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Rocky mountain tracks, punishing heat and physically demanding cockpit conditions are the hallmarks of the Acropolis Rally of Greece (29 May – 1 June), widely regarded as the toughest challenge in the FIA World Rally Championship calendar. It is a trial in which BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team, leader of both the manufacturers’ and drivers’ standings, has excelled to claim six wins in the last eight years with the Focus RS World Rally Car.

Success in Greece, round seven of the 15-event series and one of the championship’s classic fixtures, demands a blend of strength, reliability and speed. Drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen and team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila will hope to reproduce the form which powered them to second and third in Italy earlier this month to keep Ford on top in both title races. The team heads the manufacturers’ battle by seven points and Hirvonen tops the drivers’ table by three points.

The Acropolis Rally’s gravel speed tests west of Athens have a fearsome reputation. Cars must withstand severe punishment from loose rocks which litter the surface of the mountain tracks as well as hard bedrock which forms the base of the roads. Air temperatures often exceed 30ºC, placing high demands on engines and gearboxes. Because the winding roads and hairpins make this a relatively slow rally (only Argentina was slower in 2007), there is little cooling from the through-flow of air.

Drivers, too, can expect a tough time for the same reasons. There is no cooling inside the cars during special stages so cockpit temperatures are high and fitness plays a crucial role. A regular fluid intake is also vital to stave off dehydration and ensure drivers and co-drivers operate at peak performance.

Twenty-seven-year-old Hirvonen finished third in both 2006 and 2007 and five starts have given him plenty of experience of what lies ahead.

“The Acropolis is usually the hottest rally in the championship but having been to Jordan last month where temperatures were close to 40ºC, I don’t think we will experience that kind of heat here,” said Hirvonen. “Although Jordan was also abrasive, I think Greece will be more so. There are plenty of loose rocks, especially during the second pass of stages, and the road base is hard bedrock. That’s why the rally has earned its reputation as a car-breaker.

“The conditions are tough on cars and tyres but I’m not worried about either. The Focus RS has proved its strength many times. Pirelli’s tyres have also been remarkably strong this year with few punctures. The heat and rough roads will combine to make tyre wear greater than on other gravel events so I’ll need to remember that I must look after them,” he added.

Latvala, fourth in the drivers’ standings, made his World Rally Car debut in a Focus RS in Greece in 2003 when he was just 18. “That was a very special moment,” said the 23-year-old Finn. “It was only my second world rally and I was so tired from the heat because it was a new experience for me in the hot conditions. My car was totally reliable and I finished 10th, which at 18 years old was amazing.

“This is my fifth start but I expect it to be just as tough. Last year’s rally contained a 48km stage which gave us difficulties with tyres. This year that test has been split into two so it should be easier for tyres, cars and drivers. My podium in Italy has given me great confidence after Argentina and Jordan weren’t so good for me, and I believe I can take that pace to Greece,” added Latvala.

Abu Dhabi’s Khalid Al Qassimi and Michael Orr will drive a third team Focus RS on a rally that the 36-year-old driver finished in 2004 and 2006. “A lot has changed since then but it’s still a very rough rally,” he said. “Some places are similar to Jordan, others to Sardinia, but some are distinctive only to the Acropolis. Although there are several new stages, Michael has a lot of experience here. Together we had a long consultation with my engineers after Sardinia and I hope we see the results in Greece.

“Without testing things are always difficult and I’m going to have to keep improving my technique and adapting my style as I go along. I’ll start at a comfortable pace and see how the car is reacting. If things are going well, I’ll increase my pace,” he added.

Team News

* As part of the sport’s new regulations, BP Ford Abu Dhabi will have just one tyre pattern from Pirelli. The Scorpion gravel tyre will be available in hard compound only. Because anti-deflation mousse is also outlawed this year, the Scorpion includes reinforced sidewalls to offer increased protection against punctures Teams are not allowed to hand-carve additional cuts into the rubber and each car can carry two spares.

* Five other Focus RS cars will start the rally. Gigi Galli / Giovanni Bernacchini and Henning Solberg / Cato Menkerud are nominated for points by the Stobart VK M-Sport team while Matthew Wilson / Scott Martin will drive a third car. Munchi’s Ford World Rally Team has nominated Federico Villagra / Jorge Pérez Companc and Greeks Aris Vovos / ‘El-Em’ to score.

* Hirvonen will conduct a two-day asphalt test in Scotland on 5 – 6 June.

* Lehtinen attended Wednesday’s night’s UEFA Champions League soccer final between Manchester United and Chelsea in Moscow as a guest of Ford of Europe. Ford is a major partner of the Champions League and used the half-time break to premiere its 60-second TV advertisement for the all-new Kuga vehicle.

