News

Penultimate pressure for WRC title contenders

This weekend’s penultimate round of the 2009 World Rally Championship (WRC) in Spain brings real pressure to the top drivers.

The all-tarmac surface makes Rally de España a speciality event that counts against the current series leader Mikko Hirvonen. On 78 points and with a five-point cushion over Citroen’s Sebastién Loeb at the top of the drivers’ standings after ten of the 12 rounds, Ford driver Hirvonen acknowledges the additional pressure he will be under to maintain his position.

“Everyone knows how strong Loeb is on asphalt so I think there’s enough of a fight for me to try to get second. Eight points would help greatly ahead of the last round but won’t be easy to achieve. It will be a big challenge but I believe I have the speed to fight for second,” said the 29-year old Finn.

Based in the holiday resort of Salou, on the Costa Daurada coast south of Barcelona, the three-day competition covers 353 kilometres over the flowing roads in the Tarragona region. Fast and flowing, the stages can be compared to a race circuit in their characteristics.  Although the roads are smooth, they are often abrasive and quickly become slippery as drivers cut the open corners to shave tenths of a second from their times, dragging stones and dirt onto the surface. Conditions will therefore worsen during the repeat afternoon pass of the special stages.

In addition to being a longstanding WRC classic, the Catalunya event is the 2009 calendar's only out-and-out asphalt round.

But it’s Citroën Total World Rally Team drivers Sebastién Loeb and Dani Sordo that both have good reason to see it as something of a special event, for it is here that the two drivers each made their world debut.

Since 2006, Loeb, Sordo and their respective co-drivers have fallen into the habit of monopolising the top two steps of the podium in Catalonia. Loeb, for example, knows that winning the last two rounds of the season is essential to him securing his sixth successive title.

“I’ve really little alternative than to end the season with a perfect scorecard. Here, more than anywhere else, we will be counting on Dani and Marc’s rearguard action, because Mikko Hirvonen only needs to come second twice to clinch the title. I will do all I can to fulfil my side of the contract. After that, we shall see,” said the 35-year-old Loeb.

The weekend’s Ford versus Citroën battle could also decide the manufacturers’ crown. Victory for Loeb and Daniel Elena ahead of Sordo andMarc Marti would clinch a fifth manufacturers' crown for Citroën.

With fellow Ford driver Jari-Matti Latvala and co-driver Miikka Anttila out to improve on their sixth placing in 2008, recent tuition from ex-Finnish touring car champion Olli Haapalainen is part of a plan to keep Hirvonen in front.

While eyes will be on the top-four drivers, 80 teams are entered for the rally; ten manufacturer cars plus 14 production category cars which include New Zealand’s Mark Tapper and co-driver Jeff Judd. This is the pair’s fifth event in the Pirelli Star Driver award scheme and their first full tarmac event since 2004.

The Spanish event also features as the final round for the Junior World Rally Championship (J-WRC) with recently crowned champion Martin Prokop in the Citroën C2 S1600 able to compete without title pressure. However, the battle for second rests on German driver Aaron Burkart overtaking the current seven point advantage of Poland’s Michal Kosciuszko.

Rally de España will cover a route identical to 2008, with the service park based at Salou's PortAventura theme park, an hour’s drive from Barcelona, and the stages spanning the Tarragona region. Following Thursday evening’s start ceremony on the seafront, each day comprises two passes over an identical loop of three stages. Friday’s opening leg is the longest of the rally with 131.76km of competition, much of it north-east of Salou. Saturday’s second day to the north-west includes the monster 38.27km El Priorat - La Ribera d'Ebre test, which opens each loop and is the longest of the event. The final leg journeys west of Salou but stays close to the town, before the finish there at 3pm on Sunday. The 18 stages cover 353.62km in a route of 1299.13km.