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LOEB wins in Norway
Ford pair left disappointed by snow result
Sandell takes historic P-WRC win
Petter Solberg returns with the Petter Solberg WRC Team
Rally Norway entry list: Solberg and Mikkelsen are in!
Eamonn Boland also confirmed
Ecstatic Loeb wins Rally Norway
Sebastien Loeb won his 49th victory in the WRC with his victory in Rally Norway 2009. An ecstatic Loeb was extremly happy to win this difficult winter-rally.
– This victory was very important for me, said Sebastien after passing the finishing line at Budor.
Loeb was just 9.8 seconds ahead of Mikko Hirvonen after three days with 23 stages. That is definitely close race! Jari-Matti Latvala took the third place on the podium.
Best norwegians were Henning and Petter Solberg who ended on 4th and 6th place. Ford pair left disappointed by snow result
Factory Ford drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala both ended Rally Norway feeling let down by their performance on the WRC’s only winter fixture.
Hirvonen’s success on the event in 2007 and Latvala’s win on snow in Sweden last year meant pre-event expectations were high for the Finnish pair. But despite taking a double podium for their BP Ford Abu Dhabi team, both were left feeling disappointed by their form on the second day of the event.
Hirvonen led for much of the opening day but was unable to shake off arch-rival Sebastien Loeb, who by the end of Saturday had built a lead of 15sec. Hirvonen retaliated during today's final six stages but the deficit proved too much and he had to settle for second place.
Mikko said: “For sure I’m disappointed we didn’t win. I am sad, but I am also glad it’s behind us - it was crazy at times. It’s a miracle that Sebastien and I didn’t make a single mistake, that we didn’t go off the road or overshoot a junction. When you are at the limit, it’s incredible. I lost the rally yesterday because I couldn't respond to Loeb's speed then. It wasn't the result I wanted but I'm glad that we went down fighting and it was a hugely enjoyable battle."
After the rally Hirvonen revealed he had some extra motivation to try and beat Loeb again on the next round in Cyprus. “My son is three and a half years old, he plays with his toy cars and says: “Here’s Sebastien, it’s very difficult to beat Sebastien...”. He’s going to think it’s impossible if I don’t try.”
Latvala claimed third early on the first morning and while the 23-year-old was unable to match his team-mate's pace, he was comfortably faster than anyone else and finished more than two minutes clear of fourth-placed Henning Solberg.
"I'm happy to score a podium but at the same time disappointed not to be able to fight for victory," said Latvala. "They are good points for myself and the team but my chances really ended on Saturday morning. I should have softened the suspension settings earlier so I can look in the mirror and see the reason why I didn't challenge the top two drivers. If I could start this weekend again, I would redo the mornings. The grip level was good then and I should have trusted that and taken greater advantage. I wasn't in a hurry today because there was no competition.”
Team director Malcolm Wilson was more upbeat. "Mikko gave it everything, and for the result to be as close as it was is an indication of how hard both were trying,” he said. “Jari-Matti had a solid weekend, and his pace yesterday afternoon when he won two stages, was encouraging. Both cars ran faultlessly all weekend and Focus RS WRCs won 11 of the 23 stages, so we can go away from here feeling confident." Sandell takes historic P-WRC win
Sweden’s Patrick Sandell won the Production-class category on Rally Norway today, taking his first P-WRC victory and the first for a Super 2000 specification rally car.
Sandell took a healthy 2min lead into Sunday’s competition and despite losing time on the first stage, when he overshot a junction, his day was all about getting to the finish in one piece and avoiding any last day bad luck.
Sandell crossed the finish line in his Red Bull Rallye Team Skoda Fabia S2000 with a class lead of 44.1sec.
“It’s our first win, and our first time in a new car with new team - so it’s an amazing feeling!” beamed Sandell. “We had a really good rhythm right from the start and today has been absolutely perfect. Now we just have to find a good set-up for the car on gravel and tarmac.”
Second place went to Mitsubishi Lancer driver Eyvind Brynildsen who was delighted to take his first ever P-WRC podium on his home event. “It’s been a fantastic rally - a very long one, but very good,” he said. “To finish behind Patrick in his Super 2000 car still feels like a victory to me.”
Martin Prokop of the Czech Republic took the final P-WRC podium place. The Mitsubishi driver had an easier Sunday than anticipated after the man chasing him on Saturday, Andreas Mikkelsen, checked out of service late and then retired with two punctures after SS19. “I’m happy to get to the finish,” said Prokop. “We weren’t ready to fight with the local drivers here, so third place is okay. It’s a good start to our championship.” VIDEOS FROM THE EVENT Click here RESULTS & NEWS Click here for stage times COVERAGE Click here Click here for TV Listings of this weekends Rally Norway 
Citroen duo wary of Ford fight back
Fresh from its dominant one-two finish in Ireland, the Citroen Total World Rally Team heads to Rally Norway with - publically at least - some uncharacteristically low expectations of success.
The specialist nature of the season's only winter fixture makes it a tricky challenge for all the WRC teams - and that includes the Citroen crews of Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena and Dani Sordo/Marc Marti.
Neither crew has fond memories of Norway. On their last attempt, in 2007, both Loeb and Sordo failed to finish in the points - something which has never happened since.
On the rally’s inaugural appearance in the WRC, Loeb went off the road twice on the second day and eventually finished a lowly 14th. More recently, he rolled his C4 out of the WRC winter fixture in Sweden last year.
