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Loeb wins in Spain

Citroen’s pairing of Sebastién Loeb and Daniel Elena took outright victory over the smooth tarmac roads in Rally RACC Catalunya, closing to be within one point of the lead in the drivers’ World Rally Championship (WRC) title behind Ford’s Mikko Hirvonen.

The 11th and penultimate round for 2009, Loeb’s Citroen Total World Rally Team took victory in the final day having trailed team-mate Dani Sordo by a narrow 1.5 seconds after the first two days. Sordo, in the second Citroen C4 finished second to head off current WRC title leader Hirvonen and co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen (Ford Focus), allowing Loeb to take the maximum ten points.

Citroen’s one-two in Spain means it retains the FIA World Rally Championship for manufacturers with one round remaining.

“It was important to come first and second here, not only to wrap up the manufacturers' championship but also to keep our chances very much alive for the drivers' title. Everyone did a great job this weekend and both cars ran perfectly. I would like to thank Dani, too, for playing his part as team-mate to the letter.  Had the stakes not been so important this weekend, I am sure the spectators on this year's Rally Catalunya would have treated to a terrific scrap,” said Loeb at the finish.

With 52 classified finishers after the 353 kilometres of flowing competitive road on the Costa Daurada coast south of Barcelona, Hirvonen’s podium was his goal on a surface the Finn least favours.

“I'm a bit disappointed because I wanted second place but third keeps me in the lead of the championship,” said Hirvonen. “It took me longer to get used to asphalt than I would have liked but I learned a lot and I think I now know what I need to do to improve my pace here next year. For the last two days I've driven at a safe speed, at a pace which was sufficient to keep Petter Solberg behind me in fourth. That was the sensible thing to do with the title in mind.”

Rally Spain was the final round of the Junior World Rally Championship (J-WRC) with the fight for second and third placings saw Poland’s Michal Kosciuszko take second in the championship from Martin Prokop who had already won the title at Rally Finland. Netherland’s Hans Weijs Jr., in a Citroën C2 S1600, scored the final round win, the first victory of the 22-year-old’s career.

The hopes of New Zealand rally fans were dashed on the opening day of the rally, when Mark Tapper with co-driver Jeff Judd had the engine in their Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X explode while touring to Friday afternoon’s stages. Tapper had been third overall in the production category, having set leading times during the opening stages.

The WRC teams have two weeks until the final round for 2009 – Wales Rally Great Britain. Held from 23-25 October, it uses a new Cardiff base in Wales. Aside from deciding the WRC drivers’ title fight, it will also be the final round for Tapper in the 2009 Pirelli Star Driver programme.

Results for 2009 Rally Catalunya
1, Loeb/Elena, Citroën C4, 3h22’14’’7
2, Sordo/Marti, Citroën C4, +12’’0
3, Hirvonen/Lehtinen, Ford Focus, +54’’1
4, P. Solberg/Mills, Citroën C4, +1’12’’4
5, Ogier/Ingrassia, Citroën C4, +1’41’’6
6, Latvala/Antilla, Ford Focus, +2’49’’8
7, Wilson/Martin, Ford Focus, +7’15’’5
8, Villagra/Perez Companc, Ford Focus, +8’28’’1
9, H.Solberg/Menkerud, Ford Focus, + 9’07’’6
10, Snobeck/Mondésir, Peugeot 307, +10’56’’0

FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers (after 11 of 12 rounds)
1, M Hirvonen, 84pts
2, S Loeb, 83pts
3, D Sordo, 58pts
4, J-M Latvala, 39pts
5, P Solberg, 30pts
6, H Solberg, 29pts

FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers (after 11 of 12 rounds)
1, Citroen Total,    151pts
2, BP Ford Abu Dhabi, 130pts
3, Stobart VK M-Sport Ford, 73pts
4, Citroen Junior, 42pts
5, Munchi's Ford, 23pts