Turkey 2010

AFTER ALL THE TACTICAL SHENANIGANS IN JORDAN, FORTUNATELY THIS PROVED TO BE A FAST, NO HOLDS BARRED SORT OF RALLY.

NONE OF THE DRIVERS HAVE EVER RACED AT THIS LOCATION IN TURKEY BEFORE SO EVERY0NE HAD TO START WITH A CLEAN SHEET OF PACE-NOTES.

SEBASTIEN OGIER SEEMED DETERMINED TO MAKE UP FOR HAVING TO SACRIFICE HIMSELF ON TEAM ORDERS IN JORDAN AND HELD THE LEAD OF THE RALLY UNTIL MIDWAY THROUGH THE SECOND DAY. HIS FRONT-LEFT TYRE LITERALLY EXPLODED ON THE FIERCE GRAVEL SURFACE OF THIS RALLY, FORCING HIM TO STOP AND CHANGE THE WHEEL. HE LOST THREE MINUTES AND DROPPED TO 5TH PLACE.

SEBASTIEN LOEB CARRIED OUT HIS ROAD-SWEEPING DUTIES ON DAY ONE WITHOUT COMPLAINT DESPITE ENDING DAY ONE IN 5TH PLACE. HOWEVER, THIS PLACED HIM IN THE PERFECT POSITION FOR DAY TWO WHEN HE TOOK HIS ACCUSTOMED PLACE AT THE HEAD OF AFFAIRS READY FOR A FINAL ASSAULT ON THE FINAL DAY.

JARI-MATTI LATVALA MANAGED TO FLIP THE CAR ONTO ITS ROOF AT HIGH SPEED AT THE BEGINNING OF DAY TWO, LOSING 9 MINUTES, BUT MANAGED TO CLAW HIS WAY BACK INTO 8TH PLACE BY THE END OF THE RALLY.

MIKKO HIRVONEN HAD BATTLED WELL BUT WAS UNABLE TO CATCH PETTER SOLBERG WHO, AS ALWAYS, WAS DRIVING HIS HEART OUT. PETTER WAS IN SECOND PLACE AT THE END OF DAY TWO AND RETAINED IT TO THE FINISH.

A DAMAGED TYRE FOR MIKKO IN THE FIRST OF ONLY TWO STAGES ON DAY THREE DROPPED HIM TO FOURTH BEHIND DANI SORDO (THE OTHER TWO STAGES WERE CANCELLED DUE TO FLOODING OVERNIGHT). HOWEVER, HE RECOVERED TO THIRD ON THE FINAL STAGE WHEN DANI RETIRED AFTER SLIDING INTO A TREE.

SO ANOTHER WIN FOR LOEB, ANOTHER PODIUM FOR SOLBERG (HIS 40TH) AND A 5TH PLACE FOR KIMI RAIKKONEN WHO SEEMS TO BE GETTING THE HANG OF THIS RALLY DRIVING - PERHAPS THE FACT THAT THIS PREDOMINANTLY GRAVEL RALLY HAD SOME ASPHALT STAGES ON DAY TWO HELPED TO MAKE HIM FEEL MORE AT HOME!

Rally Results posted by
David Little
19th April 2010

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