Bulgaria 2010

AFTER THE SUMMER BREAK, THERE WERE CHANGES TO BE MADE FOR THE FIRST RUNNING OF THIS RALLY, WHICH IS ALSO THE FIRST TARMAC EVENT THIS SEASON. CONSEQUENTLY, P-G ANDERSON TOOK OVER HENNING SOLBERG'S SEAT AT STOBART M-SPORT FORD SO THAT THE BEST TARMAC SPECIALIST WAS NOMINATED TO SCORE POINTS FOR TEAM.

BUT THE BIGGEST CHANGE WAS IN THE PETTER SOLBERG WORLD RALLY TEAM WHERE PETTER'S LONG-TIME CO-DRIVER, PHIL MILLS, HAD ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT DURING THE SUMMER BREAK. PETTER HAS FOUND A REPLACEMENT IN CHRIS PATTERSON, THE NORTHERN IRISHMAN WHO HAS BEEN A CO-DRIVER FOR 12 YEARS, WINNING THE PRODUCTION CAR WORLD TITLE WITH NASSER AL-ATTIYAH IN 2006.

AS SEBASTIEN LOEB HAS WON 18 OF THE LAST 22 TARMAC RALLIES, INCLUDING THE LAST 15 IN AN UNBROKEN RUN SINCE 2004, IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT HE WAS FAVOURITE TO WIN HERE. HE DULY DELIVERED WITHOUT ANY SERIOUS CHALLENGE ALTHOUGH SEBASTIEN OGIER MAY HAVE DONE SO BUT FOR A MISUNDERSTANDING OF A PACE-NOTE THAT SAW HIM STUCK IN A DITCH FOR AT LEAST A MINUTE EARLY ON DAY ONE.

NEITHER MIKKO HIRVONEN NOR JARI-MATTI LATVALA ARE COMFORTABLE ON TARMAC, PREFERRING THE GRAVEL ROADS OF THEIR FINNISH HOMELAND, AND WERE UNABLE TO PREVENT A CITROEN LOCK-OUT OF THE FIRST FOUR PLACES. PERHAPS THEY WILL GET THEIR OWN BACK IN FINLAND AT THE NEXT RALLY!

ONE OF THE FOUR CITROEN DRIVERS WAS PETTER SOLBERG, WHO TOOK THIRD PLACE ON THE PODIUM BEHIND DANI SORDO, AND HE WAS CLEARLY DELIGHTED WITH THE WAY HE AND CHRIS PATTERSON GELLED TOGETHER ON THIS THEIR FIRST RALLY TOGETHER.

Rally Results posted by
David Little
12th July 2010

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