Rally Route

For the third consecutive year, the rally has a new base. It will be centred at the military airport of Tatoi, 20km north of the centre of Athens. The airfield hosted a stage of the rally in 1975 and this year will also be home to a gravel super special stage on Friday evening and the rally’s finale on Sunday afternoon. Also new for 2008 is the start ceremony at the famous Acropolis, high above the city and for many years the traditional start location. The route itself is broadly similar to 2007. The opening leg heads north and west of Athens, and contains the only all-new test of the rally. The second day is the longest of the event and takes competitors west of the city, passing close to the Corinth Canal. The final day is again north-west of the city before the finish ceremony at Tatoi. Drivers tackle 20 tests covering 339.94km in a total route of 1311.32km.

Following three consecutive fixtures outside Europe, BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team steps up the pace in the FIA World Rally Championship next week as the series returns there for the first time since February. After mastering near 40ºC temperatures with victory in Jordan last month, the heat is turned up metaphorically for the championship leader as Rally d’Italia Sardegna (15 – 18 May) marks the first of a burst of three Mediterranean rallies in five weekends to take the series to the summer halt.

Although this is round six of the 15-event championship, the speed tests on Italy’s sun-kissed holiday island mark the first occasion in which Ford’s WRC gladiators will taste European gravel this season – it is quickly followed by Greece and Turkey. The industrial town of Olbia, below the shimmering Costa Smeralda coastline in the north-east of the island, provides the rally base while Porto Cervo, one of Europe’s most luxurious resorts, hosts the start and finish ceremonies.

A key characteristic of Sardinia’s speed tests is their narrowness and drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen and team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila know mistakes can be punished as rocks line the edge of the tracks, waiting to batter a car’s suspension or attack its tyres. A sandy surface masks a hard base below and roads can be rutted and rocky during the second pass, demanding strength from the team’s Focus RS World Rally Cars and durability from Pirelli’s Scorpion tyres.

Hirvonen’s first win of the season, in Jordan, helped Ford extend its manufacturers’ series lead to seven points and took him back to the top of the drivers’ table with a five point advantage. Hirvonen finished second here in 2006 and 2007 so knows what it takes to be successful on this challenging event.

“The stages are narrow but fast and although there are rough sections, it’s by no means the roughest rally of the season. It’s the first hot gravel rally in Europe but we have good knowledge of how Pirelli’s tyres work in those conditions from Mexico and Jordan. The roads are probably rougher than either of those events but they’re not too harsh on tyres and I have no concerns about that.

“Because I lead the championship, I’m first in the start order on Friday. That’s never the best place on a dry gravel rally because the first car cleans the loose stones and those behind have a better driving line. But it’s not usually a big disadvantage in Sardinia and I’m not going to worry about that. My focus is finding the right speed on Friday morning because I can’t afford to let any driver break clear. At the end of the first day in Jordan four cars were covered by less than 15sec. It could be just as close in Sardinia and I need to be in that group,” added the 27-year-old Finn.

Latvala’s best result from two starts in Sardinia is ninth last year but the 23-year-old Finn is eager to use his sparkling pace on gravel to better that. “For some drivers Sardinia is not a favourite but the island holds good memories for me,” he said. “Before graduating to the WRC I drove two national rallies on the island on similar roads and last year here I led a world rally for the first time. The roads are narrow and fast, but there are many rocks on the inside and outside of bends so I will need to be precise in my driving because it’s easy to hit one and damage the suspension.

“My final position on the last round in Jordan was disappointing after challenging for the win for most of the event, but I came away with more positives than negatives. I was happy with my speed and I plan to work on the car’s set-up during my test this weekend. I was a little too sideways in Jordan and I want to find a better balance with the car on these tyres,” he added.

Abu Dhabi’s Khalid Al Qassimi will start in Sardinia for the first time, partnered by experienced co-driver Michael Orr. “It’s going to be a completely new terrain so the recce will be important,” said 36-year-old Al Qassimi. “The most important thing is the learning. You have to be familiar with any new terrain to go fast – a driver’s first event anywhere is always for experience. I have to learn techniques and develop my pace notes so I’ll pay close attention to what Mikko and Jari-Matti tell me. The BP Ford Abu Dhabi technicians have a lot of experience of this event so I’ll rely on my team to guide me. Just finishing the event will be the most important thing, not my position.”

Team News

* As part of the sport’s new regulations, BP Ford Abu Dhabi will have just one tyre pattern from Pirelli. The Scorpion gravel tyre will be available in hard compound only. Because anti-deflation mousse is also outlawed this year, the Scorpion includes reinforced sidewalls to offer increased protection against punctures Teams are not allowed to hand-carve additional cuts into the rubber and each car can carry two spares.

