Hirvonen named Rally Australia winner after Citroen penalties
Hirvonen: It's a shame the thrilling battle was decided like this
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Latvala leads after Stage 15! Full Times!
Drivers happy with new Australian stages
Loeb and Hirvonen go head to head!
Entry Lists
World Rally Teams Finalise Preparations For Rally Australia
PIRELLI STAR DRIVER PRIZE AT REPCO RALLY AUSTRALIA
Petter Solberg not going to Australia
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Hirvonen named Rally Australia winner after Citroen penalties
In a shock development late on Sunday night, BP Ford Abu Dhabi Team driver Mikko Hirvonen has been named the new winner of Repco Rally Australia after Stewards handed Sebastien Loeb, Dani Sordo and Sebastien Ogier time penalties for a technical infringement.
At Sunday evening's post event scrutineering, Loeb's Citroen C4 WRC was found to be fitted with a front anti-roll bar link which did not comply with the homologation form of the car.
Representatives from the Citroen Total World Rally Team agreed that part of the anti-roll bar link on his car was different to the one on the homologation photograph.
After establishing that the C4s of Sordo and Ogier were fitted with the same part, Stewards levied a one-minute penalty on each of the three cars, as well as reprimanding the Citroen team for using a part which was not homologated.
The Citroen team are not appealing the decision, which means the amended results are now final. Click here to see the amended results.
Victory for Hirvonen means his lead over Loeb in the drivers' championship standings increases to five points. The changes mean that Citroen's advantage over Ford in the manufacturers' series is now 13 points!

Hirvonen: It's a shame the thrilling battle was decided like this
BP Ford Abu Dhabi Team driver Mikko Hirvonen has given his reaction to the late night Steward's decision which promoted him from second to first place on Repco Rally Australia.
The Stewards imposed a one minute penalty on the Citroen C4 cars that filled three of the top four places, a decision which dropped Sebastien Loeb below Hirvonen into second place and Sebastien Ogier below Jari-Matti Latvala into fifth.
"It's a shame that after such a thrilling battle for three days the result of the rally is decided in the stewards' room," said 29-year-old Hirvonen.
"I suffered a points loss in Portugal two years ago, so I know how Sebastien, in particular, must feel tonight. This decision has a major effect on the championship standings and we now go to Spain with a five point lead."

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Drivers happy with Australia route
Rally Australia has passed its first test on its return to the World Rally Championship, the drivers praising the New South Wales stages.
The crews have now completed the first day of their recce of the east coast roads.
This is the first year Australia has hosted a WRC round outside of Perth in Western Australia. Despite a long day of recce, the drivers were happy with what they'd seen.
Citroen Junior Team driver Conrad Rautenbach said: "The roads are good. They're mostly quite fast and wide, which is great.
"They're quite similar to New Zealand on some of the farm roads in Waikato - and as fast as Finland but without the crests. It's been a good day, some of the stages run through some park land, so we've seen a kangaroo and a koala bear already. This is definitely Australia!"
Rautenbach added, however, that finding the perfect solution for the car set-up could take time at Thursday morning's shakedown stage.
Running outside of Europe, the teams are not allowed to test in Australia. The teams had all sent representatives to see the roads, but today was the first time for the drivers to catch a glimpse of the stages.
"There are a few changes in the road surface and a few changes in character of the stages from what we've seen today," said Rautenbach. "It's not going to be easy to get the car set-up right straight away. We'll have to work on that."
The organisers of the event will be happy to report there have been no protests about the world championship's arrival in town. The drivers reported seeing a couple of posters telling them to go home, but nothing sinister.
The opening day of the recce ran in sunshine and 30 degree heat, the conditions which are expected to remain for this 10th round of the World Rally Championship. www.autosport.com

