Ireland 2007

THE MANUFACTURERS' TITLE WAS SOWN UP HERE WITH FORD GAINING THE 3 POINTS NEEDED TO CLINCH THE TITLE FOR THE SECOND YEAR RUNNING. BUT WHAT OF THE DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP - THAT IS STILL NOT DECIDED BUT TOOK WHAT MAY PROVE TO BE A DECISIVE TURN WHEN MARCUS GRONHOLM CRASHED OUT EARLY ON DAY 1 JUST AS HE HAD DONE IN JAPAN.

THERE WAS NO PENALTY FOR DOING SO IN JAPAN BECAUSE SEBASTIEN LOEB SOON DID THE SAME BUT THERE WAS NO WAY SEBASTIEN WAS GOING TO LET A CHANCE TO MAXIMISE HIS POINTS GAIN OVER MARCUS SLIP THROUGH HIS FINGERS FOR A SECOND TIME. HE DROVE BRILLIANTLY TO RECORD HIS 36TH WIN BY A COMFORTABLE MARGIN FROM HIS FELLOW TARMAC SPECIALIST AND TEAM-MATE, DANIEL SORDO, WITH JARI-MATTI LATVALA SCORING HIS FIRST-EVER PODIUM FINISH IN 3RD.

THIS WAS A DESPERATELY DIFFICULT RALLY TO DRIVE AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE MY WORD FOR IT. SEBASTIEN SAID IT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT RALLY SURFACE HE HAS EVER ENCOUNTERED. THE MAIN REASON WAS THE MUD THAT COATED THE TARMAC SURFACE. A COMBINATION OF THE MAINLY WET CONDITIONS IN THIS FARMING AREA; THE SOIL LEFT BY THE LOCAL AGRICULTURAL TRACTORS; THE SINGLE TRACK ROADS THAT WERE HARDLY WIDE ENOUGH FOR THE CARS AT TIMES; HIGH EARTH BANKS ON EITHER SIDE THAT MEANT THAT EACH CAR CONSTANTLY DRAGGED SOME MORE SOIL ON TO THE ROAD; ALL THIS CONSPIRED TO PRODUCE A SURFACE MORE AKIN TO AN ICE-RINK THAN A NORMAL ROAD. SEBASTIEN HIMSELF HAD A FEW ESCAPES AS DID SORDO AND LATVALA BUT THEY SURVIVED THE CARNAGE THAT OVERTOOK MANY DRIVERS.

I THINK IT FAIR TO SAY THAT MARCUS COULD NOT BLAME THE MUD FOR HIS BIG ACCIDENT - IT WAS REALLY HIS CHOICE OF TYRE BECAUSE HE LOST IT IN THE DRY ON A WIDE TWO-LANE GOOD ROAD SURFACE THAT WAS DAMP BUT NOT WET. HE HAD CHOSEN CUT SLICKS, SEBASTIEN HAD CHOSEN WET TYRES. EVEN IF MARCUS HAD NOT CRASHED OUT, I DOUBT HE WOULD HAVE CHALLENGED SEBASTIEN. HE HAD ALREADY FALLEN FROM THE LEAD HE GAINED IN THURSDAY'S SUPER-SPECIAL STAGE TO 3RD, BEHIND LOEB AND SORDO.

SO THE FRENCHMAN TURNED A DEFICIT OF 4 POINTS INTO AN ADVANTAGE OF 6 POINTS AND ONLY NEEDS TO FINISH 5TH IN WALES TO CLINCH YET ANOTHER TITLE, EVEN IF GRONHOLM WINS THERE. HOWEVER, THAT IS ANOTHER GRUELLING RALLY AND THE CITROEN C4 HAS NOT BEEN QUITE AS BULLET-PROOF AS THE XSARA - HIS ENGINE FAILED IN JAPAN AND HE WAS LUCKY TO SURVIVE THE STAGES BEFORE SERVICE ON DAY 1 WITH A FAILED REAR DAMPER. ONLY ANOTHER TWO WEEKS TO WAIT FOR THE FINAL OUTCOME TO WHAT HAS BEEN AN ABSORBING CONTEST THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE SEASON.

Rally Results posted by
David Little
19th November 2007

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