Result - Rally Ireland.

[kam_baker]

Sebastien Loeb wins the Rally Ireland - 53.4 seconds up on his team-mate, Daniel Sordo; Jari-Matti Latvala completes the podium...

Overall times after SS20 / Leg 3 - Top 20:

1. Sebastien Loeb Citroen Total WRT C4 WRC 3hours 01mins 39.2secs M
2. Daniel Sordo Citroen Total WRT C4 WRC +00mins 53.4secs M
3. Jari-Matti Latvala Stobart Ford Focus WRC 06 +01mins 48.2secs M
4. Mikko Hirvonen BP Ford Focus RS WRC 07 +02mins 17.7secs M
5. Petter Solberg Subaru WRT Impreza WRC 2007 +02mins 55.8secs M
6. Guy Wilks Subaru Impreza +05mins 57.6secs
7. Matthew Wilson Stobart Ford Focus WRC 06 +10mins 04.9secs
8. Gareth MacHale Ford Focus RS WRC +11mins 08.3secs
9. Andreas Mikkelsen Ramsport Ford Focus RS WRC +13mins 08.2secs
10. Niall McShea Subaru Impreza +16mins 32.1secs P
11. Gabriel Pozzo Mitsubishi Lancer Evo +17mins 16.2secs P
12. Aaron MacHale Ford Focus WRC #26 +17mins 38.9secs
13. Richard Cathcart Subaru Impreza +18mins 58.0secs N4
14. Jasper Van Den Heuvel Mitsubishi Evo +19mins 48.2secs N4
15. Khalid Al-Qassimi BP Ford Focus RS WRC 06 +20mins 49.2secs
16. Henning Solberg Stobart Ford Focus WRC 06 +20mins 59.2secs M
17. Nasser Al-Attiyah Subaru Impreza +21mins 03.2secs P
18. Simone Campedelli Mitsubishi Lancer Evo +23mins 08.0secs P
19. Garry Jennings Mitsubishi Evo +23mins 43.4secs N4
20. Stepan Vojtech Mitsubishi Lancer Evo +25mins 06.2secs P
Other:
41. Chris Atkinson Subaru WRT Impreza WRC 2007 +44mins 49.3secs M

Overall PWRC after SS20 / Leg 3:

1. Niall McShea Subaru Impreza 3hours 18mins 11.3secs P
2. Gabriel Pozzo Mitsubishi Lancer Evo +00mins 44.1secs P
3. Nasser Al-Attiyah Subaru Impreza +04mins 31.1secs P
4. Simone Campedelli Mitsubishi Lancer Evo +06mins 35.9secs P
5. Stepan Vojtech Mitsubishi Lancer Evo +08mins 34.1secs P
6. Fumio Nutahara Mitsubishi Lancer Evo +09mins 21.5secs P
7. Colm Murphy Subaru Impreza +09mins 23.3secs P
8. Phillip Morrow Mitsubishi Lancer Evo +10mins 35.6secs P
9. Yassen Popov Mitsubishi Lancer +16mins 52.4secs P
10. Stuart Jones Mitsubishi Lancer Evo +19mins 59.4secs P
11. Alan Ring Subaru Impreza +27mins 25.8secs P

Notable retirements:

SS4. Eugene Donnelly Reid Motorsport Skoda Fabia WRC Mechanical.
SS4. Marcus Gronholm BP Ford Focus RS WRC 07 Went off the road. M
SS4. Xavier Pons Subaru WRT Impreza WRC 2006 Engine.
SS7. Andreas Aigner Mitsubishi Lancer Evo Went off the road. P
SS8. Henning Solberg Stobart Ford Focus WRC 06 Went off the road. M*
SS9. Kris Meeke Subaru Impreza Mechanical.
SS11. Andrew Nesbitt Subaru Impreza Went off the road.
SS11. Gareth Jones Stobart Ford Focus WRC 04 Mechanical.
SS11. Ray Breen Stobart Ford Focus WRC 04 Went off the road.
SS12. Tim McNulty Subaru Impreza S11 Mechanical.
SS13. Manfred Stohl OMV Kronos Citroen Xsara WRC Went off the road. M
SS16. Mark Higgins Mitsubishi Lancer Evo Rolled. P
SS16. Leszek Kuzaj Subaru Impreza Mechanical. P
SS16/17. Chris Atkinson Subaru WRT Impreza WRC 2007 Engine M*
SS17. Patrik Flodin Subaru Impreza Mechancial. P
SS19. Armindo Araujo Mitsubishi Lancer Evo Went off the road. P

