Rally Ireland proved more than just your average tarmac event this weekend; as rain, road imperfections and mud-layered surfaces characterised much of what could be considered the toughest rally of its kind on the WRC calendar
Citroën’s Sebastien Loeb, WRC tarmac rally expert, snatched up the number one spot this weekend just like he has done on all asphalt surfaces this season. The ‘Gunslinger’ as Loeb is known, had a similarly hard time in Japan, although he failed to capitalise there after a crash and this time was aided by championship rival Marcus Gronholm retiring on day one.
Even if Gronholm were to win the upcoming Rally of Great Britain, Loeb now only has to place fifth overall in the gravel event to clinch the Drivers’ Championship for a fourth time, thus equalling Tommi Makinen’s record number of Drivers’ titles. Nevertheless, after Gronholm was left out of the equation, Loeb looked dominant throughout the event.
“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,” said Loeb.
Dani Sordo, Loeb’s Spanish teammate, came in second to ensure the one-two for Citroën Total World Rally Team. “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,” noted Sordo.
Although the Citroëns were dominant this weekend, BP-Ford have something to celebrate, as it needed just three points to secure the Manufacturers’ crown. Mikko Hirvonen worked hard to remain in the top five after Gronholm dropped out and by the end of the last day, Hirvonen claimed a fourth overall, and more importantly dropped those few points in the standings that clinched the title for the BP-Ford team.
Jari-Matti Latvala finished in third place, and his highest-ranked privateer team Stobart M-Sport, also sits third in the manufacturers standings … for now, as only one point separates Stobart and Subaru as they head into the last event of the season.
All heads now turn to the season finale in Wales, as the Rally of Great Britain looms in two weeks time and holds lots of promise for 33-year old Loeb, who only needs to concentrate on finishing close to podium, while Gronholm might have to pull a few rabbits out of the hat for victory. Hirvonen will be tasked with keeping in between the two, while Sordo will have to make sure he doesn’t stand in the way of a fifth place finish for his team mate…
Manufacturers’ standings
1. BP-Ford World Rally Team 194 pts
2. Citroën Total World Rally Team 173 pts
3. Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team 80 pts
4. Subaru World Rally Team 79 pts
5. OMV Kronos Citroën World Rally Team 43 pts
6. Munchi’s Ford Rally Team 14 pts
Drivers’ standings
1. S. Loeb 110 pts
2. M. Gronholm 104 pts
3. M. Hirvonen 89 pts
4. D. Sordo 61 pts
5. P. Solberg 42 pts
6. H. Solberg 34 pts
