Hirvonen holds steady to take Japan Rally win

No change at the top of the WRC table after Loeb joins Grönholm on the sidelines

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Mikko Hirvonen (Ford) won his second WRC rally of the season and the third of his career at the weekend, taking top honours in the Japan Rally.
      Aside from Hirvonen, who has been no stranger to the lesser placings on the podium this year, the top three in Japan had an unusual look, as neither championship leader Marcus Grönholm (Ford) nor his closest rival Sebastien Loeb (Citroen) were anywhere to be seen.
     
Grönholm crashed out on the first day, and Loeb followed suit after a mix-up with his co-driver on Day 2, thereby squandering a precious opportunity to make up the four-point advantage Grönholm currently holds.
      Mikko Hirvonen held his nerve while others around him were struggling with tricky conditions, and fully deserved his third win.
      Loeb has crept closer and closer with back to-back wins in Catalonia and Corsica, but there are now only two rallies left - Rally Ireland in mid-November and Wales Rally GB at the end of November. Come what may, Marcus Grönholm has said he will retire from the sport at the end of this season.
     
With Grönholm and Loeb out of the way, Hirvonen was followed home by Daniel Sordo (Citroen) just over half a minute adrift, and Norway’s Henning Solberg in a Ford was a good distance behind these two in third.
      Jari-Matti Latvala in another Ford was looking in quite good shape in the early stages of the race, but his campaign also came to an end on Stage 13 on Saturday, only a few hundred metres from where Loeb slid off. At the time Latvala was in third place, and heading for his first-ever podium finish.
     
Ford continue to lead Citroen in the WRC manufacturers’ standings, and are almost certain to win this year’s title.
      Grönholm has 104 points to Loeb’s 100, and Mikko Hirvonen is in 3rd place with 84 points.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Setback for Grönholm title hopes as he crashes out of Japan Rally (26.10.2007)

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