* Six other Focus RS cars will start the rally – the highest representation so far this season. Gigi Galli / Giovanni Bernacchini and Matthew Wilson / Scott Martin will be nominated for points by the Stobart VK M-Sport team. Munchi’s Ford World Rally Team has nominated Federico Villagra / Jorge Pérez Companc and Henning Solberg / Cato Menkerud to score. Additional privately-entered Focus RS cars will be driven by Andreas Mikkelsen / Ola Floene and Peter Van Merksteijn / Hans Van Beek.

* The team’s three day test in Sardinia ends tomorrow (Saturday). Hirvonen completed the opening two days before Latvala takes over for the last day. Both are concentrating on finalising car set-up.

* Ford Italy is a major partner of the rally. It will provide 20 of Ford’s new Kuga cars to the organisers and 50 C-MAX vehicles. The four-wheel drive Kuga is Ford of Europe’s first entry into the crossover market and goes on sale across Europe this summer.

* Hirvonen and Lehtinen will attend the Champions League soccer final between Manchester United and Chelsea in Moscow on Wednesday 21 May as guests of Ford of Europe. Ford is a major partner of the Champions League. Sadly for the Finns, both are fans of beaten semi-finalists Liverpool.

Rally Route

The base remains in Olbia, with the single service park in the town’s port, but organisers have maintained their policy of ringing the changes with 29 per cent of the stages new and some competitive distance used in the opposite direction to previous years. The exclusive coastal resort of Porto Cervo again hosts both the start and finish ceremonies. Much of the new distance is covered on the opening day which nevertheless returns to traditional territory south of Olbia in the Nuoro region. The second leg is similar to last year, covering more inland tests in Gallura and including the spectacular Monte Lerno jump. The final day moves away from Tempio Pausania and Arzachena for tests south of Olbia before a short, final stage just south of Porto Cervo in the famous Cala di Volpe gulf. Drivers tackle 17 stages covering 344.73km in a route of 1040.35km.

Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen claimed their first victory of the season on an enthralling Jordan Rally today. The BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team pair returned to the lead of the drivers’ standings in the FIA World Rally Championship after winning by 1min 15.7sec in a Focus RS World Rally Car. Team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila were seventh in another Focus RS, as reigning world champion Ford extended its lead in the manufacturers’ championship to seven points.

Jordan’s debut in the WRC marked the first Arab rally to appear in the series since 1976. Blistering temperatures, which hovered just below 40ºC for much of the three-day event, and hard-packed gravel speed tests in the Jordan Valley made it a punishing event for man and machine. However, the Focus RS excelled and showed a blend of speed, strength and reliability to fill seven of the top nine places.

This fifth round of the series was based on the shores of the Dead Sea, and competitors raced through the earth’s lowest land point at more than 400 metres below sea level. They tackled 22 speed tests covering 359.26km, the bulk of which were on purpose-built roads amid stunning Jordanian scenery.

Tactics played a huge part in BP Ford Abu Dhabi’s success. After Latvala and Hirvonen climbed to first and second yesterday afternoon, they slowed during the final metres of yesterday’s last special stage to allow main rival Dani Sordo to hold the overnight lead. In doing so, the Focus RS drivers forced the Spaniard into first in today’s start order, handing him the disadvantage of sweeping slippery loose gravel from the roads to allow the Finnish pairing a cleaner and faster line behind.

Their strategy worked perfectly and both Latvala and Hirvonen leapfrogged Sordo on the first stage this morning. When Latvala suffered suspension problems, 27-year-old Hirvonen broke clear and went into the final stage along the border between Jordan and Israel’s West Bank with a 23.7sec advantage over Sordo, which he extended during that final test.

“My strategy paid off but I was nervous in the final stage,” said Hirvonen. “No split times were available for Sordo and I didn’t know how hard he was pushing. I really needed these 10 points and this is a great result for my championship challenge. I need to keep my feet on the ground and continue trying to find more speed and more wins. I’ve learned how important it is to consistently score points on every rally but 10 is perfect. It was a tough rally but it’s good to lead the series again.

“When I woke up it was raining but as we were in Jordan I hoped it wouldn’t last so that the gravel wasn’t dampened down. It stopped quickly, although I expected the driving line to be cleaner. It was really slippery, just like the ball-bearing surface in Australia, and hard to keep on the road,” he added.

Latvala’s victory hopes ended when he dropped almost a minute in today’s second stage with broken rear left suspension. The crew worked feverishly to bind the suspension together sufficiently for the next marathon 41km stage and they did a superb job to simply complete the test. They dropped 10 minutes to fall to eighth and returned to the service park where the mechanics did an equally impressive job to replace the gearbox, rear differential and rear suspension and keep 23-year-old Latvala in the points. He climbed to seventh during the final loop.