Loeb seeking a return to his winning ways
As the battle for the 2009 World Rally Championship moves to a brand new fixture in Australia, Citroen Total team leader Sebastien Loeb is eyeing a return to his rally winning ways as he battles to keep his chances of scoring a sixth consecutive world title alive.
After a dominating start to the season, when he won the first five rallies, the Frenchman has lost out to the Ford team drivers on the most recent four, and now trails championship leader Mikko Hirvonen by three points with three rounds to go.
Heading to the unknown challenge of this week's all-new Kingscliff-based rally, Loeb and co-driver Daniel Elena are targeting a return to the sort of form that secured them victory on the previous Perth-based event in 2004.
"Our goal is to win, or at least finish ahead of Mikko," said Loeb. "As the situation stands at the moment, the way the championship finishes is in my hands. If I win the last three rallies, I will be the World Champion. My mission will become somewhat more complex, however, if Mikko beats me just once.
"This weekend's event promises to be extremely close because Mikko is particularly strong on fast gravel, especially when the stages are new to everyone. The way recce goes will be vital, not only in terms of the precision of our pacenotes but also regarding the quality of the information we are able to provide the team in order to decide on the best set-up for the start.
"I feel rested after the recent four-week break and I have nothing against this sort of relaxed rhythm, but it is always a little bit harder to get back into the swing after a month without driving competitively," he added.
Team-mates Dani Sordo and Marc Marti are just as motivated to do well and to confirm their recent strong form on gravel, which has netted podiums in Portugal, Argentina and Poland. Even though the rally is brand new for Sordo - as it is for his opponents - the Spaniard is eager for action to begin: "I always enjoy discovering new places. Australia is a dream for many because there are few destinations which are further away from Europe. I can't wait to get back behind the wheel of my car," he said.
"I only contested Rally Australia once when it was based in Perth, and I don't have a particularly fond memory of that because my gearbox broke on the first stage. I really don't know what to expect this time round, although I do know that the stages won't be carpeted with the small round stones which used to make the Perth-based event so difficult..."
Sordo's recent form proves he is in a position to challenge the very best WRC drivers on the loose, but as the team's number two driver he knows his team goals must come first for now.
"As usual, I will try to go as quickly as possible. Citroen has a lead of 14 points in the Manufacturers' World Championship standings and my objective in Australia will be to keep the same sort of gap in order to ease the pressure going into the last two rounds. Obviously, if the situation arises, I will also do all I can to help Seb in his bid to win the Driver's title" he explained. www.wrc.com

No room for error for hat-trick Hirvonen
World Rally Championship leader Mikko Hirvonen is intent on strengthening his lead of the series in Australia next week, but has acknowledged that avoiding a no score is more important to him than taking a fourth consecutive rally victory.
A hat-trick of wins in Greece, Poland and an emotional home town success last time out in Finland for the BP Ford Abu Dhabi team leader have propelled him into a three-point lead over defending champion Sebastien Loeb ahead of next week's new-Australian event.
But with thirty points still up for grabs over the three WRC rounds which remain this season, the drivers' title fight is far from over - making a solid points haul his biggest priority.
"It's a crucial rally for the championship. I will try to win but if I can't, then I must score as many points as possible. Zero points and the title fight could be over for me this year," explained Hirvonen.
"I have a good record on new rallies, although I don't feel I do anything differently in either the recce or the rally itself. But I'll be happy if I can maintain that record," added Hirvonen, whose co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen will celebrate his 100th WRC start next week.
Hirvonen claimed his first WRC win in Australia in 2006 but the 29-year-old acknowledges that will count for nothing on new roads. "This is a brand new rally so I don't know what to expect," he said. "The roads in the west where I won in 2006 are different to those we will experience here. The tracks were covered in slippery marble-like stones but I understand these roads are more traditional gravel, which should suit me."
Drivers will only begin to develop an understanding of the characteristics of the gravel roads once the recce begins on Tuesday. However, the Ford team's tyre engineer George Black visited the area last year to examine the nature of the stages.
Hirvonen's team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala, starting his third Rally Australia, said the arduous schedule was also likely to be a key factor this time. Drivers must spend more than 14 hours behind the wheel during the first day, over 15 hours on the second and more than 11 hours on the usually short final day.
"They are long days and it will be important to adapt quickly to the time difference after the flight there and sleep a lot to be ready for this rally," he said. "Maintaining concentration will be harder than usual. In most rallies the stages are held in groups of three, but it's different here. The opening section on the first leg includes seven tests so it will be important to remain focused during the long liaison sections.
"Shorter stages usually mean the competition is close because it's more difficult to open big time gaps on short tests than it is on longer sections. The drivers' championship is looking set for an exciting finish and my job in Australia will be to score solid points to help Mikko maintain his challenge for the title," added 24-year-old Latvala. Abu Dhabi's Khalid Al Qassimi, 37, will drive a third Focus RS WRC for the team. "I am very much looking forward to the Australian east coast rally experience. The stages will be new to everyone, so we are all in the same position to give it our best shot and get the most out of the challenge. I have great confidence in my car and the team, so I just need to prove that I can perform on the unknown stages," he said. www.wrc.com

BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team Finalise Preparations For Rally Australia
With just over a week until Repco Rally Australia (3-6 September) on the Tweed Coast (New South Wales), the BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team is confident of scoring their fifth straight win of the World Rally Championship (WRC) and a unique double down under.
Rally Australia was last held outside Perth in 2006, and on that occasion Mikko Hirvonen and co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen scored their first ever victory in the WRC. Since then Hirvonen and Lehtinen have gone to score a total of 10 wins in the world’s premier production car based motor sports series. Heading to the far north coast of NSW the BP Ultimate-backed duo are leading this year’s title chase.
The Hirvonen/Lehtinen partnership has hit the lead in the WRC standings off the back of three straight wins in Sardinia (Italy), Poland and at their home event in Finland. Winning in the Rally Finland was a lifelong dream for the duo, with an estimated quarter of the country’s population heading out to the forests to watch the BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Championship Team it clearly lived up to expectations.
Hirvonen and Lehtinen, along with fellow factory supported driver Jari-Matti Latvala and co-driver Miikka Anttila will enjoy an unparalleled level of support for Rally Australia. Over 70 people will travel with the team from the team’s base in the north of England. Sea freight has travelled directly from Rally Argentina (which ran in April) with seven 40ft containers.
Two hold the eight reconnaissance cars; one is a workshop for the technicians on the event; one is a management office at one end and a kitchen for the chef at the other end; two hold all the equipment needed to set up a service park (pop-ups, ground sheets, toolboxes and associated equipment); and the final container holds wheels and a work area for the tyre engineers on the event.
Airfreight from the UK – includes six WRC cars (both for the factory and customer teams) that are sent on pallets weighing a total of 12 tonnes. There is also 10 tonnes of additional airfreight which is last minute equipment, tools, PR equipment and spare parts.
As well as the on-ground resources the BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team also sent Chief Tyre Technician George Black to view the Tweed Coast region in August 2008 after contesting the Repco Rally New Zealand. Black collected information on the composition of the competitive stages as well as other information on the region, including the roads and the weather conditions.
Another member of the BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team who has experience of rallying in NSW is Team Principal Malcolm Wilson. Wilson campaigned a very quick Ford Escort on the NSW Central Coast in 1983 and ’84. Wilson went on to contest a range of events in the WRC before taking the helm of the Ford WRC program in 1997 through his motor sports preparation business M-Sport. Together with BP/Castrol, M-Sport captured the Manufacturers’ titles in 2006 and ’07.
What Mikko Hirvonen had to say:
“I love Australia. They are nice, friendly and easy going people like me! I love the country too. Especially out of the towns and cities and into the countryside, it’s really beautiful. I’ve been to Sydney before and the Gold Coast once. I was there for a week a few years ago and I’m really looking forward to going back.”
“I think my chances are as good as they are on any rally to be honest. It’s brand new and I don’t know 100% what to expect. I know I won the event back in 2006 but the roads over on the west coast are very different to what we’re going to experience on the east coast. It’s a gravel surface which suits me and I’m hoping to do well.”
“As I’m leading the championship I’m going to be first on the road on the Friday which won’t be easy. It will be easier for me if the roads are wet. It would be great to win the event but I’m thinking the same as I was going into Rally Finland. I need to try and win but if I can’t win, then I need to get as many points as possible – zero points and the fight is over for me for this year.”
What BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson had to say:
“I’m looking forward to going back to the east coast of Australia. I haven’t been since I competed there in the 1983 ‘84. That was further south at Gosford near Sydney. I’m sure we’ll get the same warm welcome as we did on west coast. It’s going to be interesting going to an event with so many stages which is different to a current WRC format. That’s going back to the way it used to be with lots of stages during a three-day event.”
“We feel that Mikko is in a strong position to be able to challenge for the drivers’ championship and the manufacturers’ title is not out of reach. Prior to Sardinia in May it was looking difficult but the incredible thing about this sport is it can change so quickly. And it certainly has for us! We’ve hauled ourselves up after Sardinia to now being in a good position for both championships. In an ideal world Mikko needs to finish ahead of Sebastien Loeb in Australia. I’m certainly feeling more confident about drivers’ championship with only three events remaining this year.”

