Hirvonen podium in Spain sets up exciting title decider for Ford
BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen claimed a podium finish on Rally de España today to retain the lead of the FIA World Rally Championship and set up an exciting final round showdown later this month. The Finns' third place in a Ford Focus RS World Rally Car on the flowing asphalt roads of Catalonia means they will journey to the last round in Great Britain with a one-point advantage in the drivers' standings.

Team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila finished sixth in another Focus RS WRC after three days' demanding competition in the hills near Salou, south of Barcelona. The smooth roads were similar to a race circuit in their characteristics and dry conditions for all but a few kilometres on Friday morning ensured consistent grip from Pirelli's hard compound tyres. Competitors tackled 18 speed tests covering 353.62km.

Hirvonen, for whom asphalt is his least favourite surface, was realistic about his chances of extending his four-event winning streak against sealed surface experts. The 29-year-old set his sights on a podium to main his championship lead. He eased into third on the opening morning and when it became clear that he could not catch the drivers ahead, he settled for third and solid points.

"I'm a bit disappointed because I wanted second place but third keeps me in the lead of the championship," said Hirvonen. "It took me longer to get used to asphalt than I would have liked but I learned a lot and I think I now know what I need to do to improve my pace here next year. For the last two days I've driven at a safe speed, at a pace which was sufficient to keep Petter Solberg behind me in fourth. That was the sensible thing to do with the title in mind.

"All I can think about now is going to Great Britain for the final round. I'm really looking forward to it because it should be a fantastic weekend. Whoever finishes highest there between myself and Sébastien Loeb will take the title, and what an exciting way to end the season that will be," he added.

Latvala was a model of consistency throughout. He finished sixth in 13 of the opening 14 special stages to establish a firm grip on sixth overall. He experimented with different set-up specifications on his Focus RS WRC and his speed increased as the weekend progressed. The 24-year-old finished on a high by winning the final test this afternoon.

"That was a good feeling after a tough weekend and it's my first fastest time in Spain," he said. "My speed here wasn't as fast as I expected but I drove sensibly and carefully and improved with every day and every stage. I'm looking forward to getting back onto gravel in Britain later this month. I enjoy that rally and hope I can play a part in an exciting end to the championship."

Abu Dhabi's Khalid Al Qassimi and Michael Orr finished 14th in another Focus RS WRC after retiring during the first day with a fractured exhaust manifold. They returned under SupeRally rules and climbed from 42nd with a string of consistently strong times during the final two days. "Being from the Middle East, I'm used to sand and gravel terrain so driving on asphalt always requires more concentration as I'm not so familiar with the surface," said Al Qassimi. "I'm really happy with how I performed in the last two days. I enjoyed the stages and felt that my driving was smooth."

BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson reflected on a solid weekend for the team. "It's a good result for Mikko to finish on the podium in what has been quite a tricky rally. To leave Spain still leading the championship and to head to Britain with just a point separating the top drivers means we should see a fantastic battle there. Jari-Matti played a good team role and improved his pace throughout the weekend, culminating in a stage win on the final test," he said.

Ford of Europe motorsport chief Gerard Quinn said: "Last month's win in Australia was our fifth in a row and marked Ford's best-ever winning streak in the WRC. We were realistic about our chances of extending that record even further on asphalt and focused instead on preserving Mikko's championship lead. We did that and now we go to Britain for a decisive head-to-head fight for the title and what should be an exciting finale to the year."

News from other Ford teams
Stobart drivers Matthew Wilson and Scott Martin finished seventh in a Focus RS WRC, equalling their best asphalt performance. Team-mates Henning Solberg and Cato Menkerud were ninth. Munchi's drivers Federico Villagra and Jorge Perez Companc were eighth in their final round of the season but team-mates Paul Bird and Ian Windress retired on the second stage this morning after clipping a wall.

Next round
The final round of the season is Rally of Great Britain, which will be fought out over fast gravel roads in south and mid-Wales. The rally is based in Cardiff on 22 - 25 October.

Final positions
1. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 3hr 22min 14.7sec
2. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 3hr 22min 26.7sec
3. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 23min 08.8sec
4. P Solberg/P Mills NOR Citroen C4 3hr 23min 27.1sec
5. S Ogier/J Ingrassia FRA Citroen C4 3hr 23min 56.3sec
6. J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Focus RS 3hr 25min 04.5sec
7. M Wilson/S Martin GBR Ford Focus RS 3hr 29min 30.2sec
8. F Villagra/J Perez Companc ARG Ford Focus RS 3hr 30min 42.8sec
9. H Solberg/C Menkerud NOR Ford Focus RS 3hr 31min 22.3sec
10 D Snobeck/G Mondesir FRA Peugeot 307 3hr 33min 10.7sec

Drivers
1. M Hirvonen 84pts
2. S Loeb 83pts
3. D Sordo 58pts
4. J-M Latvala 39pts
5. P Solberg 30pts
6. H Solberg 29pts

Manufacturers
1. Citroen Total 151pts
2. BP Ford Abu Dhabi 130pts
3. Stobart VK M-Sport Ford 73pts
4. Citroen Junior 42pts
5. Munchi's Ford 23pts



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