Sebastien Loeb [Citroen Total WRT]:

“We had an early scare with a damper on the run-out to SS2, so the start of the rally was quite stressful. However, we soon found ourselves in a strong position to win and consequently boost our chances in the fight for the Drivers' title. It was an opportunity we couldn't afford to let pass by. The biggest challenge over these very difficult stages was finding a pace that enabled us to stay in control while at the same time making the most of the speed of our C4 WRC. It wasn't easy and I am so happy to have won here in Sligo today."

Daniel Sordo [Citroen Total WRT]:

"It was more of a mud rally than an asphalt event. There were so many potential pitfalls and it was by no means simple. Our C4 went extremely well in the conditions, though, and enabled us to secure our fourth consecutive podium finish."

Jari-Matti Latvala [Stobart M-Sport Ford WRT]:

“It's an amazing feeling to be on the podium especially on a tarmac rally. I have tried so hard all year and this result has given me a massive boost. I have come very close before, most recently in Japan, but to get this result here has more than made up for it. The conditions were so difficult here and I knew before the rally that it was going to be a hard one but I have driven sensibly and it has been a very strong performance from both myself and Miikka. Now I am looking forward to Rally GB where we will be back on gravel; we had a great result on this rally last year so hopefully we can repeat this again.”

Mikko Hirvonen [BP Ford WRT]:

"It was a difficult weekend. I had to keep reminding myself to drive cautiously but I did the job that was required and it's fantastic for the team to win the title. I'm so pleased for everyone, they deserve it. It's hard to drive at less than flat out pace and find a rhythm but I had to do that because I wanted these points so badly. For some reason it feels better than our first win last year. I expected this to be a tough rally because the roads here are so narrow and bumpy. The rain made it even harder and this is definitely the most difficult asphalt round of the season."

Petter Solberg [Subaru WRT]:

“It's been the most difficult rally I have ever done I think, but it's been quite enjoyable. It's been very special for Phil and me as you have to really work properly together as a team to get through this rally, and we have finished with no mistakes at all. The car is working better and we have had some good stage times, so it has been quite a good event for us. The result is not what we hoped, but we will now really, really work hard for Wales Rally GB.”

Guy Wilks [Subaru Impreza]:

[Speaking after SS18] "I am just driving at a comfortable pace today - the gap is too big to chase."

Matthew Wilson [Stobart M-Sport Ford WRT]:

“It is a fantastic feeling to get to the end of this rally which has been a real race of attrition. Some of my times over the weekend could have been better but when things were working well I posted some good times. It was such a difficult event and I was always concentrating on getting to the finish and not making any major mistakes; and its mega to claim more driver points. The last stage of the rally was amazing and the organisers need to be congratulated for an overall excellent event.”

Gareth MacHale [Ford Focus WRC]:

"I am delighted after the time loss - getting from 26th to top 8 is unbelievable. It was such a great rally, so well-run and the volume of spectators at each stage was out of this world. Friday was the most difficult day, with the muck on the roads being a real hindrance. I enjoyed the Saturday stages the most. To get a WRC point at home though is just brilliant. Ireland has really proved that it can stage an event such as this."

Henning Solberg [Stobart M-Sport Ford WRT]:

“This has been a difficult weekend for me but to claim some manufacturer points and help move the team up to third makes it worthwhile. We struggled in the muddy conditions but when the grip was constant I actually set some pretty good times and this has probably been my best feeling with the car on tarmac. Göran has done a fantastic job here but after my mistake on Friday we were really just cruising to the finish. This is my third new event in a row and I have scored manufacturer points on all three so I'm happy with this achievement.”

Khalid Al Qassimi [BP Ford WRT]:

“What an event! Conditions here were incredible. The roads were more slippery than anything I have encountered before. Congratulations to Marcus, Mikko and the whole team for claiming the Manufacturers' title, It has been an amazing experience watching them in action and I'm looking forward to linking-up with Mikko again next year. I'm sure that Marcus will also stay close to the WRC family because he has been such an amazing ambassador for the sport.

