WRC Rally Portugal

[flying finn]

entry list > http://www.rally-live.com/wrc/en/hea...22232943.shtml

home page > http://www.rallydeportugal.pt/index.php?idioma=en

Friday March 30th > Leg 1 > 0930 - 1730
Saturday March 31th > Leg 2 > 0830 - 1800
Sunday April 1st > Leg 3 > 0700 - 1355

[BertMk2]

The entry list is looking pretty healthy for this one A friend of mine is heading out to watch this one - hopefully he'll be getting loads of pictures and putting them online at some point

Have to say I'd expect Loeb to win this one but I hope the Subarus show the pace they had iin Mexico but with more reliability.

[Knowlesy]

Solberg for the win I reckon. A feeling I have.

*Waits for Loeb to break the rallys back on Friday*

[GolddustMini]

the 2 munchis focus's will no longer be partaking due to another companc brother being critical in hospital after an indy pro spill. not that they were ever gonna set the world alight but still its 2 WRC cars less on the event.


still every cloud has a silver lining.... i get to stay at home and relaxxxxxxxxxx (well diy anyway) rather than flying to portugal!

[Knowlesy]

Gronholm fastest in the first stage. Not that it is relevant!

Apparently some spectators were injured during shakedown this morning.

[BertMk2]

The spectator injuries are fortunately not life threatening (apparently they were stood in a designated "no go" area when the car went off and hit them.)

Stage 2 is complete and Gronholm retains the lead:

1. Gronholm
2. Hirvonen
3. P Solberg
4. Loeb
5. Sordo
6. Carlsson
7. Stohl
8. Gardemeister
9. Galli
10. Wilks

The two works Fords are setting the pace, looks like it should be a good scrap between the front 5 though. Good to see that the Impreza is looking quick again too.

[sihorton]

Looking very tight at the top, been a long time since we have seen a scrap like this.
Lets hope they all keep in the running, makes it more entertaining

Si

[BertMk2]

It certainly makes a change to see a genuine fight for the lead - I'm just hoping that it continues for the rest of the rally, recently events have been pretty much all over as a contenst far too early.

Top ten after stage 4:

1. Gronholm
2. Loeb
3. Hirvonen
4. P Solberg
5. Sordo
6. Stohl
7. Carlsson
8. Atkinson
9. Latvala
10. Gardemeister

9 seconds covering the top 4 at the moment.

Guy Wilks is out after rolling the car on stage 3

[Roundy Mooney]

At least he was showing some pace. 30 seconds a stage quicker than wilson says its time for Matt to hang up the gloves and give someone who can drive a chance.

[chunder]

Have to admit that I think Wilks is a real sad case, the guy is clearly quick but has so many crashes and cant seem to hold his head under any pressure

At least Wilson is getting finishes and mileage, McHale is also doing very well for me, but Wilks is hardly getting past go every time

Think if anything he needs to hang it up and stop wasting peoples money!

[BertMk2]

Stage 5 complete, top ten:

1. Gronholm
2. Loeb
3. Hirvonen
4. P Solberg
5. Sordo
6. Stohl
7. Latvala
8. Atkinson
9. Carlsson
10. Gardemeister

The top 4 are still very close together Gronholm broke a shock absorber but retains the lead.

Wilson is 14th and McHale is 16th.

[Roundy Mooney]

Easier to make a fast driver slow down than vicesa versa. Hirovonen is case in point. He always had pace but used to stick the car off on every other corner. Wilson is way of even the "bring the car home pace". Don't get me wrong I think Wilson is a nice young fella but realistcally there is no other driver who would have been given the latitude he has had when are we going to see him let of the leash that we have be told he is on and the anwser is never because he simply does not have that pace in him.

[HrRACING]

But after not many events in various british events nobody could live with Matt.

Does this just show the gap between the good and the great!?!

[Knowlesy]

I think he can certainly be given a lot more time yet.

I don't see world champion material with him, but he will get better.

[GolddustMini]

aparently gardemeister has been excluded for driving a 3 wheel car on a road section, gone are the days of drivers dragging cars into service on the rear diff guard with no wheels! yet more diluting of the sport!


loeb leads but it looks quite close up at the top

[silver bullet]

Originally Posted by chunder

Have to admit that I think Wilks is a real sad case, the guy is clearly quick but has so many crashes and cant seem to hold his head under any pressure

At least Wilson is getting finishes and mileage, McHale is also doing very well for me, but Wilks is hardly getting past go every time

Think if anything he needs to hang it up and stop wasting peoples money!

Sorry chunder but I really have to disagree with you.
Somebody once asked Dave Richards why he stuck with Colin McRae in the early days, when all he seemed to do was crash. Richards answer was something like, "He's was a talented young driver, he was still learning, I expected him to crash a few times, if he didn't have any crashes he wouldn't have been going fast enough"
Wilkes will get there in the end, just be patient.
I feel a bit sorry for Mathew, most of the time he has been told not to push too hard, and get the car to the finish. I would like to see what he could do if the leash was let go for a few rallies and he could push as hard as he wanted to.
I still don't think he is good enough to cut it at the top level, but I would love to be proved wrong.

[Knowlesy]

Loeb steadily gapping the field...can't afford a mistake though.