Preparations To Continue Unabated Despite Opponents’ Move For Court Injunction
Preparations to stage Repco Rally Australia on 3-6 September will continue unabated despite an attempt by opponents of the FIA World Rally Championship event to have it stopped in the Federal Court.
Rally Australia today was served with notice of an application for a temporary injunction by Ms Katie Milne.
Chairman of the Rally Australia Board, Alan Evans, said the move would not distract the organisers from continuing the work to stage the world’s most environmentally-friendly rally.
“This misconceived application will, of course, be vigorously defended,” Mr Evans said.
“They must know that the Federal and State Government environmental authorities have looked at all of this.
“If these people who are now wanting to go to court had any confidence at all in their position, they would have placed it before a judge months ago. All the information has been in the open for a long, long time.
“Instead, they have waited until the teams are on their way and thousands of people have made personal and financial commitments that cannot be undone before they launch their court proceedings.”
“We are fully committed to running an environmentally responsible rally for the benefit of the people of the region and the sport.”

FUTURE CHAMPIONS FIGHT FOR RICH PIRELLI STAR DRIVER PRIZE AT REPCO RALLY AUSTRALIA
WHILE Miko Hirvonen and Sebastien Loeb battle out the 2009 World Rally Championship at next month’s Repco Rally Australia, the prize of a lifetime awaits one of six young would-be contenders for a future crown.
The six, including four Australians, are Asia Pacific finalists in the Pirelli Star Driver program and will contest a winner-take-all shootout on day one of the 3-6 September Rally Australia in the New South Wales Northern Rivers.
The winner will take his place beside four other drivers aged under 28 in an exclusive WRC driver development program next year supported by the championship’s official tyre supplier, Pirelli.
In collaboration with the world motorsport governing body the FIA, the Italian manufacturer aims to kick-start the drivers’ international careers.
It’s the ultimate zero-to-hero boost for young rally hopefuls with talent but limited funds to make the leap from relative obscurity to the world stage in a single step.
The selection of drivers takes place across four continents and 30 countries, with winners whittled down to just five from Africa, the Asia Pacific, Middle East and two from Europe.
Each scores a fully-supported drive in a turbocharged, four-wheel-drive Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X Group N car, tackling six rounds of the 2010 Production World Rally Championship.
The prize also involves a full physical training and nutrition program, media training and career management at Edinburgh University in the UK. While no official value is put on the package, it’s estimated to be worth around $1 million – and priceless to the young stars it assists.
The shootout at Repco Rally Australia follows qualification rounds at the New Caledonia Rally, Rally Queensland, Rally of Whangarei in New Zealand, Rally Malaysia and Rally Hokkaido, Japan.
The Australian contingent comprises the qualifiers from Rally Queensland, Brendan Reeves and Eli Evans, and wildcard entrants Nathan Quinn and Glen Raymond.
As well as each other, they’ll be up against Haydon Paddon from New Zealand and Chaodong Lui from China.
All will contest the Thursday night and Friday day stages of Repco Rally Australia, but the winner won’t be chosen on stage results alone.
(Raymond and Evans will end their Rally Australia at this point, but the others will contest the fully event.)
Each also will be assessed by an expert international judging panel, which will review other factors such as their approach to the sport, media ability and personal presentation.
Pirelli further enhances the support of the young drivers in the Pirelli Star Driver program with a $6000 budget for the three overseas entries in the shootout. The Australian qualifiers receive $1700 and the two wild-carded Aussies must get to the rally at their own expense.

Petter Solberg not going to Australia
Petter Solberg World Rally Team will not compete in Australia.
On this website, Petter said: "- We decided that we will not attend the Rally Australia. It is our opinion that we will not be competitive enough to challenge for a podium, instead we will use the time to prepare in the best way for the two remaining events, Spain and Wales, and also continue working on our plans for next season, explains Team Manager Ken Rees. - We think it is better to put all our effort into preparing for the two last events of the season."
The next event for Petter Solberg World Rally Team will be Rally of Spain, 2 - 4 October 2009.