Time penalty dashes Grönholm's chances in Rally of Portugal

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All Team Ford drivers were hit with a five-minute time penalty at the WRC Rally of Portugal on Sunday evening. Earlier the same day Finland's Marcus Grönholm had came in second in the race, where his teammates and countrymen Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala finished third and sixth respectively.
      In the revised results, however, Grönholm found himself down in fourth position, while Hirvonen was demoted to fifth and Latvala to eighth.
     
According to the organisers, the thickness of the Ford Focus cars' rear side windows failed to conform to scrutineering requirements. Ford representatives explained that the glass used was 0.5 millimetres too thin.
      "Rules are rules. I am sure everybody understands the enormous effect that rear side windows 0.5 millimetres too thin can have on a car's performance", Mikko Hirvonen commented sarcastically.
      "There's nothing I can do about it. The mistake happened where the glass was manufactured. Within the team, this simply went unnoticed", Hirvonen continued.
     
Owing to the demotion, Marcus Grönholm lost his lead in the race for the drivers' World Championship title to Sebastien Loeb of France. Victory in Portugal marked Citroën driver Loeb's third number one finish this season.
      Loeb now has 38 points in the series against Grönholm's 37 points. Hirvonen remains in third position in the overall points standings, trailing seven points behind the Frenchman. Latvala currently holds ninth place in the drivers' table.
     
After the revision, Norwegian Subaru pilot Petter Solberg was promoted into the runner-up spot three minutes and 14 seconds behind Loeb, followed by Loeb's teammate Daniel Sordo of Spain, 5:05 behind the winner.
      With five of the season's 16 rallies done, Ford continue to head the manufacturers' standings with 67 points to the 59 of Peugeot. The next race will be in Argentina over the first weekend in May.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Loeb wins Rally of Mexico, Grönholm and Hirvonen take second and third positions (12.3.2007)

Links:
  WRC

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