BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team claimed its fourth consecutive rally victory with the record-breaking Focus RS World Rally Car in Finland
Finns Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen secured their maiden success on home ground, winning this ninth round of the FIA World Rally Championship by 25.1sec.
With three rounds remaining, they hold a three point lead in the drivers' championship.
Team-mates and fellow Finns Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila were third.
The podium celebrations come just four days after Ford announced it would extend its participation in the championship into 2010 and 2011.
BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team driver Mikko Hirvonen fulfilled a childhood dream by winning Rally Finland in front of his home town fans in Jyväskylä yesterday. Hirvonen and co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen won the legendary rally by 25.1sec in their Ford Focus RS World Rally Car to extend their lead in the FIA World Rally Championship to three points with three rounds remaining. It was Hirvonen's third straight rally win and Ford's fourth consecutive victory of the 2009 season.
Team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila joined their fellow Finns on the podium by claiming third in their Focus RS WRC. Latvala fought off a severe stomach upset yesterday to claim his maiden podium on his home rally. The results enabled Ford to close the gap on the leaders in the manufacturers' world title fight to 14 points, and ended a perfect week in which Ford announced it would extend its commitment to WRC for a further two years into 2010 and 2011.
Rally Finland, round nine in the 12-event championship, is the fastest rally in the series. Famous for its awesome roller-coaster jumps, Latvala topped the speed chart by winning the penultimate special stage at a remarkable average of 131.56kph. Few of the 23 gravel speed tests covering 345.15km fell below a 120kph average and even when heavy rain fell yesterday morning during the second leg, speeds remained high as the rock hard road surface softened to provide even better grip.
Hirvonen, who celebrated his 29th birthday during the first leg on Friday, added his name to the illustrious list of drivers who have mastered the sport's truest test of precision driving and bravery by leading for all but the first couple of kilometres. He steadily pulled away from closest rival Sébastien Loeb and when the Frenchman damaged a tyre yesterday afternoon, Hirvonen was able to measure his pace, reduce the risks and take an emotional victory in front of his family and friends.
"I've watched this rally since I was a kid and now I have won here myself and joined so many of the sport's legends who have won here. It's such a fantastic sensation to win my home rally that I can't put my feelings into words. It has been such a great weekend for the team that there will be big celebrations tonight. I felt in control throughout the rally. It was a great battle with Loeb and when he had a problem, I could afford to take it a little bit easier," said Hirvonen.
Latvala held fourth for most of the opening leg but his chances of improving looked slim when a stomach upset left him drained of energy yesterday morning and unable to drive at full speed. However, the 24-year-old quickly recovered and as his health improved, so did his stage times. He received the ideal tonic by climbing into third during the afternoon and maintained a fast but cautious pace for the rest of the rally to secure a podium place by 16.2sec.
"It's one of the highlights of my career to finish on the podium on my home rally," he said. "After my mistake on the final stage in Poland last month, I was under the biggest pressure of my life here and it took time to regain my rhythm and confidence. Then I fell ill, but overtaking Dani Sordo to move into third was a turning point and my times became better and better. I feel I have grown up mentally since Poland and my role for the rest of the season is to support Mikko's drivers' title challenge in the way I did here."
Abu Dhabi's Khalid Al Qassimi and Michael Orr finished ninth in the team's other Focus RS WRC. "Five of the top 10 finishers were Finns so to take ninth is a credit to the team," said Al Qassimi.
BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson described his 'dream weekend'. "Both Mikko and Jari-Matti delivered a perfect job for the team. Without question, it was Mikko's best drive. Winning Rally Finland is a turning point in his career, but I never doubted he would take victory here one day. He has increased his lead in the drivers' standings and the destination of the title could go down to the final round. Jari-Matti drove superbly, especially given the pressure he was under," he said.
Gerard Quinn, Ford of Europe's senior manager for motorsport said: "Victory in the country that is regarded as the spiritual home of rallying is a tremendous achievement. Four consecutive wins in conditions ranging from the blisteringly fast roads in Finland to the rock-strewn tracks and searing heat in Greece demands a blend of strength, speed and reliability from both man and machine and I look forward to us challenging in Australia next month."
