From wrc.com
Four-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb took his 44th WRC victory this weekend, winning Rally New Zealand by 17.5sec from his Citroen Total team-mate Dani Sordo who was second.
It was the dream result for Loeb and his team after a shaky start to the day, when Loeb dropped to fourth after a spin on the opening stage. At Sunday's midpoint it looked like BP Ford drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala had the top two positions locked out, but on the penultimate stage the Ford team's challenge crumbled, with Latvala retiring and Hirvonen losing 50 seconds.
"This morning I had the spin and just wasn't able to make up the gap to Mikko - I thought it was over and we'd lost the chance," said Loeb "But then it all changed and we were leading again. But this was really a difficult rally, changing all the time, with some strategy coming in too. I needed to win for sure, and that's very nice, but I'm not happy for what happened to Mikko because he was doing really well and it was a good battle. But okay; it's a race and these things happen sometimes. "
A desolate Hirvonen brought his bumper-less Focus across the finish line to claim the final podium place, 24 seconds adrift of Sordo's time. Latvala's retirement meant Petter Solberg finished fourth for the Subaru World Rally Team.
Urmo Aava was fifth, on an event which was a late addition to his 2008 programme with the PH sport Citroen team.
Final positions
1. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 3hr 59min 18.9sec
2. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 3hr 59min 36.4sec
3. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 4hr 00min 00.4sec
4. P Solberg/P Mills NOR Subaru Impreza 4hr 02min 07.8sec
5. U Aava/K Sikk EST Citroen C4 4hr 02min 49.6sec
6. P-G Andersson/J Andersson SWE Suzuki SX4 4hr 06min 56.3sec
7. T Gardemeister/T Tuominen FIN Suzuki SX4 4hr 07min 13.8sec
8. F Villagra/J Perez Companc ARG Ford Focus RS 4hr 07min 53.9sec
9. H Solberg/C Menkerud NOR Ford Focus RS 4hr 08min 34.1sec
10 M Prokop/J Tomanek CZE Mitsubishi Lancer 4hr 13min 07.9sec
Drivers' championship
1. S Loeb 86pts
2. M Hirvonen 78pts
3. D Sordo 51pts
4. C Atkinson 40pts
5. J-M Latvala 34pts
6. P Solberg 32pts
Manufacturers' championship
1. Citroen Total 141pts
2. BP Ford Abu Dhabi 121pts
3. Subaru 74pts
4. Stobart VK M-Sport Ford 51pts
5. Munchi's Ford 22pts
6. Suzuki 20pts
Four-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb took his 44th WRC victory this weekend, winning Rally New Zealand by 17.5sec from his Citroen Total team-mate Dani Sordo who was second.
It was the dream result for Loeb and his team after a shaky start to the day, when Loeb dropped to fourth after a spin on the opening stage. At Sunday's midpoint it looked like BP Ford drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala had the top two positions locked out, but on the penultimate stage the Ford team's challenge crumbled, with Latvala retiring and Hirvonen losing 50 seconds.
"This morning I had the spin and just wasn't able to make up the gap to Mikko - I thought it was over and we'd lost the chance," said Loeb "But then it all changed and we were leading again. But this was really a difficult rally, changing all the time, with some strategy coming in too. I needed to win for sure, and that's very nice, but I'm not happy for what happened to Mikko because he was doing really well and it was a good battle. But okay; it's a race and these things happen sometimes. "
A desolate Hirvonen brought his bumper-less Focus across the finish line to claim the final podium place, 24 seconds adrift of Sordo's time. Latvala's retirement meant Petter Solberg finished fourth for the Subaru World Rally Team.
Urmo Aava was fifth, on an event which was a late addition to his 2008 programme with the PH sport Citroen team.
Final positions
1. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 3hr 59min 18.9sec
2. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 3hr 59min 36.4sec
3. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 4hr 00min 00.4sec
4. P Solberg/P Mills NOR Subaru Impreza 4hr 02min 07.8sec
5. U Aava/K Sikk EST Citroen C4 4hr 02min 49.6sec
6. P-G Andersson/J Andersson SWE Suzuki SX4 4hr 06min 56.3sec
7. T Gardemeister/T Tuominen FIN Suzuki SX4 4hr 07min 13.8sec
8. F Villagra/J Perez Companc ARG Ford Focus RS 4hr 07min 53.9sec
9. H Solberg/C Menkerud NOR Ford Focus RS 4hr 08min 34.1sec
10 M Prokop/J Tomanek CZE Mitsubishi Lancer 4hr 13min 07.9sec
Drivers' championship
1. S Loeb 86pts
2. M Hirvonen 78pts
3. D Sordo 51pts
4. C Atkinson 40pts
5. J-M Latvala 34pts
6. P Solberg 32pts
Manufacturers' championship
1. Citroen Total 141pts
2. BP Ford Abu Dhabi 121pts
3. Subaru 74pts
4. Stobart VK M-Sport Ford 51pts
5. Munchi's Ford 22pts
6. Suzuki 20pts