Finland 2009

VARIOUS PRESSURES ON CERTAIN DRIVERS OVER AND ABOVE THE USUAL PRESSURES THAT THE RALLY OF FINLAND POSES COMBINED TO MAKE THIS YEAR'S EVENT EVEN MORE INTRIGUING THAN USUAL.

SEBASTIEN LOEB CRASHED OUT OF THE LAST TWO RALLIES, ALLOWING MIKKO HIRVONEN TO TAKE THE LEAD IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP BY 1 POINT COMING INTO THIS ROUND WHILST JARI-MATTI LATVALA HAS SUFFERED A SERIES OF CRASHES THIS YEAR, INCLUDING THE MOST EMBARRASSING ONE LAST TIME OUT WHEN HE CRASHED OUT OF THE FINAL SUPER-SPECIAL STADIUM STAGE.

NO SUCH PROBLEMS FOR EITHER OF THEM IN FINLAND - THEY BOTH DROVE SMOOTHLY TO FINISH 2ND AND 3RD RESPECTIVELY - BUT MIKKO HIRVONEN DROVE FAST AND SAFELY TO RECORD HIS FIRST VICTORY IN THIS HIS HOME RALLY.

THIS BEING FINLAND, THERE WAS THE USUAL CROP OF EXCITING UP-AND-COMING FINNISH DRIVERS WITH MATTI RANTANEN EVENTUALLY HOLDING ON TO HIS 5TH PLACE BY THE SMALLEST OF MARGINS FROM SEBASTIEN OGIER.

ANOTHER INTERESTING DRIVE IN THIS HIS FIRST W.R.C. EVENT WAS THAT OF FORMULA ONE STAR KIMI RAIKKONEN, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE SUMMER F1 BREAK. HE WAS COMPETITIVE IN HIS CLASS BUT, UNFORTUNATELY, GOT CAUGHT OUT AT THE END OF DAY 2 AND CRASHED OUT.

Rally Results posted by
David Little
3rd August 2009

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