BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team retained the lead of the FIA World Rally Championship after a double points haul in Rally Mexico today. Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen finished fourth on the demanding dirt roads in a Ford Focus RS World Rally Car, with team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila 27.6 seconds behind in fifth. The results mean Ford leads the manufacturers' standings by six points after two rounds of the 13-rally series.
High altitude and slippery gravel roads in the hills above the rally base of León, 400km north-west of Mexico City, characterised the event, returning to the championship after a year's absence. The speed tests climbed to 2730 metres, and the thin air at that height meant engines 'ran out of breath', losing up to 30 per cent of their power. Loose gravel on the surface was a huge disadvantage to the early starters, who swept away the stones to leave a cleaner and faster line for those behind.
Hirvonen and Latvala were first and third in the start order on Friday's opening leg and Hirvonen endured the worst of the conditions. The 29-year-old Finn, winner of the opening round in Sweden last month, ended the leg in sixth, one place behind Latvala. Better start positions yesterday offered the opportunity to climb the order and Hirvonen and Latvala were second and third fastest respectively in the leg. However, they did not regain as much time as was hoped and moved to fourth and fifth.
Today's final leg was short and consolidating their positions was the sole target for the Finnish pairings. Latvala deliberately slowed on the final countryside special stage to allow team leader Hirvonen, making his 100th WRC start, to move ahead and take extra points to aid his challenge for the drivers' title. They ended 27.6sec apart after 21 tests covering 347.55km.
"It was a difficult weekend and after winning in Sweden I hoped for a better result here," admitted Hirvonen. "I'm happy that we scored good points for the team, but I made too many mistakes with my driving. I never really found a good rhythm and I felt I couldn't push as hard as I wanted to. When I tried, the car ended up sliding wide and I dropped even more time. I tried lots of different things but I never really found the answer.
"I never had the pace to fight for the win, so taking all that into account, I have to be happy with a solid finish. It's important to keep the points ticking over so early in the season and that's what we ended up doing here," he added.
Latvala said he was disappointed not to challenge for a podium, but happy with the eventual outcome. "It's a second good finish for me this season, without mistakes, and that boosts my confidence for the next rally. My speed improved as the weekend went on. My car set-up was too soft initially but when we realised that, it was too late to retain the time we had lost. It was unfortunate we started the weekend with a soft set up after a wet pre-event test.
"I slowed about 500m before the end of the last proper stage to let Mikko move ahead of me. I'm the second driver and that's my job. It made no difference to the team's points tally and I was happy to help him," added Latvala.
BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson said it had been 'one of the most difficult rallies for some time'. "We lost too much time on the first day but we don't know why. We need to find the reasons, and we will, but at the moment it's a bit confusing. There's a lot of work to do but we'll dig deep and come back fighting. Mikko couldn't find his confidence on the opening day when he was first on the road. Jari-Matti did a great job for the team, helping Mikko and finishing ahead of our rivals' second cars. That's exactly what we asked of him at the start of the season," he said.
Ford of Europe motorsport chief Gerard Quinn said: "We came to Mexico as championship leader and we go home still at the top of the standings. It was a tough weekend for us and the results weren't as good as we had hoped. But sometimes you have to scrap hard to earn a result and that's what we did here. To take away good points after a less than perfect weekend is a sign of our determination."
News from other Ford teams
Stobart M-Sport Ford drivers Henning Solberg and Ilka Minor finished sixth in a Focus RS World Rally Car with team-mates Matthew Wilson and Scott Martin in 16th. Wilson restarted under SupeRally rules this morning after retiring yesterday when his car became stuck on rocks. Munchi's Ford duo Federico Villagra and Jorge Perez Companc were seventh while Monster World Rally Team drivers Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino were 18th. Block also restarted under SupeRally rules today after sliding into a ditch and breaking the suspension of his Focus RS WRC yesterday.
