France 2008

ONLY A WEEK ON FROM THE LAST ROUND, AGAIN ON TARMAC AND AGAIN THE WINNER WAS SEBASTIEN LOEB! THE TWO FORD DRIVERS, MIKKO HIRVONEN AND FRANCOIS DUVAL PLAYED SECOND FIDDLE ALTHOUGH, WITH THE ABSENCE OF DANIEL SORDO EARLY ON DAY 1 (DAMAGE TO THE ROLL-CAGE FROM CONTACT WITH A ROCK PREVENTED EVEN A RE-START), AT LEAST THEY WERE ONE PLACE HIGHER UP THE LEADER-BOARD.

GRADUALLY, AS THE RALLY PROGRESSED, SEBASTIEN EDGED FURTHER AND FURTHER AWAY AND WAS NEVER REALLY CHALLENGED. MIKKO AND FRANCOIS WERE VERY CLOSE TOGETHER, WHICH TENDS TO SHOW THAT MIKKO'S TARMAC TECHNIQUE HAS IMPROVED.

THE FINAL DAY SAW THE CRUCIAL ACTION. MIKKO HIT A POTHOLE THAT WAS NOT ON HIS NOTES AND PUNCTURED BADLY ENOUGH TO FORCE A WHEEL CHANGE. THE TIME LOST SAW HIM SLIP DOWN THE ORDER TO 5TH BEHIND PETTER SOLBERG IN 4TH WITH DUVAL AND LATVALA IN SECOND AND THIRD RESPECTIVELY. HAD HE SLIPPED DOWN TO 7TH, SEBASTIEN WOULD HAVE CLINCHED THE TITLE HERE.

HOWEVER, FORD AND MIKKO WERE VERY LUCKY BECAUSE PETTER PUNCTURED ON THE NEXT STAGE, WHICH ALLOWED FORD TO MANIPULATE THE REGULATIONS SO THAT DUVAL AND LATVALA DELIBERATELY INCURRED TIME PENALTIES TO ENABLE HIRVONEN TO REGAIN 2ND PLACE.

AS LONG AS SEBASTIEN DOESN'T HAVE A DISASTER IN JAPAN IN TWO WEEKS TIME THEN HE SHOULD CLAIM A RECORD 5TH CONSECUTIVE TITLE THERE.

Rally Results posted by
David Little
13th October 2008

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