Greece 2008

THE ACROPOLIS IS ALWAYS ONE OF THE TOUGHEST RALLIES ON THE CALENDAR, IF NOT THE TOUGHEST! THIS YEAR WAS NO EXCEPTION AND ONE OF THE MANUFACTURERS THAT SUFFERED MOST WAS FORD. THE MAIN TEAM SAW BOTH MIKKO HIRVONEN AND JARI-MATTI LATVALA SLIDE FROM THE TOP OF THE LEADER-BOARD, AS THEY APPROACHED THE END OF DAY 1, DOWN TO THE BOTTOM AFTER THE SUPER-SPECIAL STAGE THAT ENDED THE DAY. THEY HAD SUSPENSION PROBLEMS. DAY 2 WAS NOT MUCH BETTER FOR THEM WHEN THE ENGINE-BOOST ON JARI-MATTI'S ENGINE BROKE AND HE HAD TO DRIVE WITHOUT IT.

EVEN THEIR 'SATELLITE' TEAM, STOBART VK FORD, SUFFERED AND IN A WAY THEIR PAIN WAS PSYCHOLOGICALLY GREATER. HENNING SOLBERG HAD MADE IT INTO 3RD PLACE BY THE END OF DAY 2 AND WAS ON COURSE ON THE FINAL DAY TO CREATE A UNIQUE RECORD - TWO BROTHERS ON THE PODIUM. YES, PETTER SOLBERG WAS IN 2ND PLACE IN THE ALL-NEW SUBARU. WHAT A RALLY TO CHOOSE TO DEBUT A NEW CAR. CHRIS ATKINSON HAD SUFFERED MECHANICAL PROBLEMS, ALTHOUGH HE WAS ABLE TO CLAIM THE NEW CAR'S FIRST STAGE WIN, BUT PETTER HAD A TROUBLE-FREE DRIVE AND HE WAS DELIGHTED TO FINISH 2ND. HENNING WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED NOT TO SHARE THE PODIUM BUT AN UNTRACEABLE INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL FAULT KEPT CUTTING OUT THE ENGINE AND HE DROPPED TO 8TH.

CITROËN GOT TO THE END OF THE RALLY RELATIVELY UNSCATHED AND WERE ABLE TO CUT FORD'S LEAD IN THE CONSTRUCTOR'S TITLE FROM 7 POINTS TO 2 POINTS. DANIEL SORDO CAME OFF WORST OF THE TWO DRIVERS BY WEARING ALL THE TREAD OFF HIS TYRES, INCLUDING THE TWO SPARES, ON DAY 2 BUT SEBASTIEN LOEB HAD VIRTUALLY NO PROBLEMS OTHER THAN A PUNCTURE NEAR THE END OF ONE OF THE STAGES ON DAY 1. IT DELAYED HIM SLIGHTLY AS HE DROVE TO THE END OF THE STAGE BUT NOWHERE NEAR AS MUCH IF HE HAD STOPPED TO CHANGE THE WHEEL.

SO SEBASTIEN RACKED UP HIS 41ST WIN (OUT OF THE 47 THAT CITROEN HAVE NOW WON, EQUALLING SUBARU'S TOTAL) AND MOVED AHEAD OF MIKKO BY A SINGLE POINT IN THE DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER MIKKO TOOK OVER HENNING'S PLACE ON THE PODIUM. HOPEFULLY, SUBARU'S 2ND PLACE HERE WILL NOT BE A FLASH IN THE PAN AND WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO THE RESURGENCE OF THIS TEAM.

Rally Results posted by
David Little
2nd June 2008

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