News from other Ford teams
Matti Rantanen and Mikko Lukka finished fifth on their debut for the Munchi's team, beating Sébastien Ogier by just 0.3sec, with team-mates Federico Villagra and Jorge Perez Companc in 11th. Stobart VK M-Sport pairing Matthew Wilson and Scott Martin claimed their first point in Finland by taking eighth in a Focus RS WRC. Henning Solberg and Cato Menkerud finished 30th after restarting under SupeRally rules following yesterday's retirement with suspension and driveshaft damage.
Next round
Rally Australia returns to the series for the first time since 2006 next month. The new-look rally has crossed the country to the east coast and is based in Kingscliff, New South Wales on 3 - 6 September.
Final positions 1. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen FIN Ford Focus RS 2hr 50min 40.9sec 2. S Loeb/D Elena FRA Citroen C4 2hr 51min 06.0sec 3. J-M Latvala/M Anttila FIN Ford Focus RS 2hr 51min 30.8sec 4. D Sordo/M Marti ESP Citroen C4 2hr 51min 47.0sec 5. M Rantanen/M Lukka FIN Ford Focus RS 2hr 54min 59.1sec 6. S Ogier/J Ingrassia FRA Citroen C4 2hr 54min 59.4sec 7. J Ketomaa/M Stenberg FIN Subaru Impreza 2hr 55min 48.4sec 8. M Wilson/S Martin GBR Ford Focus RS 2hr 57min 14.5sec 9. K Al Qassimi/M Orr UAE Ford Focus RS 3hr 03min 38.2sec 10 J Hänninen/M Markkula FIN Skoda Fabia 3hr 04min 54.6sec
Drivers 1. M Hirvonen 68pts 2. S Loeb 65pts 3. D Sordo 44pts 4. J-M Latvala 31pts 5. H Solberg 27pts 6. P Solberg 25pts
Manufacturers 1. Citroen Total 119pts 2. BP Ford Abu Dhabi 105pts 3. Stobart VK M-Sport Ford 64pts 4. Citroen Junior 33pts 5. Munchi's Ford 20pts
Stage Times
Stage 20: 1. Latvala 5min 41.1sec; 2. Sordo + 2.3; 3. H Solberg + 3.7; 4. Ogier + 5.1; 5. Wilson + 6.3; 6. Hirvonen + 6.8; 12. Al Qassimi + 28.6.
Overall: 1. Hirvonen 2hr 33min 23.7sec; 2. Loeb + 35.5; 3. Latvala + 1:01.5; 4. Sordo + 1:14.3; 5. Rantanen + 4:11.7; 6. Ogier + 4:26.4; 10. Al Qassimi + 11:50.8.
Stage 21: 1. Loeb 6min 59.1sec; 2. Sordo + 1.3; 3. Ogier + 1.9; 4. Latvala + 2.0; 5. Ketomaa + 5.6; 6. H Solberg + 7.2; 7. Hirvonen + 9.4; 11. Al Qassimi + 32.7.
Overall: 1. Hirvonen 2hr 40min 32.2sec; 2. Loeb + 26.1; 3. Latvala + 54.1; 4. Sordo + 1:06.2; 5. Rantanen + 4:14.3; 6. Ogier + 4:18.9; 10. Al Qassimi + 12:14.1.
Stage 22: 1. Latvala 6min 52.1sec; 2. Sordo + 1.8; 3. Loeb + 2.2; 4. Hirvonen + 2.5; 5. Ogier + 3.3; 6. H Solberg + 5.9; 11. Al Qassimi + 35.8.
Overall: 1. Hirvonen 2hr 47min 26.8sec; 2. Loeb + 25.8; 3. Latvala + 51.6; 4. Sordo + 1:05.5; 5. Rantanen + 4:19.1; 6. Ogier + 4:19.7; 9. Al Qassimi + 12:47.4.
Stage 23: 1. Latvala 3min 12.4sec; 2. Ogier + 0.5; 3. Rantanen + 0.8; 4. Loeb + 1.0; 5. H Solberg + 1.5; 6. Hirvonen + 1.7; 10. Al Qassimi + 11.6.
Overall: 1. Hirvonen 2hr 50min 40.9sec; 2. Loeb + 25.1; 3. Latvala + 49.9; 4. Sordo + 1:06.1; 5. Rantanen + 4:18.2; 6. Ogier + 4:18.5; 9. Al Qassimi + 12:57.3.