“In the morning’s first stage I hit a rock, but felt nothing,” he said. “Halfway through the next test the support link in the rear left suspension snapped. After the stage we tried to strap the suspension together but it wouldn’t hold and I had to drive many kilometres with the tyre bent in. I was lucky to get back. I had two perfect days on Friday and Saturday but today was a long one. I need to be more consistent and concentrate without making mistakes. I’m disappointed not to score more points.”

Abu Dhabi’s Khalid Al Qassimi and Michael Orr finished ninth in another Focus RS. Al Qassimi was seventh and on course to score his first points until punctures on the final stage cost two places. However, it was still his best WRC finish. “I’m happy but also a little disappointed because I suffered two flat tyres on the last stage when I was fighting for a drivers’ point. I had to stop and fix both tyres, which cost me lots of time. I’ve never been in a points scoring position before and unfortunately luck wasn’t on my side.

BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson said: “It was almost a dream weekend, but it was a fantastic team performance. Our strategy worked perfectly and it’s great for Mikko to claim his first win this season and for us to lead both championships again. Full credit to Jari-Matti for nursing the car back to the service park after his problems. Compliments to the rally organisers – on their first time in the WRC, they created a classic event.”

A spectating Ford of Europe President and CEO John Fleming said: “For the past three days I’ve seen just how demanding this rally is. The heat was intense, the stages were tough and only the fittest survived. But we did more than survive – we won the rally and the Focus RS packed the leaderboard. It’s great to see the Blue Oval back on top of both the manufacturers’ and drivers’ standings.

Ford of Europe’s motorsport director Mark Deans said: “Despite the high temperatures and arduous road conditions, to place seven cars in the top nine is a tribute to the performance and durability of the Ford Focus.”

News from our Rivals

Starting first on the road cost Dani Sordo (Citroen) valuable time today. He had to settle for second after a spin on the final stage cost more than 40sec. Chris Atkinson (Subaru) scored his fourth podium in five events in third with Stobart’s Henning Solberg (Ford) in fourth. Fifth-placed Matthew Wilson (Ford) clipped a bridge parapet on the final stage this morning and punctured the rear left tyre. The Stobart driver had to stop and replace it, losing two minutes and fourth place. He held off the challenge from Munchi’s Federico Villagra (Ford), who equalled a career-best sixth. Urmo Aava (Citroen) retired from fifth after breaking his car’s front right suspension in the second stage this morning, while Per-Gunnar Andersson (Suzuki) retired on the next test after sliding into a ditch.

BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team goes into tomorrow’s final day of the Jordan Rally perfectly poised to challenge for victory on this fifth round of the FIA World Rally Championship. Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila lie second in a Ford Focus RS World Rally Car with team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen in third, just 1.9sec behind their fellow Finns. Both are within striking distance of leader Dani Sordo as only 10.4sec cover the leading trio.

Tactics played a key part during today’s closing kilometres, played out at the lowest point on earth on the shores of the Dead Sea, more than 400 metres below sea level. Going into the final speed test, Latvala led Hirvonen by 4.6sec with Sordo another 6.5sec behind. Those standings would have placed the BP Ford Abu Dhabi duo in the first two start positions for the final leg, forcing them to sweep slippery loose gravel from the hard-packed roads and give Sordo a cleaner and faster line behind.

With Sordo in that unenviable position today, the team was able to monitor the Spaniard’s pace and transmit his stage time to the cars of Latvala and Hirvonen behind. Both drivers then elected to ease their pace before the finish of the test to ensure they dropped behind Sordo on the leaderboard and earn a more advantageous road position for tomorrow.

Drivers today tackled two identical loops of four gravel stages, covering 109.84km, south-west of Amman. Temperatures again hovered around 35ºC, although intermittent cloud cover offered some relief for drivers and fans enjoying the Easter holiday here.

Twenty-three-year-old Latvala started the day in third and posted three second fastest times over the four tests to climb to second and close in on Sordo. He took the lead on the opening stage this afternoon and remained there until tactics came into play on the final test. “We had a pre-event team strategy not to be first on the road tomorrow so I slowed before the finish,” he said. “I believe it’s the right tactic bit it was a strange feeling having to slow the car down. I pushed as hard as possible until then. It will be a hard day tomorrow but I need to sleep well and attack hard. When I wake up tomorrow, I want to win this rally so I need to be both careful and very fast.

“I made quite a few mistakes this morning and couldn’t find my confidence. I couldn’t respond to Sébastien Loeb’s speed. I slid wide too often and also ended in a field after a crest on stage 11 because my pace note was wrong. Luckily I didn’t damage the car. This afternoon I felt more comfortable and my performance improved,” he added.