Next round
Round three of the series takes the BP Ford Abu Dhabi squad to the Middle East for the Jordan Rally. It is based on the shores of the Dead Sea, near the capital city of Amman, on 31 March - 3 April.
Final positions
1. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 3hr 42min 41.7sec
2. P Solberg/P Mills NOR Citroen C4 3hr 43min 05.9sec
3. S Ogier/J Ingrassia FRA Citroen C4 3hr 43min 07.0sec
4. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 44min 29.2sec
5. J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 44min 56.8sec
6. H Solberg/I Minor NOR Ford Focus RS 3hr 45min 29.7sec
7. F Villagra/J Perez Companc ARG Ford Focus RS 3hr 52min 55.1sec
8. X Pons/A Haro ESP Ford Fiesta S2000 4hr 01min 26.1sec
9. M Prokop/J Tomanek CZE Ford Fiesta S2000 4hr 01min 43.7sec
10 A Araujo/R Miguel POR Mitsubishi Lancer 4hr 04min 14.2sec
Drivers
1. S Loeb 43pts
2. M Hirvonen 37pts
3= J-M Latvala 25pts
3= S Ogier 25pts
5. P Solberg 20pts
6. H Solberg 16pts
Manufacturers
1. BP Ford Abu Dhabi 67pts
2. Citroen Total 61pts
3. Citroen Junior 32pts
4. Stobart M-Sport Ford 28pts
5. Munchi's Ford 8pts
Two hundred years after Mexico's native Indians began their bloody fight for independence against Spanish rule in Guanajuato, BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team next week takes up the call to arms in the mountains near the city for a battle of a different kind. The team journeys to North America for Rally Mexico (4 - 7 March), the second round of the FIA World Rally Championship, intent on extending its lead in both the manufacturers' and drivers' standings.
Victory for Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen and third for team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila in Sweden earlier this month means the team heads both championships with the Ford Focus RS World Rally Car. Hirvonen's win moved Ford level at the top of the WRC's all-time standings with 74 victories and the 29-year-old Finn celebrates an anniversary of his own in Mexico – his 100th WRC start.
The rally, which returns to the series after a year's absence, is a key part of Guanajuato state's bicentennial celebrations. It is based in the large city of León in the centre of the country, 400km north-west of Mexico City. The compact route comprises speed tests in the mountains to the north and east and most climb above 2000m on hillsides awash with cacti and water crossings, making this the highest round of the season. The altitude takes its toll on cars as the thinner air means engines 'run out of breath' and can lose up to 30 percent of their usual power.
The road surface is essentially hard-packed gravel, although some parts are sandier and can become rough during the second pass. Most special stages are fast and flowing, although there are slower, more technically demanding sections as well. There are also tests at two short spectator-friendly venues, one in León city itself, immediately next to the single service park at the Poliforum.
Hirvonen has four Mexico starts to his name, third in 2007 being his best result. The 29-year-old Finn will be first in the start order during the opening leg following his Swedish success, but is happy to carry the role of creating a clear driving line for his rivals on the gravel tracks.
"Leading the championship can have its disadvantages, and I now run first on the road for the opening gravel rally of the season. My rivals have better road positions than me so it will be difficult, but I'll still try to find a way to challenge for the win. I'm not underestimating the difficulties, but I wouldn't swap my win in Sweden for a better start seeding," he said.
"Sweden was the perfect start to the championship for both me and the team. It's important that we build on that in Mexico and continue to take the brave decisions that paid off in the opening round. The first gravel rally of the season is always an interesting one because, with the majority of the championship on that surface, it gives pointers as to how the season may play out," added Hirvonen, who flies to León today (Friday) to acclimatise to the high altitude and the eight-hour time difference between his home country and Mexico.
This will be the fourth Rally Mexico start for Latvala, who finished third in 2008, and a podium in Sweden has left the 24-year-old feeling calm about the challenge ahead. "I've not enjoyed as good a start to a season for five years and it's a completely different sensation to go to Mexico feeling relaxed and under less pressure," he said.
