From the World Rally Championship
Sebastien Ogier completed the final day of Vodafone Rally de Portugal on top to claim his third victory since breaking into the world championship's top division three years ago.
Driving a Citroen DS3 WRC, Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia produced an error-free performance to land their second successive triumph on the demanding gravel stages of the Algarve.
Ogier’s team-mate, the seven-time world champion Sebastien Loeb, won the Power Stage to cement second overall. The three points he scored for winning the final run, combined with his 18 points for finishing second, means the 37-year-old Frenchman is now equal in points with Ford’s Mikko Hirvonen at the top of the drivers’ standings after three rounds.
Hirvonen finished fourth overall behind Ford team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala after being delayed on Sunday morning by a broken driveshaft. He was also slowed in the closing section of the Power Stage with a suspected rear damper problem.
Matthew Wilson started the final loop of stages in fourth place but couldn’t prevent Hirvonen from overtaking him on the rain-hit penultimate stage. He admitted he crawled through stage 17 to secure an impressive fifth overall in his M-Sport Stobart Ford Fiesta RS WRC.
Petter Solberg started day three in ninth position but wins in stages 15 and 16 hauled him back to within touching distance of sixth-placed Kimi Raikkonen heading into the Power Stage. Although he was unable to bag a third-straight win on the test, he did manage to overhaul Raikkonen, in a similar DS3 WRC, for sixth spot.
Argentina’s Federico Villagra said he still needs more time to learn his Munchi’s Fiesta after finishing eighth with stand-in co-driver Jose Diaz.
Rally Portugal – Final classification
1. Ogier-Ingrassia (Citroen DS3 Wrc) in 4.10’53”4
2. Loeb-Elena (Citroen DS3 Wrc) + 31”8
3. Latvala-Anttila (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 3’22”1
4. Hirvonen-Lehtinen (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 6’16”3
5. Wilson-Martin (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 7’48”5
6. P. Solberg-Patterson (Citroen DS3 Wrc) + 10’17”4
7. Raikkonen-Lindstrom (Citroen DS3 Wrc) + 10’54”21
8. Villagra-Perez Companc (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 11’38”8
9. H. Solberg-Minor (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 14’16”4
10. Kuipers-Miclotte (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 17’54”6
etc.
Drivers championship: 1. Hirvonen & Loeb 58 points, 3. Latvala 48, 4. Ogier 41, 5. P.Solberg 31, 6. Ostberg 28, 7. M. Wilson 12, 8. H. Solberg 8, 9. Raikkonen 10, 10. Andersson 6, etc.
Constructors championship: 1. Ford 10 points, 2. Citroen 90, 3. Stobart 40, 4. Petter Solberg 22, etc.
Sebastien Ogier completed the final day of Vodafone Rally de Portugal on top to claim his third victory since breaking into the world championship's top division three years ago.
Driving a Citroen DS3 WRC, Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia produced an error-free performance to land their second successive triumph on the demanding gravel stages of the Algarve.
Ogier’s team-mate, the seven-time world champion Sebastien Loeb, won the Power Stage to cement second overall. The three points he scored for winning the final run, combined with his 18 points for finishing second, means the 37-year-old Frenchman is now equal in points with Ford’s Mikko Hirvonen at the top of the drivers’ standings after three rounds.
Hirvonen finished fourth overall behind Ford team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala after being delayed on Sunday morning by a broken driveshaft. He was also slowed in the closing section of the Power Stage with a suspected rear damper problem.
Matthew Wilson started the final loop of stages in fourth place but couldn’t prevent Hirvonen from overtaking him on the rain-hit penultimate stage. He admitted he crawled through stage 17 to secure an impressive fifth overall in his M-Sport Stobart Ford Fiesta RS WRC.
Petter Solberg started day three in ninth position but wins in stages 15 and 16 hauled him back to within touching distance of sixth-placed Kimi Raikkonen heading into the Power Stage. Although he was unable to bag a third-straight win on the test, he did manage to overhaul Raikkonen, in a similar DS3 WRC, for sixth spot.
Argentina’s Federico Villagra said he still needs more time to learn his Munchi’s Fiesta after finishing eighth with stand-in co-driver Jose Diaz.
Rally Portugal – Final classification
1. Ogier-Ingrassia (Citroen DS3 Wrc) in 4.10’53”4
2. Loeb-Elena (Citroen DS3 Wrc) + 31”8
3. Latvala-Anttila (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 3’22”1
4. Hirvonen-Lehtinen (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 6’16”3
5. Wilson-Martin (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 7’48”5
6. P. Solberg-Patterson (Citroen DS3 Wrc) + 10’17”4
7. Raikkonen-Lindstrom (Citroen DS3 Wrc) + 10’54”21
8. Villagra-Perez Companc (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 11’38”8
9. H. Solberg-Minor (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 14’16”4
10. Kuipers-Miclotte (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) + 17’54”6
etc.
Drivers championship: 1. Hirvonen & Loeb 58 points, 3. Latvala 48, 4. Ogier 41, 5. P.Solberg 31, 6. Ostberg 28, 7. M. Wilson 12, 8. H. Solberg 8, 9. Raikkonen 10, 10. Andersson 6, etc.
Constructors championship: 1. Ford 10 points, 2. Citroen 90, 3. Stobart 40, 4. Petter Solberg 22, etc.