Hirvonen wins Rally Sweden

[Sheriff!]

Mikko Hirvonen starts the new WRC era with a victory as Ford locks out the podium places in Sweden with the all-new Fiesta RS WRC car.

Mikko Hirvonen took the first WRC win of the new era today on Rally Sweden, the opening round in the 2011 World Rally Championship.

Hirvonen, who grabbed the lead from Mads Ostberg on Saturday, started the final day just 7.4 seconds ahead, but he almost doubled his advantage this morning and while Ostberg came back at him on the repeat-runs through Torntorp and Rammen, the Finn held on and eventually came through to triumph by 6.5 seconds.

After Ostberg in second, Jari-Matti Latvala was third, to give the 'Blue Oval' a clean-sweep of the podium places, while Sebastien Ogier, who inherited fourth late on, took the Power Stage honours and the three points that go with it.

Petter Solberg dropped to fifth late on, with co-driver Chris Patterson piloting their Citroen DS3 WRC car through Gustavsfors after 'Hollywood' was caught speeding earlier this weekend and had his road licence suspended.

WRC 'record-man' Sebastien Loeb was sixth after two punctures earlier in the event, with Per-Gunnar Andersson seventh and F1 2007 world champion, Kimi Raikkonen eighth. Matthew Wilson and Khalid Al-Qassimi completed the top-ten.

Full report and result to follow...




Rally Sweden: Overall standings after Stage 22 / Day 3 (Top 10):

1. Mikko Hirvonen Ford Abu Dhabi WRT Fiesta RS WRC 3hours 23mins 56.6secs M
2. Mads Ostberg M-Sport Stobart Ford Fiesta RS WRC +00mins 06.5secs M
3. Jari-Matti Latvala Ford Abu Dhabi WRT Fiesta RS WRC +00mins 34.0secs M
4. Sebastien Ogier Citroen Total WRT DS3 WRC +00mins 47.7secs M
5. Petter Solberg PSWRT Citroen DS3 WRC +01mins 31.6secs A1
6. Sebastien Loeb Citroen Total WRT DS3 WRC +02mins 30.3secs M
7. PG Andersson Ford Fiesta RS WRC +06mins 22.0secs A1
8. Kimi Raikkonen ICE 1 Racing Citroen DS3 WRC +07mins 02.3secs M
9. Matt Wilson M-Sport Stobart Ford Fiesta RS WRC +10mins 11.5secs A1
10. Khalid Al-Qassimi Team Abu Dhabi Fiesta RS WRC +10mins 31.1secs A1

Others:

11. Patrik Sandell Skoda Fabia S2000 +12mins 24.5secs A2
12. Martin Prokop Ford Fiesta S2000 +13mins 43.1secs A2
13. Denis Kuipers FERM Powertools Ford Fiesta RS WRC +13mins 57.7secs M
14. Ken Block Monster WRT Ford Fiesta RS WRC +16mins 51.8secs M


Rally Sweden: Power Stage / SS22 (Top 3):

1. Sebastien Ogier Citroen Total WRT DS3 WRC 2mins 22.7secs M
2. Sebastien Loeb Citroen Total WRT DS3 WRC +00mins 00.3secs M
3. Jari-Matti Latvala Ford Abu Dhabi WRT Fiesta RS WRC +00mins 00.7secs M


PWRC standings after Stage 22 / Day 3 (Top 3):

1. Martin Semerad Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 3hours 46mins 59.8secs P
2. Yuriy Protasov Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X +05mins 17.3secs P
3. Nicolas Fuchs Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X +06mins 44.1secs P


Notable retirements:

SS8. Henning Solberg M-Sport Stobart Ford Fiesta RS WRC Accident M
SS8. Eyvind Brynildsen Skoda Fabia S2000 Mechanical A2
SS12. Anders Grondal Subaru Impreza STi Engine P

EXC. Patrik Flodin Subaru Impreza STi Excluded P


all times unofficial


TOPGEAR