointed not to be able to fight for victory. They are good points for myself and the team but my chances really ended on Saturday morning. I should have softened the suspension settings earlier so I can look in the mirror and see the reason why I didn't challenge the top two drivers. If I could start this weekend again, I would redo the mornings. The grip level was good then and I should have trusted that and taken greater advantage. I wasn't in a hurry today because there was no competition. I relaxed and enjoyed the driving."
BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team director Malcolm Wilson reflected on 'a great team performance'. Wilson said, "Mikko gave it everything, and for the result to be as close as it was is an indication of how hard both were trying. Jari-Matti had a solid weekend, and his pace yesterday afternoon when he won two stages, was encouraging. Both cars ran faultlessly all weekend and Focus RS WRCs won 11 of the 23 stages, so we can go away from here feeling confident."
Ford of Europe motorsport director Mark Deans said, "On just its second appearance in the WRC, it has the makings of a classic and the close finish owed much to the great organisation. It was a thrilling spectacle for the thousands of fans who braved numbing temperatures in the forests and the small margin between the two drivers throughout the weekend augurs well for the year."
The three Citroën Junior Team crews returned to Hamar this afternoon after the third and final day of Rally Norway. Evgeny Novikov and Dale Moscatt scored two points in the World Championship for Manufacturers, while Sebastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia have placed their Citroën C4 WRC in the top 10.
Final leaderboard on Rally Norway*
| 1 S Loeb/D Elena | Citroen C4 | 3hr 28min 15.9sec |
| 2 M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen | Ford Focus RS | 3hr 28min 25.7sec |
| 3 J-M Latvala/M Anttila | Ford Focus RS | 3hr 29min 37.7sec |
| 4 H Solberg/C Menkerud | Ford Focus RS | 3hr 31min 49.4sec |
| 5 D Sordo/M Marti | Citroen C4 | 3hr 32min 07.9sec |
| 6 P Solberg/P Mills | Citroen Xsara | 3hr 34min 41.3sec |
| 7 M Wilson/S Martin | Ford Focus RS | 3hr 34min 51.5sec |
| 8 U Aava/K Sikk | Ford Focus RS | 3hr 35min 05.0 sec |
| 9 M Østberg/O Unnerud | Subaru Impreza | 3hr 38min 16.4sec |
| 10 S Ogier/J Ingrassia | Citroen C4 | 3hr 41min 05.7sec |
Drivers Standings After Rally Norway*
| 1. S Loeb | 20pts |
| 2. M Hirvonen | 14pts |
| 3. D Sordo | 12pts |
| 4. H Solberg | 10pts |
| 5. J-M Latvala | 6pts |
| 6. C Atkinson | 4pts |
Manufacturers Standings After Rally Norway*
| 1. Citroen Total | 32pts |
| 2. BP Ford Abu Dhabi | 22pts |
| 3. Stobart VK M-Sport Ford | 16pts |
| 4. Citroen Junior Team | 8pts |
*All results subject to FIA confirmation.
Simon McBride