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Back to August 2011 Motorsports News Archive
| 01-08-2011 at 08:00: Loeb’s Stunning Finland Victory | |
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Driving a Citroen DS3 WRC for the factory Citroen Total team, Loeb battled throughout to beat the disadvantage of running first on the road and having to sweep the gravel surface for his rivals in the eighth round of the WRC. He won by 8.1 seconds from Finnish driver Jari-Matti Latvala of the Ford Abu Team, with Citroen teammate Sebastien Ogier a further 4.7 sec. adrift after contesting 22 Special Stages since the Thursday night start. “It feels very good,” Loeb said after his fourth win of the season. “For sure it was a very difficult race with the other drivers dropping behind me to make me clean the road. But finally we won and in the end it was a big relief and maybe the best win of my career.” Undoubtedly Loeb’s 66th career win, scored alongside co-driver Daniel Elena in the country regarded as the home of forest rallying, was one of his most prestigious. He became the first non-Nordic driver to win twice in the 60-year history of the high-speed event known formerly as the Rally of 1000 Lakes and unofficially as the “gravel grand prix”. Teams now head for the all-bitumen ADAC Rallye Deutschland where Loeb, having won the past eight events, stands a good chance of moving closer to surpassing Formula 1’s Michael Schumacher as the driver with the most world championships on four wheels. And just three weeks later the WRC’s epic motorsport adventure will land in the New South Wales Coffs Coast for Rally Australia, with Loeb looking to make amends for losing the 2009 event over a mechanical infringement. Loeb began the final day of Rally Finland with a 1.5 sec. lead over Ogier but feared he would drop time cleaning the surface gravel, which would make the roads faster for his rivals behind. However, overnight rain mitigated the effects and he was able to extend his margin with a staggering display on stages 12 and 13. Loeb still faced a tough fight but when Ogier picked up a puncture on stage 17, he was almost clear despite Ford’s Jari-Matti Latvala cutting his advantage to less than 10 sec. in the closing stages. Latvala began the final day 2.6 sec. behind leader Loeb in third position but his efforts to move ahead were hampered by a lack of traction at the rear of his car. Adjustments during a service break solved the problem and the Finn was able to mount a late attack, taking second place from Ogier on stage 18. “It was a tough weekend and I woke up a little bit too late. Of course it’s a disappointment not to win but it’s been a great rally,” said Latvala, who had hoped to repeat his 2010 victory. Ogier could barely hide his disappointment, having been convinced he could take his first Finland win and fourth of the season to cut Loeb’s points lead. “Of course I have not given up but this is not a good result for the championship,” he said. “With my road position today I should play for the victory but it was finished after the puncture.” Mikko Hirvonen started the first of Saturday’s 11 stages in sixth place and almost one minute behind fourth-placed Petter Solberg. But a combination of Hirvonen’s pace – he was fastest on eight stages – and differential problems for a lacklustre Solberg allowed the Finn to snatch fourth in the second factory Fiesta. Hirvonen, who hails from the rally base at Jyvaskyla in central Finland, was frustrated not to have challenged for first place following his crash into a tree on stage one on Thursday evening. However, he was fastest on the Power Stage to bag three bonus championship points. Solberg was a disconsolate fifth with Mads Ostberg impressing at the wheel of his M-Sport Stobart Fiesta. “I am very happy because we were able to mix it with the big five on this rally,” said Ostberg, who wore a black armband in memory of the victims of the twin terror attack in his country a week before. Engine overheating forced Mini WRC Team bosses to retire Kris Meeke and Dani Sordo before the finish. Both drivers had been on course for the top 10 before they hit trouble. Results – Neste Oil Rally Finland, WRC Round 8 of 13: 1 S. Loeb (Citroen, France) 2 J-M Latvala (Ford, Finland) +8.1 sec. behind next driver 3 S. Ogier (Citroen, France) +4.7 sec 4 M. Hirvonen (Ford, Finland) +56.3 sec. 5 P. Solberg (Ford, Norway) +7.1 sec.
WRC Drivers standings after Rd 8: 1 S. Loeb 171 points 2 M. Hirvonen 144 3 S. Ogier 140 4 J. Latvala 96 5 P. Solberg 83
WRC Manufacturers standings after Rd 8: 1 Citroen Total World Rally Team 290 points 2 BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team 225 3 Stobart M-Sport Ford Rally Team 101 4 Petter Solberg World Rally Team 71 5 Ice 1 Racing 38 |
French driver Sebastien Loeb tightened his grip on a potential eighth straight Word Rally Championship with a victory he described as “maybe the best of my career” in Neste Oil Rally Finland overnight.^ Back to top ^
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