Hirvonen, fourth last night, climbed to third this morning. The 27-year-old followed Latvala passed Sordo to take second when he was fastest on this afternoon’s opening stage, before he too played his tactical card. “With lots of loose gravel on the road surface of tomorrow’s stages, my plan was to ensure I didn’t start the final day first,” he said. “Things were made easier for us when Loeb retired. He set incredible times at the front and it seemed as though our plan might not work as he was building a big lead but he had an accident and now things look good.

“I’m sure I’ll have to fight all day tomorrow. Sordo will be fast on the second pass of the stages when the roads are cleaner, even if he loses time on the first pass, and Jari-Matti will be tough to beat. I made no mistakes but when I tried to push hard it was difficult to gain time. I couldn’t believe it when I saw Loeb’s accident. It was on a very narrow section of road just after a crest,” added Hirvonen.

Abu Dhabi’s Khalid Al Qassimi and Michael Orr climbed to ninth in another Focus RS. “I started well this morning and had good pace. But at the end of a long straight in stage 10 I hit the brakes, nothing happened and I banked the car. Thankfully there wasn’t much damage and I put the car into neutral, got out and completed the stage. My confidence was a bit low after that but I was able to build it back up again,” said Al Qassimi.

BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson explained the team’s tactics. “We monitored Dani Sordo’s split times and gave our drivers his final stage time. It was down to the drivers to implement the team strategy that we discussed before the event and that strategy was to run second and third on the road for the final day,” he said.

News from our Rivals

Sébastien Loeb (Citroen) stormed into a 34sec lead after winning the first three stages. But he was sidelined following a head-on collision with Conrad Rautenbach’s (Citroen) car on a narrow two-way access road leading to and from stage 11. Nobody was injured but both retired. Dani Sordo (Citroen) regained the lead but was relegated by Latvala and Hirvonen before the final stage tactics. His only problem was a slow rear right puncture in stage 13. Seven Focus RS cars fill the top 10 with Stobart’s Matthew Wilson and Henning Solberg and Munchi’s Federico Villagra in points positions. Gigi Galli won the final three stages as he recovered to 10th after yesterday’s retirement. Petter Solberg (Subaru), competing under SupeRally rules, retired for the second day after going off the road on the final stage.

Measured performances in the furnace of the Dead Sea valley placed BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team in the ideal position following the opening day of the Jordan Rally. Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila lie third on this fifth round of the FIA World Rally Championship, with team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen fourth after an enthralling day’s competition on the WRC’s first visit to an Arab country since 1976. Both pairings are driving Ford Focus RS World Rally Cars.

The early starters are disadvantaged by slippery loose stones on top of the hard-packed gravel roads south-west of the capital city of Amman. By ending the first leg of this three-day rally in third and fourth, just a few seconds behind the leading pair, BP Ford Abu Dhabi’s duo will inherit those positions in the start order tomorrow morning. Their rivals ahead will face the worst of the conditions, sweeping away the gravel to leave a cleaner and faster driving line for the Focus RS pair behind.

As a newcomer to the WRC, none of the front-running drivers had competitive experience of Jordan’s speed tests, most of which have been purpose-built for the rally. Also new to most were the extreme temperatures. Shade temperatures hovered just below 40ºC for the past two days and several degrees higher in the sun. Although 36ºC was today’s high, it was still uncomfortably hot inside the cars as competitors tackled eight special stages covering 115.18km. Three were held below sea level and one reached the world’s lowest land point at more than 400 metres beneath sea level.

Latvala settled into third this morning before climbing to second on the final special stage of the loop. The 23-year-old Finn admitted he was finding it tricky to acclimatise to the roads. “They were more slippery than I thought and it was hard to be fully confident,” he said. “The gravel roads are as hard as asphalt so the tyres were spinning because they didn’t break the surface. I spent too much time sideways, which was wearing my tyres, so I tried to change my driving style. It’s so different from any other event and they’re not my favourite roads, but I need to be able to drive on every surface.”

He opened the afternoon with fastest time on the stage along the shore of the Dead Sea before settling for top three times on the final three tests. He is 8.5sec behind leader Dani Sordo.

“It’s an interesting battle and I didn’t expect it to be this close. My speed is good and I have a great start position tomorrow so I’ll see how things go in the morning, before deciding whether to push in the afternoon or steady my pace. My confidence improved this afternoon but I’m still working my tyres too hard. I tried to brake softly and be more precise in my driving but I have more to do,” he added.