“For me, this season has been about gaining experience and learning the car and the various surfaces I've had to contend with in my four events. I have a lot more WRC events next season, and I would like to again extend my gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon, the ADTA Chairman, everyone in the Authority and of course all of my fans in the UAE who have given me the confidence to represent Abu Dhabi in the WRC. It is a tremendous honour and one that fills me with pride. I hope I have made everyone proud of Abu Dhabi, and I'll be going into next season determined to keep on spreading the name of the UAE capital and representing my country to the best of my ability.”

Notable retirements:

Marcus Gronholm [BP Ford WRT]: [retired from event in SS4 - crashed out]

"The accident happened near the finish on a wide, right corner. I braked for the bend but it was extremely slippery and the car skated off the road. I managed to turn it sideways before hitting a stone wall hard. It was a big, big impact because the car stopped immediately. Both wheels on my side of the car were pulled off. We were taken to hospital where we were both given a scan but that showed no problems. My neck is sore but otherwise I'm OK. It will be hard to lift the drivers' championship if Sébastien Loeb wins this weekend, but there are a lot of kilometres remaining here and on the final round in Great Britain so I'm not giving up yet."

[Speaking on Sunday] "While I am naturally still disappointed not to have finished the rally, I'm so pleased for Mikko and Jarmo who really did a fantastically cool job in securing the vital points [so that Ford could secure the manufacturers']"

Xavier Pons [Subaru WRT]: [retired from event in SS4 - crashed out]

“My car left the road on SS4, on a right hand corner about 5km from the start. It was a wide piece of road, not particularly bumpy or muddy, but we had too much speed and the car under-steered straight on and hit a bank. I got going again, but the oil-cooler had been damaged in the impact and after a couple of kilometres the oil warning lit up on the dashboard and I had to stop. There was a little fire in the engine bay, which we quickly extinguished, and that was it – we could go no further. It's a big shame because this is a very special rally, with completely different stages, and I wanted to get more experience here.”

Henning Solberg [Stobart M-Sport Ford WRT]: [retired from leg 1 in SS8 – crashed out - re-started under SupeRally on day 2]

“I am really disappointed with how today ended up for us, we were going really well up until that stage and the feeling was very good. I clipped a rock on the apex of a corner which bounced the car back over the road and down a bank. My tarmac experience is limited and the muddy conditions make it even worse for me here. This is another new rally for me and learning the conditions is very important so hopefully we can re-start tomorrow and gain more experience of this event.”

Manfred Stohl [OMV Kronos Citroen WRT]: [retired from event in SS13 – went off the road]

“Our pace note was ‘crest full – 60 metres – crest into right three'. That unfortunately was much too fast, the right turn proved impossible to take. That was the end of the rally. I am extremely sad for the team. The fault was in the notes and definitely not in the reading. I did have troubles writing the notes in the first place since, like many other drivers, I judged things much faster than they can actually be driven. Now all that could help us salvage a rather modest season would be an absolute top result in Wales. And I will definitely try my very best.”

Team principals:

Guy Frequelin [Citroen Total WRT - team principal]:

"I am over the moon with today's one-two. When preparing for this event, we realised it had all the makings of being a tough one. Nobody had seen anything like the Irish stages before but we succeeded in adapting and finding the solutions required for a good run over these highly specific, narrow, fast and bumpy roads. And if their profile didn't make them demanding enough, the wet weather resulted in running water, mud being dragged onto the surface and even fog. It was a huge challenge but everyone at Citroën Sport came through it with flying colours.
"Sébastien and Daniel's victory puts them in a favourable position. To sew up the title, Seb and Daniel now only need to score four points if Marcus Grönholm wins in Wales; that's equivalent to fifth place. I also want to congratulate Dani and Marc on their remarkable performance this weekend. Our third one-two of the year on asphalt speaks volumes for the C4 WRC's potential. We have succeeded in winning every one of this year's sealed surface events in conditions ranging from dry and smooth to muddy and bumpy."

Malcolm Wilson [Stobart M-Sport Ford WRT - team boss]:

“This is the best ever result for a Stobart car and a dominating performance by Jari on tarmac. He approached this rally in a meticulous manner and never lost his focus on the extremely demanding stages. It's also impressive for the team to move into third place in the manufacturers' championship, the Stobart team are now a force to be reckoned with and to have two Ford teams in the top three places demonstrates how the Stobart crews have backed up the BP-Ford team all year. Matthew has also impressed me and has again scored more driver points on an event where many other experienced drivers made mistakes.”

