Monte Carlo 2008

SEBASTIEN LOEB CARRIED ON WHERE HE LEFT OFF AND WON HIS 37TH WORLD RALLY WITH EASE. MIKKO HIRVONEN DROVE WELL TO FINISH SECOND AND ADMITTED THAT, ON TARMAC, NO ONE CAN CATCH SEBASTIEN. MIKKO IS CLEARLY LOOKING TO GET HIS OWN BACK IN THE SWEDISH SNOW NEXT TIME OUT. HE WAS SLIGHTLY FORTUNATE TO TAKE SECOND PLACE FROM DANIEL SORDO AFTER THE SPANIARD'S TURBO FAILED COMPLETELY ON DAY 2, FORCING HIM TO RETIRE AND RE-ENTER UNDER THE SUPER RALLY RULES. CHRIS ATKINSON TOOK A WELL-DESERVED THIRD PLACE ON THE PODIUM FOR SUBARU AFTER A GRIPPING BATTLE WITH FRANCOIS DUVAL DRIVING FOR STOBART VK FORD ON A ONE-OFF BASIS. SUZUKI MADE THEIR DEBUT IN THE WRC AND PER-GUNNAR ANDERSSON MADE IT INTO EIGHTH PLACE TO SCORE THEIR FIRST POINT IN THEIR FIRST OFFICIAL RALLY.

PIRELLI ARE NOW THE SOLE TYRE SUPPLIER AND THERE IS ONE MAJOR CHANGE TO THE TYRE REGULATIONS THIS YEAR THAT WILL AFFECT ALL TEAMS THROUGHOUT THE SEASON. TEAMS ARE NOW RESTRICTED TO ONLY ONE TYPE OF TYRE WITH AN EXTRA NORMAL SNOW TYRE, WHICH DOUBLES AS A WET TYRE, TOGETHER WITH A STUDDED TYRE FOR THE WORST CONDITIONS. MORE CRUCIAL IS THAT THE MOUSSE WITHIN THE TYRE, WHICH HAS ENABLED THE DRIVER TO CONTINUE ALMOST UNAFFECTED BY PUNCTURES, HAS BEEN OUTLAWED. THE RESULT WILL BE DRIVERS HAVING TO STOP TO CHANGE WHEELS AND THIS CLEARLY WILL CREATE MAYHEM TO THE RESULTS!

THE ONLY TOP DRIVER TO SUFFER UNDER THIS NEW RULE DURING THIS RALLY WAS JARI-MATTI LATVALA AND NOT ONLY DID HE HAVE TO CHANGE THE WHEEL BUT THE BATTERY-DRIVE N WHEEL-GUN PROVED NOT TO BE UP TO THE TASK AND HE AND HIS CO-DRIVER HAD TO RESORT TO PHYSICAL EFFORT WITH A WHEEL-BRACE! ONE OTHER CHANGE THAT, ON THE FACE OF IT DOES NOT SEEM TO BE EARTH-SHATTERING IS THAT THE LEADER OF THE RALLY NOW HAS TO DRIVE FIRST THROUGH THE STAGES. THIS SHOULD NOT HAMPER THE DRIVER ON TARMAC BUT IT WILL BE A CRUCIAL FACTOR ON GRAVEL RALLIES WHERE HE WILL EFFECTIVELY BE ACTING AS A ROAD SWEEPER, CLEARING THE LOOSE GRAVE OFF THE SURFACE AND LOSING TIME TO THE FOLLOWING CARS.

THE PURPOSE OF ALL THE CHANGES SEEMS TO ME TO BE AIMED AT PRODUCING A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD FOR ALL THE DRIVERS, AND THUS CLOSER, MORE EXCITING RESULTS, BY INTRODUCING RANDOM HANDICAPS! WE SHALL SEE HOW THE DRIVERS' LUCK PANS OUT IN THE MONTHS AHEAD.

Rally Results posted by
David Little
28th January 2008

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