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BP-Ford World Rally Team drivers Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen won Rally Finlandtoday after dominating the fastest rally of the year in their Ford Focus RS World Rally Car. It wasthe team's fourth victory of the FIA World Rally Championship season, already making this Ford'smost successful campaign since 1993 with six rounds still remaining. The victory was Grönholm'ssixth in seven years here and his triumph marked Finland's 50th win in the rally's 56-year history.
Team-mate Mikko Hirvonen delighted his home town fans by bringing a similar BP Ultimate andCastrol-branded Focus RS to the finish in Jyväskylä in third. It was the third podium of the seasonfor Hirvonen and co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen, and the double points haul enabled BP-Ford to closethe gap on the leaders in the manufacturers' championship, leaving the title race open. Grönholmretains second in the drivers' standings and Hirvonen climbs to fourth.
Rally Finland is regarded as the classic event in the championship. Wide, smooth gravel roadsand stomach-churning jumps through the forests ensured that precision driving and bravery weremore important here than anywhere else. The pace through the 21 speed tests covering 351.61kmwas breathtaking, 38-year-old Grönholm winning one special stage yesterday at an average speedof 128.81kph. BP-Ford's domination was such that the team won 16 stages.
Thirty-eight-year-old Grönholm led from virtually the first kilometre of the four-day rally and wasfastest on 12 stages. He began the third and final leg with a comfortable lead of over a minute. Heset a fast but safe pace through the final four tests to win by 66.7sec.
"When I was a young driver in the 1990s, I could never have believed that I would win this rally sixtimes," he said. "I've not had a single problem all weekend and victory here is really important tome. I had a good fight with Loeb but once he hit a rock and dropped time yesterday, I had acomfortable lead and could pace myself to the finish. My target is to win every rally now. I know Ican win more rallies this season. With the Focus RS, I have the car to do it, so why not?"
Hirvonen was also in a comfortable position starting the final day, with no pressure from behind.He was fastest on all four stages to fulfil a boyhood dream of a podium in a country where rallyingranks among the top three sports.
"It's hard to describe my feelings," he said. "I have watched this rally since I was a kid, dreamingof a podium and now I have achieved it. It has been clear since yesterday that I could take apodium and it's a great personal achievement. I was happy with my speed but I need moreexperience of these roads to be able to fight Marcus for victory. I finished fifth last year, third nowso where will I be next year?"
BP-Ford team director Malcolm Wilson said: "We have won before here but to achieve a doublepodium with two Finns is fantastic and we are in a great position for the rest of the season. ForMikko to finish on the podium in his home city is fantastic for him. He did a great job and hasprogressed so much this year. It would have been very difficult for him to beat Marcus here and hedid a mature job. This rally started just four days after the finish of the previous event in Germanyand this result is a reward for the thoroughly professional job done by the whole team."
Ford TeamRS director Jost Capito said: "This rally is the fastest and most spectacular in thechampionship and victory here is one of the most prized possessions in the sport. This is ourfourth win of the season with the new Focus RS WRC and Ford hasn't done that since 1993. It'sfurther evidence of the success of our rally programme and reflects the strong relationship that hasbeen built between technicians, engineers, drivers and management - the whole team." |
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