Andrew Tinkler [Stobart Group CEO]:

“It has been a fantastic weekend for the team and the way that all three drivers have performed on this difficult event has been amazing. Jari has shown great potential this year, especially on tarmac, and Matthew has clocked up another great result after his fourth place in Japan. To move ahead of Subaru in the manufacturers' championship is a great credit to the team and the guys are all fired up for Rally GB to try and maintain this lead. To see a Stobart car on the podium is a great achievement and Jari must be congratulated for his determination and performance on this event.”

Malcolm Wilson [BP Ford WRT - team director]:

"It's a fantastic feeling to win again. Nothing will surpass our 2006 title but back-to-back world championships sends out a message about how strong we are as a team. To win with one event remaining is amazing. We've had so much support from the drivers and the entire team, and thanks to Ford for its magnificent backing. Mikko did a perfect job this weekend. After Marcus' retirement, Mikko fully understood the role he had to play this weekend and he did it to perfection."

Jost Capito [Ford Team RS director]:

"After last year's title success we knew we had to raise our game in 2007 if we wanted to defend it. The reigning champions become the target of all their rivals and it is an old adage in sport that is harder to defend a title than it is to win it in the first place. It gives me great pride to reflect on this achievement and see the confidence throughout the team. I would like to thank Marcus, Timo, Mikko and Jarmo for their leadership. Their passion has inspired everyone in the team to give their very best to help Ford take rallying's crown again."

Richard Taylor [Subaru WRT - managing director]:

“Our results here have been disappointing however we have made some positive steps with chassis development for the future. Petter and Chris have scored manufacturers' championship points keeping up a close competition for third overall as we head to Wales Rally GB.”

Didier Martin [BFGoodrich rally technician with Subaru WRT]:

“This was our last tarmac rally with Subaru, and certainly the most difficult. We've re-cut so many tyres this weekend, and each time removed about 20kg of rubber from them. All drivers used the g-Force Profiler extra soft compound (a dry asphalt tyre), and the g-Force Profiler H, a rain tyre we didn't test before the event and on which Chris won SS14. In summary of the sealed-surface season, the Subaru drivers have set some fastest times in Monte-Carlo, Germany and Ireland; three events we tackled with very soft compounds. The challenge was different in Spain and Corsica than here in Ireland with rough asphalt. With only one year together we didn't get the time to fully develop the partnership between the Impreza and the g-Force Profiler for the most demanding asphalt. Nevertheless, we were capable of fighting with Ford and Citroën this year on sealed surface, which is a positive point."

Matthieu Bonardel [BFGoodrich - rally manager]:

"We all feared this would be an awesome rally and it certainly lived up to its promise. The drivers had to contend with greasy, extremely wet conditions and grip that varied frequently from one corner to another. Pre-event testing was not permitted in Ireland, so we had to base ourselves on our findings on rounds of the country's national championship to produce the best suited products. The g-Force Profiler H rain tyre had not been used so far this year but it was in its element here. I would like to say a big bravo to Ford for their second Manufacturers' title and to Jari-Matti Latvala for his first world class podium."

World Rally Drivers' Championship (after 15 of 16 rounds):