"I tested for two days in Spain this week but the weather was more suited to Rally GB than a hot event like Rally Mexico. It rained so the roads were muddy and the morning temperature was -2ºC. At least I managed to find a good feeling with gravel tyres again and I tried a few small changes with the car.
"Mexico's high altitude affects the engine's performance and because there is less power, the car takes longer to reach top speed. It's important to keep the correct line through corners, particularly in uphill sections, because a mistake costs more time than usual while the engine regains its power. The roads are generally wide and fast but there are twisty sections during Saturday's stages. They're not rough, but there are many small river crossings where the water runs down from the mountains that have a concrete base. When you hit them at speed they can damage the car," added Latvala.
Team News
* Tyre partner Pirelli will provide BP Ford Abu Dhabi with one regulation tyre pattern. The Scorpion gravel tyre will be available in hard compound only. Teams are not allowed to hand-carve additional cuts into the rubber and each car can carry two spare wheels.
* The team completed a five-day pre-event test in northern Spain yesterday to prepare for Rally Mexico. Latvala completed the opening two days before handing over to Hirvonen, who drove for two days on gravel before ending the test with a day's asphalt work.
* Ford is again the most popular manufacturer in the entry with nine of the 35 entry cars carrying the Blue Oval. Henning Solberg / Ilka Minor and Matthew Wilson / Scott Martin are nominated by the Stobart M-Sport Ford team in Focus RS WRCs while Federico Villagra / Jorge Perez Companc will make their season debut for the Munchi's Ford squad in a similar car. Also debuting is the all-new Monster World Rally Team, for whom Ken Block / Alex Gelsomino will drive a Focus RS WRC. Three Fiesta S2000 crews will start in the second round of the S-WRC support series.
Rally Route
Organisers have stayed faithful to their tried and tested format with few changes from Mexico's last WRC appearance. The major difference is the introduction of a short street stage in the middle of the opening two legs just behind the service park at León's Poliforum. Otherwise, just one Sunday morning test offers new roads. It is a highly compact rally, covering just 884.58km with 40 per cent of that being competitive, and the opening day's Ortega test climbs to a breathtaking 2737m – the high point of the season. The rally begins on Thursday evening with a colourful ceremonial start in Guanajuato, where more than 60,000 people are expected to pack the streets. The town is a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site, famed for rich veins of silver and gold discovered centuries ago and extensive underground tunnels. All the action takes place north and east of León and the opening two legs end with two passes over a super special stage at the city's race circuit. The track hosts a double run on Sunday to close the rally. Drivers tackle 22 stages covering 354.60km.
RALLY MEXICO
Rally Mexico, Round 2 FIA World Rally Championship
4 - 7 March 2010
Thursday 4 March: Ceremonial start
Start Guanajuato 20.00
Friday 5 March: Day 1 León - León
Start León 07.00
SS1 Alfaro 1 22.96km 07.28
SS2 Ortega 1 23.83km 09.01
SS3 El Cubilete 1 18.87km 09.49
SS4 Coca-Cola Street Stage 1.50km 10.57
Serv A León Poliforum (30 mins) 11.19
SS5 Alfaro 2 22.96km 12.17
SS6 Ortega 2 23.83km 13.50
SS7 El Cubilete 2 18.87km 14.38
SS8 Super Special 1 2.21km 15.53
SS9 Super Special 2 2.21km 15.58
Serv B León Poliforum (45 mins) 16.28
Finish León 17.13
Total 137.24km
Saturday 6 March: Day 2 León - León
Serv C León Poliforum (15 mins) 07.00
SS10 Ibarrilla 1 29.90km 07.54
SS11 Duarte 1 23.27km 09.17
SS12 Derramadero 1 23.28km 10.08
SS13 Coca-Cola Street Stage 1.50km 11.21
Serv D León Poliforum (30 mins) 11.43
SS14 Ibarrilla 2 29.90km 12.52
SS15 Duarte 2 23.27km 14.15
SS16 Derramadero 2 23.28km 15.06
SS17 Super Special 3 2.21km 16.21
SS18 Super Special 4 2.21km 16.26
Serv E León Poliforum (45 mins) 16.56
Finish León 17.41
Total 158.82km
Sunday 7 March: Day 3 León - León
Serv F León Poliforum (15 mins) 07.45
SS19 Guanajuatito 29.13km 08.43
SS20 Sauz Seco 7.05km 09.34
SS21 Comanjilla 17.94km 10.12
SS22 Super Special 5 4.42km 11.27
Serv G León Poliforum (10 mins) 12.00
Finish León 13.00
Total 58.54km
Rally total 354.60km
BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen started the 2010 FIA World Rally Championship in style with victory in Rally Sweden today. The Finns won the opening round by 42.3sec in a Ford Focus RS World Rally Car after three days' competition in the ice-bound Scandinavian forests.