"Our most recent outings on snow and ice didn't go all that well for us,” acknowledged Loeb. “The 2007 event was particularly difficult because we faced a layer of fresh snow on top of the sheet ice underneath. I had a great deal of trouble spotting the places where the grip changed and I never really felt comfortable. I hope it won't snow this year so that we will be free to drive flat out on a nice coating of smooth ice! If the conditions do turn out to be like that, running first on the road could well be an advantage on the opening day."
After snow rally victories in Sweden last year for Mari-Matti Latvala and Norway 2007 for Mikko Hirvonen, Loeb expects the Ford team to be the stiffest competition again next week.
“Ford should be more at home in Norway and will be extremely keen to make up for lost ground,” he said. “I don’t know yet whether I will be able to stand in their way, but it's a very stimulating challenge! I enjoy this sort of event and I have very fond memories of my win in Sweden in 2004, so perhaps adding another victory to my record in Norway isn't entirely out of the question."
Loeb’s team-mate Dani Sordo finished the 2007 Rally Norway in 25th place and is acutely aware of the challenge that awaits him this year: "I've put my modest performance in 2007 behind me and, anyway, so much has changed since then,” he said. “I have more experience, considerable work has gone into the car and our recent testing has also helped boost my confidence. I'm not saying that snow has become my favourite type of surface, but I am extremely fired up to play my part in scoring another top result for Citroen following our recent success in Ireland."
Citroen says pre-event testing has enabled its engineers to work on the set-up of the C4 WRC, but Sebastien Loeb doesn't believe that set-up makes such a big difference on this sort of terrain. "The important thing is driver confidence as you put the car sideways through a fast corner," he said. "We worked on the suspension and differential settings, but the C4 WRC is a far more polished package than it was in 2007 when it was only at the beginning of its development."
"It's true that we are not favourites to win in Norway but we will do our best to spring a surprise," summed up Citroen Sport Director Olivier Quesnel. “The engineers and crews have worked hard to prepare for this specific event and, with just 12 rounds counting towards this year's WRC, we will need to profit from every opportunity we are given to extend our lead." Petter Solberg returns
Norwegian Petter Solberg has officially unveiled his own ‘Petter Solberg World Rally Team’ six days before the start of his home round of the 2009 WRC season.
Solberg decided to build his own team after Subaru’s departure from the series coupled with a lack of seats at the other manufacturer teams left him without a drive for 2009.
Faced with the prospect of sitting out at least one season, the 2003 World Rally Champion decided instead to create his own team from scratch. And true to his new team’s official motto ‘never give up’ he’s done it in a little over a month.
With the help of his team’s main sponsor, Norwegian boat charter company Johs Lunde yachting, Petter acquired a 2006 specification (active front and rear diff) Citroen Xsara WRC with which he hopes to tackle the remaining 11 rounds this year, accompanied by co-driver Phil Mills.
The new 10-strong team is managed by Ken Rees, ex team-co-ordinator of the Subaru World Rally Team. Unsurprisingly Petter has recruited other ex Subaru names too - including mechanic Tore Dahl, chief engineer Charles Hodge and his ex rally engineer Francois Xavier de Maison, whose motorsport company will maintain the black and silver Xsara between events.
De Maison’s existing commitments as Conrad Rautenbach’s engineer at the Citroen Junior Team means he will not provide Petter’s team with on-event support. A second engineer, Karine Vassant, will work alongside Hodge on rallies.
“I have been working flat out, and I’m really proud to the present my new team today,” Petter said at a launch in his home town of Spydeberg. “I have a lot of brilliant people around me, and they have all been working 24hrs shifts for me the past weeks. Without them and my sponsors, this would not have been possible.”  Rally Norway entry list: Solberg and Mikkelsen are in!
Close to 50 competitors have submitted their entries to Rally Norway, taking place 12-15 February. The start list includes drivers from twenty nations as well as ten Norwegians and is a strong field for the WRC’s second event of 2009.
The WRC’s youngest ever points scorer Norwegian Andreas Mikkelsen, who caught the rally world’s attention last year with a history making Swedish Rally 5th place finish, is the big favourite in the PWRC category this year at his home event. This year Mikkelsen is competing in the Norwegian national Subaru Cup series, which combines rally and circuit racing, and the nineteen year old no doubt hopes Rally Norway will not be his only 2009 WRC entry. Mikkelsen is entered with a Subaru Impreza N14 in the PWRC category where he will compete with Patrik Flodin, Patrik Sandell and Martin Prokop among others.
As entries closed at 3pm today 13th January, Petter Solberg was also on the start list but without a specified car. The FIA has accepted Solberg’s request to notify them of this information at a later date.
Sebastien Leob, Daniel Sordo, Jari Matti Latvala and Mikko Hirvonen are also entered and of course Henning Solberg who hopes to win Rally Norway with his renewed Ford deal, giving both his brother and all the other manufacturer drivers a fight to the finish.
Fellow Norwegians Mads Østberg and Anders Grøndal join Henning and Petter Solberg in the WRC category. In PWRC the Norwegian drivers are Andreas Mikkelsen, Sveinung Bieltvedt, Eyvind Brynildsen, Anders Kjær, Øyvind Sulland and Bernt Kollevold.
A healthy entrant field is also evident in the N4 and A8 classes, along with several participants in the much-speculated new S2000-cars.
Rally Norway opens with a show at Bjerkebanen horse racing track in Oslo on 12th February.
Stig Rune Kjernsli, Rally Norway’s Clerk of the Course said, “It’s no great surprise that we have fewer entrants than in 2007, but having said that we actually have more four-wheel drive cars this year. We have a very good quality start list and it’s a good signal that Rally Norway has more than matched the start list of WRC season opener Rally Ireland.” Click here for the Full Entry List Click here for the EVENT WEBSITE |