1. Sebastien Loeb Citroen Total WRT C4 WRC 110 points M
2. Marcus Gronholm BP Ford Focus RS WRC 06 104 points M
3. Mikko Hirvonen BP Ford Focus RS WRC 06 89 points M
4. Daniel Sordo Citroen Total WRT C4 WRC 61 points M
5. Petter Solberg Subaru WRT Impreza WRC 2006 42 points M
6. Henning Solberg Stobart Ford Focus WRC 06 34 points M
7. Jari-Matti Latvala Stobart Ford Focus WRC 06 30 points M
8. Chris Atkinson Subaru WRT Impreza WRC 2006 29 points M
9. Francois Duval OMV Kronos Citroen Xsara WRC 12 points M
= Manfred Stohl OMV Kronos Citroen Xsara WRC 12 points M
11. Toni Gardemeister Astra-PH Sport Citroen Xsara WRC 10 points
= Jan Kopecky Czech RT-Skoda Fabia WRC 10 points
13. Daniel Carlsson OMV Kronos Citroen Xsara WRC 9 points M
14. Matthew Wilson Stobart Ford Focus WRC 06 8 points
15. Gigi Galli Aimont Citroen Xsara WRC 5 points
16. Xavier Pons Subaru WRT Impreza WRC 2006 4 points
= Luis Perez Companc Munchi's Ford Focus WRC 06 4 points M
18. Urmo Aava Mitsubishi Lancer WRC05 3 points
= Guy Wilks Subaru Impreza 3 points
20. Federico Villagra Munchi's Ford Focus WRC 06 2 points M
21. Juho Hanninen MMSP Mitsubishi Lancer WRC05 1 point
= Mads Ostberg Adapt Subaru Impreza WRC 1 point
= Katsuhiko Taguchi Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 1 point
= Gareth MacHale Ford Focus RS WRC 1 point

World Rally Manufacturers' Championship (after 15 of 16 rounds):

1. BP Ford WRT 194 points
2. Citroen Total WRT 173 points
3. Stobart M-Sport Ford RT 80 points
4. Subaru WRT 79 points
5 OMV Kronos Citroen WRT 43 points
6. Munchi's Ford WRT 14 points

Production Car World Rally Championship (for drivers) (after 7 of 8 rounds):

1. Toshi Arai Subaru Impreza 39 points
2. Gabriel Pozzo Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 30 points
3. Niall McShea Subaru Impreza 21 points
4. Mark Higgins Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 19 points
5. Fumio Nutahara Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 13 points
6. Kristian Sohlberg Subaru Impreza WRX 12 points
= Nasser Al-Attiyah Subaru Impreza 12 points
8. Mirco Baldacci Subaru Impreza 11 points
9. Oscar Svedlund Subaru Impreza WRX 10 points
= Federico Villagra Mitsubishi 10 points
= Andreas Aigner Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10 points
= Juho Hanninen Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10 points
13. Anton Alen Subaru Impreza 8 points
= Araujo Armindo Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8 points
= Leszek Kuzaj Subaru Impreza 8 points
16. Stepan Vojtech Mitsubishi Lancer 7 points
17. Richard Mason Subaru Impreza 6 points
= Takuma Kamada Subaru Impreza 6 points
= Simone Campedelli Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 point
20. Travis Pastrana Subaru Impreza 4 points
= Marcos Ligato Mitsubishi Evo 4 points
= Evgeniy Vertunov Subaru Impreza 4 points
23. Patrik Flodin Subaru Impreza 3 points
24. Martin Rauam Mitsubishi Lancer 2 point
= Colm Murphy Subaru Impreza 2 points
26. Fabio Frisiero Mitsubishi Lancer 1 point
= Spyros Pavlides Subaru Impreza 1 point
= Yoshio Ikemachi Subaru Impreza 1 point
= Phillip Morrow Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 1 point

Junior Rally Championship (for drivers) (after 7 of 7 rounds):

1. P-G Andersson Suzuki Swift S1600 43 points
2. Urmo Aava Suzuki Swift S1600 38 points
3. Martin Prokop Citroen C2 S1600 34 points
4. Jozef Beres Renault Clio S1600 26 points
5. Jaan Molder Suzuki Swift S1600 20 points
6. Patrik Sandell Renault Clio R3 19 points
7. Aaron Burkart Citroen C2 18 points
8. Conrad Rautenbach Citroen C2 S1600 16 points
9. Yoan Bonato Citroen C2 R2 10 points
10. Andrea Cortinovis Renault Clio 9 points
11. Kalle Pinomaki Renault Clio R3 8 points
12. Michal Kosciuszko Suzuki Swift S1600 6 points
13. Tapio Suominen Suzuki Swift S1600 4 points
= Vilius Rozukas Suzuki Swift S1600 4 points
= Arnaud Augoyard Renault Clio R3 4 points
16. Trond Svenkerud Ford Fiesta ST 3 points
= Shaun Gallager Citroen C2 R2 3 points
= Manuel Rueda Renault Clio R3 3 points
19. Bryan Bouffier Citroen C2 R2 2 points
= Alessandro Bettega Ford Fiesta Super 1600 2 points
21. Aigar Pars Suzuki Swift S1600 1 point