The win moved Ford level at the top of the all-time standings with 74 WRC victories since the championship began in 1973.
Team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila finished third in a similar Focus RS WRC, 1min 15.4sec behind their fellow Finns. The double podium gives the BP Ford Abu Dhabi squad a 10-point lead at the top of the manufacturers' standings after the first of 13 rounds.
Rally Sweden is the only true winter rally in the series. Drivers tackled 21 speed tests covering 345.15km in the Värmland region of central Sweden. Temperatures plunged to -22ºC, but clear blue skies provided picture postcard scenery in the wintry forests. Snow covered the tracks in the barren Scandinavian countryside, but beneath lay a softer than expected ice base. Exposed gravel poked through during the second pass over the roads and posed tough challenges for drivers, as they struggled to prevent stones ripping the tungsten-tipped studs from their tyres to leave little grip.
Hirvonen's tyre management played a crucial part in his victory. After making minor set-up changes to his Focus RS WRC, the 29-year-old ended Friday's first leg with a 6.2sec lead. He stretched that to 16.6sec yesterday when his decision to fit new Pirelli Sottozero rubber to the front of his car in the middle of the afternoon enabled him to blitz closest rival Sébastien Loeb by 16sec in two stages. He measured his pace through today's final leg to secure his 12th WRC win.
"After losing the title last year by a point I knew I had to win more, rather than settle for consistent points finishes, so this is the ideal start," said Hirvonen. "It was a big win for us and I want many more this season. It's the first time I've won the opening round of the year. I tried to be more aggressive from the start in all aspects of my performance. It was a brave decision yesterday to change the tyres when I did but it paid off and those kind of decisions make the difference between winning and losing.
"It was such a hard rally for the tyres on the exposed gravel and you can't imagine how nervous I was driving the final stage. I have a year's more experience of a title battle than this time last year and I think that showed here. I need to continue in the same way for the rest of the season," he added.
Latvala, handed the role of supporting Hirvonen, did his job to perfection. The 24-year-old settled into fourth on the opening day but was frustrated at being unable to find the speed of which he knew he was capable. He made minor set-up changes yesterday and pressured third-placed Dani Sordo into two mistakes to climb into a podium position. Latvala took no risks today and, with the pressure removed, he relaxed into his driving and was fastest over the final two tests to take his tally to five stage wins.
"This result is a great boost to my confidence," he said. "I did what I was asked by keeping my consistency and it's a great start for the team. It wasn't an easy rally because I struggled for speed on Friday. I was frustrated because I was thinking too much about driving carefully but I got over that yesterday, started to relax and my times improved."
Abu Dhabi's Khalid Al Qassimi and Michael Orr finished 13th in the team's other Focus RS WRC. "I wanted to learn over the course of this rally, and I feel I have achieved this. I had little experience in these conditions, but as the rally progressed I have grown in confidence. There were some surprises on the stages, some tight corners and good action, but I enjoyed it," said Al Qassimi.
BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson hailed Hirvonen's victory. "His drive on the second leg yesterday was by far his best performance in the way he managed both the day and, particularly, his tyres. He is putting his experience to good use. He has progressed steadily over the years to the point that he is now beating the world's best driver. Jari-Matti played the perfect support role to Mikko and I could not have imagined a better start to the season," he said.
Ford of Europe motorsport chief Gerard Quinn said: "It was important to get out of the starting blocks quickly this year and that's exactly what we achieved with a thoroughly professional performance from the whole team in the most arduous working conditions. We lead both championships and this victory puts Ford within one win of becoming the sport's most successful manufacturer."
News from other Ford teams
Stobart M-Sport Ford's Henning Solberg and Ilka Minor finished sixth in a Focus RS WRC, one place ahead of team-mates Matthew Wilson and Scott Martin. Returning double world champion Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen were 21st after a troubled rally, but nevertheless claimed manufacturers' championship points for the team.
Next round
The championship switches to gravel next month for the first of four rounds outside Europe. Rally Mexico is based in León on 4 - 7 March.
Final positions
1. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 09min 30.4sec
2. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 3hr 10min 12.7sec
3. J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 10min 45.8sec
4. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 3hr 12min 12.0sec
5. S Ogier/J Ingrassia FRA Citroen C4 3hr 13min 45.7sec
6. H Solberg/I Minor NOR Ford Focus RS 3hr 15min 23.8sec
7. M Wilson/S Martin GBR Ford Focus RS 3hr 17min 24.3sec
8. M Østberg/J Andersson NOR Subaru Impreza 3hr 18min 52.6sec
9. P Solberg/P Mills NOR Citroen C4 3hr 19min 47.9sec
10 P-G Andersson/A Fredriksson SWE Skoda Fabia 3hr 21min 49.3sec
Drivers
1. M Hirvonen 25pts
2. S Loeb 18pts
3. J-M Latvala 15pts
4. D Sordo 12pts
5. S Ogier 10pts
6. H Solberg 8pts
Manufacturers
1. BP Ford Abu Dhabi 40pts
2. Citroen Total 30pts
3. Citroen Junior 14pts
4. Stobart M-Sport Ford 14pts
Ford's record-breaking Focus RS World Rally Car begins a remarkable 12th season as the company's challenger in the FIA World Rally Championship in Sweden next week. The car, which won back-to-back manufacturers' world titles in 2006 and 2007 and secured Ford's longest winning run in the WRC with five successive victories last season, will carry the title hopes of the BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team for a final time as the 2010 season blasts into action at Rally Sweden (11 - 14 February).
New regulations for 2011 will see the Focus RS WRC replaced by a new car based on the highly successful Ford Fiesta road car. Before then drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen and team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila will bid to add to the Focus RS WRC's tally of 41 wins and an unbroken points-scoring record of 119 consecutive rallies, which dates back to the start of the 2002 season.
Hirvonen, runner-up in the 2009 drivers' standings, and Latvala are big fans of Rally Sweden, the only pure winter rally in the 13-round series and one of the most specialised of the year. Organisers predict the coldest event for 20 years, with temperatures forecast to plunge below -25ºC. That should ensure perfect conditions in the barren countryside of the Värmland region of central Sweden for Ford's Finns to display their winter driving talents.
The cold places huge demands on man and machine. Keeping the Focus RS WRCs at peak performance level in such unrelenting cold requires huge resolve and determination from mechanics forced to work outside in the snow. But for the drivers, a winter wonderland where skinny studded tyres, anti-snow glare glasses and heated driving boots are 'de rigueur', it could not be better.
Tungsten-tipped steel studs protruding from Pirelli's narrow winter tyres bite into the icy surface to provide amazing grip and, paradoxically, this is one of the fastest rounds of the year. Drivers are also able to 'lean' their cars against the solid snow banks that line the forest tracks to guide them around corners and extract the extra speed that can make all the difference between winning and losing.