Hirvonen ended the morning fifth. Because he was second in the start order, the 27-year-old Finn had to cope with slippery gravel on the surface but a more serious hazard arose 7km from the finish of the second stage, the 20.00km Mahes.

“I had one of the luckiest escapes ever,” he said. “My pace notes were too optimistic and I came over a crest too fast and went off when the road turned immediately afterwards. There were some huge rocks which I just managed to avoid but I slightly damaged the rear right suspension. It didn’t cost much time but the handling felt strange afterwards.”

On this afternoon’s repeat stages Hirvonen climbed to fourth, winning the final test and lying just 13.4sec from the lead. “Everything went to plan this afternoon. I didn’t push too hard because there were many loose rocks in the road and I didn’t want to hit one and damage the tyres. I attacked on the last gap to ensure the gap wasn’t too large tonight and I’m happy with how it went today,” he added.

Abu Dhabi’s Khalid Al Qassimi and co-driver Michael Orr are 10th in another Focus RS, despite stalling several times at the start of the second stage and a small fire. “This hasn’t been a good day for me,” said Al Qassimi. “The back of the car caught fire at the end of stage six. The fire brigade had to put it out and although the next stage went OK, the flames were back at the end of stage eight.” The problem was traced to a turbo sensor failure, which allowed the turbo to become too hot.

News from our Rivals

Dani Sordo (Citroen) led from the start, the Spaniard winning three stages to lead team-mate Sébastien Loeb by 1.1sec. The Frenchman also claimed three stage wins. Behind the BP Ford Abu Dhabi duo, Chris Atkinson (Subaru) held fifth with Urmo Aava (Citroen) an impressive sixth. The remaining four places in the top 10 were all claimed by Focus RS cars, headed by Stobart’s Matthew Wilson in seventh. Per-Gunnar Andersson (Suzuki) retired after going off on the opening stage while team-mate Toni Gardemeister stopped with engine problems after stage 2. Petter Solberg (Subaru) retired from fifth with broken front suspension after stage six and Stobart driver Gigi Galli (Ford) retired from sixth after the same test. The Italian slid into a bank, damaging the rear differential cooler and exhaust, and the differential seized in the high temperatures. He will restart tomorrow under SupeRally rules.

BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team can expect to experience a mix of highs and lows during the course of the 15-round FIA World Rally Championship season – both literally and metaphorically. After tackling the two highest rounds in the championship in Mexico and Argentina last month, the leaders of the manufacturers’ championship will aspire to a high in the lowlands of Jordan next week when the fifth round of the series takes the team to the lowest point on earth at the Dead Sea.

Rally Jordan (24 – 27 April) is the first WRC round in an Arab country since 1976 and represents a step into the unknown for Ford’s Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen and team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila. Neither pairing has visited Jordan before, so the characteristics of the Middle East roads and the vagaries of the conditions will offer a steep learning curve for the Finnish quartet as they strive to extend Ford’s three-point series lead in their Focus RS World Rally Cars.

The rally is based on the shores of the Dead Sea, 420 metres below sea level, and the location will provide a boost to the Focus RS’ engine performance. In contrast to Mexico and Argentina where low air pressure at altitude meant less oxygen was available to burn fuel in the engine, resulting in less power, the opposite will be true in Jordan.

The speed tests will be held in west and north of the country and Government support has enabled organisers to build several new gravel roads specifically for the rally. With rain extremely unlikely, conditions will be dusty and it promises to be gruelling for drivers with temperatures forecast to be well in excess of 30ºC initially, before cooling slightly as the rally progresses.

Twenty-seven-year-old Hirvonen, who is second in the drivers’ championship, is relishing the prospect of attacking Jordan’s roads. “I’ve never been there but I’ve spoken to some drivers who have and seen photographs from our team, who visited the candidate rally last year,” he said. “The roads look smooth and it seems as though the organisers have done a good job in preparing them. They look fast and flowing, like Finland but without the jumps, so if that’s the case they should be good for me.

“Sunday’s final leg is the longest of the rally, which is quite different to most events. If a driver has large time gaps in front or behind then there will be more kilometres than usual in which to keep an eye on things. But if the time gaps are just 20 or 30 seconds, there could still be a lot to fight for on the final day. I was happier with my speed on the first morning during the last round in Argentina. The poor conditions probably helped me initially, but when they improved I still took some time from Sébastien Loeb and so it was definitely an improvement,” added Hirvonen.

Latvala is unconcerned about tackling a new rally. “I think it’s good because everyone is in the same position and knowledge of the roads isn’t an issue,” he said. “We have to be careful when making pace notes during the recce so we’re confident with them for the rally. The recce vehicle is fitted with an in-car camera to film the stages so I can watch them before the start. It helps me to remember the stages because it’s like a third recce pass over the roads, but it does look different on video than in reality.