*grasps at straws*

[Guffy]

Originally Posted by chunder

Have to admit that I think Wilks is a real sad case, the guy is clearly quick but has so many crashes and cant seem to hold his head under any pressure

At least Wilson is getting finishes and mileage, McHale is also doing very well for me, but Wilks is hardly getting past go every time

Think if anything he needs to hang it up and stop wasting peoples money!

I have to disagree with you aswell, I remember a few years ago on the Border Counties rally Guy was out in a WRCar(Hyundai) for the first time & won the event in heavy torrential rain, he did it again on the Grizedale stages a couple of years ago too

I've nothing against Matthew Wilson but he's only getting finishes through the Super Rally rule...!

[GolddustMini]

another loeb show, YAWN!

[Knowlesy]

Results:

1. Loeb Citroen 3h53:33.1
2. Gronholm Ford + 37.1
3. Hirvonen Ford + 2:08.1
4. Solberg Subaru + 3:13.9
5. Sordo Citroen + 5:05.3
6. Latvala Ford + 5:44.9
7. Carlsson Citroen + 8:13.2
8. Galli Citroen + 9:39.6
9. Solberg Ford + 11:12.4
10. Stohl Citroen + 12:46.0

Decent show for Latvala.

There is nothing else to say!

[flying finn]

WORLD champion Sebastien Loeb claimed the Rally of Portugal overnight, as arch rival Marcus Gronholm was demoted from second to fourth after picking up a time penalty. Gronholm, who finished 37sec behind Loeb, was penalised 5min, minutes after the windows on his Ford Focus failed to pass a post-race inspection.

Five other Ford Focus drivers suffered the same fate, including third-placed Mikko Hirvonen who dropped back to fifth. The penalties left former champion petter Solberg, 3min 13.9sec behind, with Dani Sordo taking third.

WRC Portugal Results (revised)

1. Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena > Citroen C4 > 3:53:33.1
2. Petter Solberg/Phil Mills > Subaru Impreza WRC > +3:13.9
3. Dani Sordo/Marc Marti > Citroen C4 > +5:05.3
4. Marcus Gronholm/Timo Rautiainen > Ford Focus RS > +5:37.1
5. Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen > Ford Focus RS > +7:08.1
6. Daniel Carlsson/Denis Giraudet > Citroen Xsara WRC > +8:13.2
7. Gigi Galli/Giovanni Bernacchni > Citroen Xsara WRC > +9:39.6
8. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miika Anttila > Ford Focus WRC > +10:44.9
9. Manfred Stohl/Ilka Minor > Citroen Xsara WRC > +12:46.0
10. Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Floene > Ford Focus RS04 > +13:51.6

Stewards Report > Car Nos 3, 4, 9, 10, 16, 23 – Ford Focus RS WRCs of Gronholm, Hirvonen, Latvala, H. Solberg, Wilson, MacHale

The Stewards initially received a written report from the FIA Technical Delegate which stated that the rear side windows (right and left) of Car No.3, Entrant BP-Ford World Rally Team, crew Marcus Gronholm/Timo Rautiainen did not comply with the homologation form of the car. The Stewards subsequently received another report from the FIA Technical Delegate which stated that the identical windows of cars No.4, No.9, No.10, No.16 and No 23 did not conform with the homologation requirements also.

When confronted with the evidence that the side windows measured 3mm instead of the minimum 3.5mm, the Ford representatives stated that the windows, which are made of polycarbonate, are manufacturer by a reputed manufacturer who is aware of the requirement of homologation and furthermore has been making these types of windows for a number of years.

The representatives confirmed that they had erred in not measuring the thickness of these windows before their fitment. The representatives further stated that a reduction of 0.5mm was really inconsequential as far as an attempt to attain a benefit was concerned.

The stewards agreed that a benefit was not the issue. The issue was that a technical regulation had been breached and of that there was no doubt.

The stewards then conferred amongst themselves at length seeking a solution that would be apt under the circumstances and decide to levy a five-minute time penalty on each of the above cars as well as a penalty of a reprimand to each of the entrants for the carelessness displayed in using an incorrect part.

[zac510]

That's a bit of bad luck Lucky it wasn't more of a penalty, but it's enough to put Loeb in the lead by 1pt.
Hiirvonen still close by with 30pts.

[Knowlesy]

Let's just wrap it up and give it to Sebastien now!

[djb]

its one thing when an aero part is off by "whatever" small amount, especially in F1 lets say, and while one has to agree with a penalty if there is a technical breach, one does wonder how on earth someone--and especially the "who" of this case, actually went out of their way to measure a half a mil difference in a side window. Especially a rear side window where the weight difference would probably be a few hundred grams. I'm surprised that given that it was a third party manufacturer that has supplied (I presume) windows to high level teams before, that such a penalty would be given.

I imagine from the officials pt of view, you just cant go down the slippery slope of letting something go, no matter how insignificant. That said, as I inferred, I am however much more curious of how this "irregularity" was outed in the first place.

Poor buggers though, its not like its a water pump or something ;-)

[zac510]

Water pump,

I guess the penultimate paragraph outlined it - there was very minimal benefit but there is no other interpretation of the regulation thus the breach is black and white.