Hirvonen celebrates his first-ever WRC victory chained to pillory

Grönholm's title chase ends in crash, and Loeb wins third WRC crown from the comfort of his home

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Mikko Hirvonen of Finland fulfilled his own and his team's expectations by winning the FIA WRC Rally in Australia. Hirvonen's first-ever win in the top flight combined with his teammate and countryman Marcus Grönholm's fifth place helped Ford to increase its lead over Citroën in the WRC manufacturers' table to 16 points.
      Still, the French team hardly felt too bad about the Australian race, as their number one driver Sebastien Loeb secured his third consecutive World Rally Championship title there - without even taking part in the rally!
      Earlier this autumn Loeb sustained a shoulder injury in a mountain bike accident and is currently out of action while recovering from the subsequent operation on his arm. In the earlier part of this season Loeb took victory in no fewer than eight individual WRC races.
     
"Winning the championship is fantastic. Fortunately I had managed to build up enough points before the accident. It is difficult and frustrating to sit at home and follow the race on the Internet, without being able to drive", Loeb described his sentiments to news agency Reuters.
      The only man with even the slightest theoretical chances of beating Loeb this year was Grönholm, but in order to keep the dream alive he would have had to finish in the top three in Australia.
      This did not happen. The dream was shattered when Grönholm crashed out during the first special stage on Friday. Although he was able to right the car and continue, he fell 11 minutes behind the lead. The responsibility for bringing home maximum points for Ford then fell squarely on Hirvonen.
     
The Ford team mechanics had their own way of celebrating Hirvonen's maiden victory. Along with his chief mechanic, the Finnish driver was tied to a pillory at the pits, and both men received generous doses of champagne and whipped cream on their faces.
      Hirvonen confessed that after the first win chasing further victories will be "easier, but not easy".
      "It helps to know that you are able to deliver under pressure. But one has to be realistic: Marcus crashed out here, and Sebastien wasn't even in the race."
      Hirvonen, 26, has taken part in the WRC circuit since 2002. This season he had already visited the podium six times before the weekend's victory.
      In Australia, Norwegian Subaru pilot Petter Solberg came in second 37.1 seconds behind Hirvonen.
     
Ford team boss Malcolm Wilson was very impressed with Hirvonen's performance. Hirvonen managed to clock the fastest time on seven special stages in the Australian race.
      "In the last two days Mikko performed splendidly under pressure. From here on it is good to start chasing further victories."
      The Finnish success was completed by Jari-Matti Latvala, who came in sixth and took the victory in Group N.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Sports Round-Up: Grönholm wins, Hirvonen second in Turkish rally (16.10.2006)

Links:
  World Rally Championship

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