News from our Rivals
Sébastien Loeb (Citroen) claimed his 30th career victory and the first on gravel for the new C4 car. He climbed to second in the drivers’ championship. Team-mate Dani Sordo took fourth behind the BP-Ford duo. Chris Atkinson (Subaru) was fifth on the debut of the new Impreza car, but the Australian was unhappy with his car’s set-up today and was unable to challenge for fourth. Manfred Stohl (Citroen) completed the top six while Stobart VK M-Sport team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Matthew Wilson (Ford) took the final drivers’ points in seventh and eighth. Team-mate Henning Solberg recovered from his first day roll to take the final manufacturers’ point in ninth.
Next round
Rally de Portugal (29 March - 1 April) returns to the championship for the first time since 2001. This fifth round of the series has a new structure and the all-gravel event is based at Vilamoura in the Algarve on Portugal’s southern coast.
Final positions
1. S Loeb/D Elena F Citroen C4 3hr 48min 13.3sec
2. M Grönholm/T Rautiainen FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 49min 09.1sec
3. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 49min 41.0sec
4. D Sordo/M Marti E Citroen C4 3hr 49min 57.0sec
5. C Atkinson/G MacNeall AUS Subaru Impreza 3hr 50min 37.4sec
6. M Stohl/I Minor A Citroen Xsara 3hr 51min 58.8sec
7. J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 52min 24.1sec
8. M Wilson/M Orr GB Ford Focus RS 4hr 00min 35.9sec
9. H Solberg/C Menkerud N Ford Focus RS 4hr 02min 29.0sec
10 M Higgins/S Martin GB Mitsubishi Lancer 4hr 08min 44.5sec
Drivers
1. M Grönholm 32pts
2. S Loeb 28pts
3. M Hirvonen 26pts
4. D Sordo 13pts
5. H Solberg 11pts
6. C Atkinson 10pts
Manufacturers
1. BP-Ford 58pts
2. Citroen Total 43pts
3. Stobart VK M-Sport Ford 19pts
4. Subaru 19pts
5. OMV Kronos Citroen 17pts
Stage Times
Stage 18: 1. Hirvonen 10min 35.8sec; 2. Loeb + 3.9; 3. Grönholm + 5.0; 4. Sordo + 9.4; 5. Latvala + 11.3; 6. Atkinson + 14.8.
Overall: 1. Loeb 3hr 19min 06.7sec; 2. Grönholm + 1:01.9; 3. Hirvonen + 1:34.2; 4. Sordo + 1:40.8; 5. Atkinson + 1:58.6; 6. Stohl + 2:58.7.
Stage 19: 1. Grönholm 15min 12.3sec; 2. Loeb + 1.5; 3. Hirvonen + 4.2; 4. Sordo + 8.3; 5. Latvala + 12.9; 6. Atkinson + 19.6.
Overall: 1. Loeb 3hr 34min 20.5sec; 2. Grönholm + 1:00.4; 3. Hirvonen + 1:36.9; 4. Sordo + 1:47.6; 5. Atkinson + 2:16.7; 6. Stohl + 3:28.8.
Stage 20: 1. Hirvonen 10min 17.6sec; 2. Sordo + 5.2; 3. Grönholm + 7.0; 4. Loeb + 10.1; 5. Latvala + 10.8; 6. Atkinson + 16.8.
Overall: 1. Loeb 3hr 44min 48.2sec; 2. Grönholm + 57.3; 3. Hirvonen + 1:26.8; 4. Sordo + 1:42.7; 5. Atkinson + 2:23.4; 6. Stohl + 3:44.8.
Stage 21: 1. Grönholm 3min 23.6sec; 2. Loeb + 1.5; 3= Atkinson, Stohl + 2.2; 5= Hirvonen, Latvala + 2.4.
Overall: 1. Loeb 3hr 48min 13.3sec; 2. Grönholm + 55.8; 3. Hirvonen + 1:27.7; 4. Sordo + 1:43.7; 5. Atkinson + 2:24.1; 6. Stohl + 3:45.5.
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