“Last year there were three new rallies in the championship and I enjoyed the challenge of those so I’m looking forward to Jordan. I understand the roads are hard and fast so they should suit me. Although it’s my first time in Jordan, car set-up isn’t a concern. Now I have a set-up that feels good, I use that as a base for most rallies and don’t need to make big changes, just a little fine tuning in places,” he added.

Abu Dhabi’s Khalid Al Qassimi and Michael Orr will drive a third team Focus RS on their first outing since February’s Swedish Rally, and Al Qassimi’s first gravel event since Rally Finland in August. His background is in the FIA Middle East Rally Championship and he won the Jordan Rally last year when it was a candidate WRC round. He is the only leading driver with previous competitive experience of these roads.

“I’ve competed here six or seven times but the desert stages on which we used to drive have been replaced by new roads,” said 36-year-old Al Qassimi. “This year about 40 per cent of the stages are different from 2007. The roads are so smooth it’s like driving on asphalt – only the brown colour tells you they are not. I won last year by only pushing at 50 per cent and that’s the pace at which I will start this year. If I feel good after the first couple of stages, then I will try to push harder. This is my first rally on Pirelli’s new gravel tyre so I will need some time to learn about it.”

Team News

* As part of the sport’s new regulations, BP Ford Abu Dhabi will have just one tyre pattern from Pirelli. The Scorpion gravel tyre will be available in hard compound only. Because anti-deflation mousse is also outlawed this year, the Scorpion includes reinforced sidewalls to offer increased protection against punctures Teams are not allowed to hand-carve additional cuts into the rubber and each car can carry two spares.

* Five other Focus RS cars will start the rally. Gigi Galli / Giovanni Bernacchini and Henning Solberg / Cato Menkerud will be nominated for points by the Stobart VK M-Sport team. Matthew Wilson / Scott Martin will drive a third Stobart car. Munchi’s Ford World Rally Team has nominated Federico Villagra / Jorge Pérez Companc and Luis Pérez Companc / José María Volta to score.

* BP Ford Abu Dhabi held a four-day test on gravel in northern Spain this week. Hirvonen drove for the first two days with Latvala taking over for the final two days of the test, which finished yesterday. The two drivers covered 680km, with the first three days in dry conditions before heavy rain on the last day. The test concentrated on development work with engine and suspension parts.

Rally Route

The rally is based at the Dead Sea, 50km south-west of Amman and at 427m below sea level, the lowest point on earth. The stages will run through historical and biblical sites around the Jordan Valley and Rumman forests, and all except one are fully or partially below sea level. World famous areas including the Baptism site of Jesus and Mount Nebo, where Moses looked over the Promised Land, will be part of the rally route. Each day comprises two identical loops of tests with some roads being used four times over two separate legs. The final leg is the longest and contains a sting in the tail with two passes over the twisty 41.45km Jordan River stage which runs through ‘no man’s land’ on the Jordan – Palestine border. Drivers tackle 22 stages covering 359.26km in a route of 983.44km.

BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team retained its lead in the FIA World Rally Championship after a punishing fourth round in Argentina this weekend. Resilient performances from Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen and team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila in Ford Focus RS World Rally Cars earned the squad a solid points score on the rain-hit Rally Argentina. The double world champions now lead the manufacturers’ standings by three points.

Hirvonen and Lehtinen staged a tremendous fightback after suspension problems on the opening day to finish fifth, while fellow Finns Latvala and Anttila recovered from a first day roll and a broken starter motor yesterday to finish 15th. The double points haul was far more than had looked possible midway through yesterday’s second leg as rocky roads and treacherous conditions sparked a high rate of attrition among the leading drivers.

Heavy rain before and during the event meant the sandy gravel roads near Carlos Paz in Cordoba province were muddy and rutted. As the roads became softer, rocks that had not been visible during the recce became exposed, causing problems for many. Despite the rain, an estimated 1.5 million people flocked into the pampas and the mountains to watch the three-day event, which was fought out over 21 speed tests covering 347.91km.

Hirvonen was a comfortable leader during the first morning until he hit a rock, breaking a track control arm in the front suspension and he was sidelined for the day. The 27-year-old Finn restarted yesterday in 25th and avoided the carnage affecting those around him to power back to sixth. He took no risks on today’s final leg, the bulk of which was based amid the lunar-like landscape of the Traslasierra mountains and contained two of the rockiest and toughest speed tests of the season. He gained one more position and leaves south America second in the drivers’ standings, five points behind the leader.