Twenty-nine-year-old Hirvonen is a Sweden veteran. This is his seventh start, with his best result coming in the rally's last appearance in the championship in 2008 when he was second. He is confident the experience gained from last year's epic drivers' title battle will help in the new campaign.
"On occasions I wasn't brave enough to make the decisions I needed to with my car set-up or to drive more aggressively," he said. "I've learned from that and this year there will be no second thoughts. The difference between myself and the title winner last year was a single point. That translates to tiny decisions on the stages but it's those small things that make the difference between winning and coming second, and when you're brave enough to take the chances, you can feel the difference.
"Sweden is a great rally for me to start the year. A driver can be more free in the snow because there is no need to be quite so precise with driving lines as on gravel or asphalt. You can carry more speed into the corners and use the snow banks to guide the car round. The grip is incredible. If the ice is slightly soft then the studded tyres bite really well and it's a crazy feeling to drive so fast in such slippery conditions, knowing there is as much grip as on a gravel road," he added.
Latvala claimed his maiden WRC win in Sweden in 2008 and the 24-year-old is refreshed and raring to go after more than three months since the end of the 2009 season. "I love driving in the snow and I would like to think a top three result is a realistic target. But my priority throughout this year will be to finish each rally in a strong points-scoring position to ensure the team scores well on each event and to help Mikko with his challenge for the drivers' title," he said.
"Sweden is one of my favourite rounds and one of the most spectacular in the championship. If you think about snow, the expectation is that it will be slippery, but the studs provide grip that can be better than on gravel roads. However, it's easy to become carried away and push too hard, and then the car can end up buried in a snow bank. The banks also provide a safety net. If you enter a corner too fast, you can 'lean' the car onto them to guide it around, so it can be a forgiving rally," he added.
Abu Dhabi's Khalid Al Qassimi and Michael Orr will drive a third Focus RS WRC for the team. "The first WRC rally of the year is always a really exciting time and I can't wait to get started. These are exciting times for Abu Dhabi's rally programme and I hope we can kick it all off with a strong performance in the snow next week and start as we mean to go on," said 37-year-old Al Qassimi.
Team News
* Tyre partner Pirelli will provide its Sottozero winter tyre, which will be available with 7mm studs to penetrate the snow and bite into the ice beneath. The tyre was designed in a wider format than is usual for a winter pattern to enable teams to use it with the standard 15-inch wheel rims used on all other loose surface rounds of the championship. The tread blocks are spread slightly wider as a result. Teams are not allowed to hand-carve additional cuts into the rubber in the event of heavy snow and each car can carry two spares.
* The team will complete a four-day pre-event test on roads near Kall in northern Sweden on Sunday. Hirvonen will finish his two-day session today (Friday) before a private ski-ing and training session over the weekend. Latvala will take over for Saturday and Sunday.
* More than 31 per cent of the 57 competitors are at the wheel of Ford cars. Twelve Focus RS WRCs are listed, including three Stobart M-Sport Ford cars for Marcus Grönholm / Timo Rautiainen, Henning Solberg / Ilka Minor and Matthew Wilson / Scott Martin. Four Fiesta S2000 crews will start, including three competing in the new S-WRC, and there is also a Fiesta R2 and a Fiesta S2 entered.
Rally Route
Organisers have introduced major changes in a bid to guarantee full snow cover. Karlstad remains the rally base, and each leg starts and finishes there, but the single service park has been moved back to Hagfors to allow more northerly stages to be used in search of true winter conditions. Fifty-seven per cent of the competitive distance has changed since the last running in 2008, although many of the new roads are familiar from previous years. The action begins with a super special stage at Karlstad's trotting track on Thursday evening and the test also ends Friday's opening leg, which journeys to the rally's most northerly point. The second day includes a short test on the edge of Hagfors and the final day is based east of the town. Drivers tackle 21 tests covering 345.15km in a route of 1879.23km.
