Portugal 2007

PORTUGAL WAS BACK ON THE CALENDAR AFTER AN ABSENCE OF 5 YEARS AND SO FEW OF THE CURRENT DRIVERS HAVE HAD ANY EXPERIENCE OF THE NATURE OF THE PORTUGESE STAGES. MARCUS GRONHOLM DOES HAVE THE EXPERIENCE AND PUT THIS TO GOOD USE ON DAY 1, LEADING DESPITE 'ROAD-SWEEPING' AS CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER. SEBASTIEN LOEB FOUGHT BACK MAGNIFICENTLY ON DAY 2 TO TAKE THE LEAD FROM MARCUS, WHICH HE NEVER RELINQUISHED. MIKKO HIRVONEN ABLEY BACKED UP HIS FORD TEAM-MATE WITH PETTER SOLBERG CONTINUING TO SHOW THE PROMISE OF THE NEW SUBARU WITH A STRONG HOLD ON 4TH. AND THAT WAS THE ORDER AT THE FINISH BUT IT WAS NOT THE FINAL LEADERBOARD. AT THE POST-RALLY SCRUTINEERING IT WAS FOUND THAT ALL 6 FORD WRC CARS WERE USING REAR SIDE-WINDOWS THAT DID NOT MATCH THE TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS - THEY WERE TOO THIN. THEY WERE ALL PENALISED 5 MINUTES, WHICH DROPPED MARCUS AND MIKKO TO 4TH AND 5TH WHILST PETTER AND DANIEL SORDO WERE ELEVATED TO 2ND AND 3RD. IT ALSO ENABLED SEBASTIEN TO TAKE OVER THE CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD FROM MARCUS. THIS IS PRECISELY WHY THE RESULT AT THE END OF THE RALLY IS ALWAYS REFERRED TO AS THE 'PROVISIONAL' RESULT. IT AIN'T OVER TILL IT'S OVER!

Rally Results posted by
David Little
2nd April 2007

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