Spain 2008

WORLD RALLY IS BACK AFTER A 5-WEEK LAYOFF DURING WHICH QUITE A LOT OF TESTING WENT ON, ESPECIALLY BY FORD WHO WERE KEEN TO TRY TO ATTACK SEBASTIEN LOEB OVER THIS AND THE NEXT RALLY, WHICH ARE ON HIS FAVOURITE TARMAC SURFACE. THEY MOVED JARI-MATTI LATVALA TO THE STOBART VK TEAM AND AGAIN BROUGHT IN FRANCOIS DUVAL WHO IS ALWAYS GOOD ON TARMAC.

IT DIDN'T WORK! BOTH MIKKO HIRVONEN AND FRANCOIS LOST TOO MUCH TIME ON THE FIRST MORNING AND FROM THEN ON PLAYED CATCH-UP. FRANCOIS DID SHOW HIS GREAT TARMAC QUALITIES BUT PERHAPS THE SET-UP CHANGES FORD HAD MADE TO THE FOCUS HINDERED HIS ATTACK. HE WOULD HAVE COMFORTABLY BEEN 3RD AT THE END BUT FOR OBEYING TEAM ORDERS TO ALLOW MIKKO TO CLAIM THE LAST PODIUM SLOT AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, LIMIT MIKKO'S DISADVANTAGE TO SEBASTIEN BY THE ONE POINT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 3RD AND 4TH PLACES.

BY NOW YOU WILL HAVE GATHERED THAT SEBATIEN WON AND DANI SORDO WAS AN IMPRESSIVE SECOND. HE HAS A VERY HARD JOB TO OVERCOME SEBASTIEN WHO IS FAST REACHING THE LEGNED STAGE (IF HE'S NOT THERE ALREADY!).

YOU WOULD HAVE THOUGHT SEBASTIEN WAS OUT FOR A LEISURE DRIVE, SO PERFECTLY AND CALMLY DID HE DRIVE, UNTIL YOU APPRECIATE THE SPEEDS HE AND DANI WERE TRAVELLING AT.

Rally Results posted by
David Little
6th October 2008

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