RALLY SWEDEN
ROUND 1 FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP
11 - 14 February 2010
Thursday 11 February: Day 1 Karlstad - Karlstad
Start Karlstad trotting track 20.00
SS1 SSS Karlstad 1 1.90km 20.04
Finish Karlstad 20.44
Friday 12 February: Day 1 (continued) Karlstad - Karlstad
Start Karlstad 05.30
Serv A Hagfors (15 mins) 06.40
SS2 Likenäs 1 20.78km 08.18
SS3 Viggen 1 21.28km 09.41
SS4 Torntorp 1 19.21km 10.51
Serv B Hagfors (30 mins) 11.41
SS5 Likenäs 2 20.78km 13.34
SS6 Viggen 2 21.28km 14.57
SS7 Torntorp 2 19.21km 16.30
Serv C Hagfors (45 mins) 17.10
SS8 SSS Karlstad 2 1.90km 20.00
Finish Karlstad 20.40
Total 126.34km
Saturday 13 February: Day 2 Karlstad - Karlstad
Start Karlstad 06.00
Serv D Hagfors (15 mins) 07.10
SS9 Vargåsen 1 24.63km 07.58
SS10 Sågen 1 14.23km 09.46
SS11 Fredriksberg 1 18.15km 10.42
SS12 Hagfors Sprint 1 1.87km 11.58
Serv E Hagfors (30 mins) 12.38
SS12 Vargåsen 2 24.63km 13.41
SS13 Sågen 2 14.23km 15.29
SS14 Fredriksberg 2 18.15km 16.25
SS15 Hagfors Sprint 2 1.87km 17.41
Serv F Hagfors (45 mins) 18.11
Finish Karlstad 20.10
Total 117.76km
Sunday 14 February: Day 3 Karlstad - Karlstad
Start Karlstad 05.35
Serv G Hagfors (15 mins) 06.45
SS17 Rämmen 1 21.87km 07.52
SS18 Värmullsåsen 1 23.41km 08.28
Serv H Hagfors (30 mins) 09.19
SS19 Lesjöfors 10.49km 10.49
SS20 Rämmen 2 21.87km 11.21
SS21 Värmullsåsen 2 23.41km 12.58
Serv I Hagfors (10 mins) 13.49
Finish Main Square, Karlstad 15.30
Total 101.05km
Rally total 345.15km
Cork, 29 January 2010 – Mayor of Carrick on Suir, Sylvia Cooney-Sheehan, hosted a Mayoral reception for Craig Breen, local boy turned rally ace, in the Town
Hall today, attended by a wide number of motorsport fans, sponsors and officials.
Just like his father and manager, Ray, Craig is a committed member of the Carrick Motor Club based in Carrick on Suir. All of the members of the club were out in force to see one of their own honoured at the reception.
Craig also used the occasion to unveil his newly purchased Ford Fiesta S2000 which he will use on all of his 2010 competitive events including several rounds of the WRC Cup. Co-developed between Ford Motor Company and its rally partner, M-Sport, in Cumbria, England, the Ford Fiesta S2000 was launched in November 2009. It made its competitive debut when BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen drove it to victory in the IRC Monte Carlo Rally last weekend.
“I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of my new S2000 in a competitive event”, said Craig. “I have done a number of test runs in the car and it is the best car I have driven to date. I am sure it will help me in my ambition to get to the highest levels of rallying”.
Also in attendance at today’s reception for Craig was Ford of Europe’s Motorsport Director, Cork-born Gerard Quinn. “Craig Breen is a young man with a great future in rallying and we are delighted that he has chosen our new Ford Fiesta S2000”, said Quinn. “The new car is hugely important for Ford as it is our first global rally car and it is the first car to embody the sleek kinetic design features of Ford’s road cars”.
Craig is a native of Slieverue in Waterford and the talented 19 year old (who turns 20 next week) has had a short but hugely successful career in rallying. In 2009 alone, Craig had a string of successes in his previous car, a Ford Fiesta ST: Irish Fiesta Sport Trophy Champion; UK Fiesta
Sport Trophy Champion; International (WRC) Fiesta Sport Trophy Champion; winner of the National Junior Rally Championship; crowned Young Driver of the Year by Motorsport Ireland and thus, received the 2009 Billy Coleman Award; and winner of the Fiesta Sport Trophy International Shootout.
As a result of winning the Fiesta Sport Trophy International Shootout, Craig won a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to gain hands-on experience with a top level World Rally team, through a 12-month employment contract with M-Sport – the company chosen by Ford to provide the technical support for the BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team. As part of his prize Craig is also provided with an apartment at M-Sport’s Cumbria HQ and a car for the year. He will have the chance to experience working in a number of different areas of the M-Sport team, travelling to the European WRC events with the BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team, attending press functions and driving at PR events. This will provide valuable experience to one of rallying’s brightest prospects for the future.
Craig was in action in his new Fiesta S2000 at the National Forestry Championship Test Day in Cork on Saturday January 30.
23 January 2010 – Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen today won the legendary Monte Carlo Rally in the new M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000 rally car after leading from start to finish on its competitive debut.
Ford's official FIA World Rally Championship team drivers mastered treacherous winter conditions in the mountains of southern France to reach the finish at Monaco's famous harbour with a 1min 51.4sec advantage.
The Fiesta S2000 has been developed by Ford's rally partner, M-Sport, and the five-day Monte Carlo Rally offered the toughest of debuts. However, the car never missed a beat over 405.01km of competition, to provide a perfect start to the 2010 campaign for Hirvonen and Lehtinen.
The expertise of the Finns, runners-up in the 2009 world championship, proved invaluable behind the wheel of the exciting new Fiesta S2000. The rally also provided them with an ideal warm-up for the forthcoming WRC season, which begins in Sweden next month.
The Monte Carlo Rally was the opening round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC), for which M-Sport is a registered contender, and delighted company boss Malcolm Wilson watched live television coverage of the closing kilometres in the service park as Hirvonen safely guided the Fiesta S2000 to victory.
Snow and ice littered the mountain roads in the Ardèche and Alpes-Maritimes regions and grip levels constantly changed in the slippery conditions. However, Pirelli's tyres were a match for the weather and Hirvonen didn't make a single mistake over the 15 speed tests.
"The Monte Carlo Rally is one of the world's great rallies and it's a big thrill to win here," said 29-year-old Hirvonen. "It was a long, hard event and the conditions made the challenge even tougher. This car is brand new to competition but everything worked perfectly from the first kilometre. That's a tribute to the whole team, and particularly the people who put in so much effort over the last two weeks.
"To start the season with a win is a big confidence boost. I enjoy the winning feeling and I want to carry on like this when the WRC starts next month in Sweden," added Hirvonen.
M-Sport managing director Wilson said: "It's a dream debut for our new Fiesta S2000. We led from the first stage to the last and didn't experience a single problem, which is hugely encouraging for a new car. Mikko drove at exactly the pace he needed to win and his feedback will be crucial in our further development of the Fiesta.
"I would also like to thank the team at M-Sport, which has put so much effort and commitment into turning this car from a blank sheet of paper into a Monte Carlo Rally winner in just nine months," added Wilson.
Gerard Quinn, Ford of Europe's motorsport chief, said: "I'm delighted to see the Ford Fiesta S2000 winning such a prestigious event as the Monte Carlo Rally. The fact the car won its debut rally is a testament to the continued strong relationship between Ford and M-Sport and the companies share great technical expertise in developing rally cars. The strength and reliability so evident in the Fiesta road car have provided the perfect base from which to develop the Fiesta S2000."