“After Friday’s problems, I never thought I could climb this high,” said Hirvonen. “I’m surprised to score points and luckily Loeb isn’t so far ahead in the championship. He’s only five points in front and I thought it would be nine, so that’s some comfort. But I’m still disappointed because I made such a good start to lead and I could have won, but that’s life. I found more speed than I had on the last round in Mexico but today I drove carefully because conditions were slippery and foggy.”

Latvala dropped nine minutes with a roll on the opening morning, but recovered to eighth until an impact with a rock yesterday morning shattered his car’s starter motor and he exceeded the permitted time limit. He restarted this morning in 21st and won two of the three special stages to climb to 15th, which was good enough for two points in the manufacturers’ championship. The 22-year-old is now fourth in the drivers’ standings.

“My performance was disappointing but I think these were the most difficult conditions I’ve encountered,” he said. “I’ve had to adapt to different ways of driving to match the conditions. I’m surprised to score points for the team because yesterday I thought we had lost everything and wasn’t motivated, but my confidence came back this morning. One thing I learned from yesterday was that I need to check the engine after an impact, even when everything seems OK. I’ve also gained good experience of Pirelli’s tyres in wet and muddy conditions which will be good for future events.”

BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson reflected on an event that he described ‘as the worst for the team since the China Rally in 1999′. “But our team spirit shone through after a tough opening day, we recovered well and we still lead the championship. We salvaged good points from a tricky situation and that was far better than it looked earlier in the rally,” he said.

Ford of Europe motorsport director Mark Deans said: “This proved one of the toughest rallies in recent years. We had our share of problems but the Focus RS proved strong enough and fast enough to fight back and score the points which keeps us at the head of the championship table.”

News from our Rivals

Sébastien Loeb (Citroen) secured his fourth consecutive Rally Argentina victory, crossing the finish with a 2min 33.2sec advantage. Petter Solberg (Subaru) was on course for second but the Norwegian stopped on the opening stage with electrical problems. Team-mate Chris Atkinson benefited to take his second consecutive runners-up position ahead of Dani Sordo (Citroen). Privateer Conrad Rautenbach (Citroen) took a career-best fourth with Munchi’s Federico Villagra (Ford) claiming his best WRC result in sixth. The problems continued to pile up for the leading drivers. Stobart’s Matthew Wilson and Henning Solberg (both Ford) each stopped with broken front suspension while Toni Gardemeister (Suzuki) suffered his third retirement of the weekend with broken power steering.

Next round

The championship’s third consecutive event outside Europe takes teams to Jordan next month for the first time. The all-gravel Jordan Rally is based at the Dead Sea on 24 – 27 April.

BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team increased its advantage at the head of the FIA World Rally Championship after a strong double points haul in Mexico today. The team, chasing its third consecutive manufacturers’ world title, is 12 points clear with the Focus RS World Rally Car after Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila finished third in Rally Mexico and team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen claimed fourth.

Hirvonen retains the lead in the drivers’ standings after this third round of the 15-rally series, the 27-year-old Finn ahead by one point. Latvala lies third, five points behind his team-mate.

This opening gravel event of the season proved a tough challenge and few escaped problems over the three days and 331.45km of competition in the mountains of central Mexico, near León. The high altitude speed tests, which climbed to more than 2700m, meant engines lost about 25 percent of their normal power in the thinner air while the rocky tracks proved a constant hazard for the unwary.

Latvala, who led after Friday’s opening action, started today’s final day in third after a turbo pipe problem yesterday afternoon. With no pressure from behind and no chance of making progress up the leaderboard, the 22-year-old Finn paced himself through the final three special stages (the second test was cancelled for safety reasons due to the volume of spectators), but was still fastest on the opening stage to secure a podium finish.

“It’s an important result for me and it’s a good result for the team and our championship challenge,” he said. “I achieved my goal of being on the podium and it’s just a shame we had a problem yesterday when fighting for the lead. But if I think about things closely, it has been a good weekend and I don’t have any complaints. The best aspect was being able to challenge Loeb and match his times and I hope I can get just as close to him in the future because I had good speed this weekend.”

Hirvonen began the morning in fifth, after losing time through punctures on Friday and Saturday combined with being first in the start order and sweeping the roads clean of loose stones on the opening day. He was within striking distance of fourth and fastest time on the penultimate test moved him just ahead of Henning Solberg. He consolidated fourth on the final stage when the Norwegian struck trouble.

“I tried to catch Henning but when stage 18 was cancelled, I decided I didn’t have enough kilometres left in which to do it,” said Hirvonen. “I was lucky he had a problem and I’m glad to finish fourth and take good points after a difficult weekend. It just wasn’t my rally unfortunately. Jari-Matti and Loeb were very fast and I couldn’t reach their pace but I’ll have to find that speed or say goodbye to the championship. I was unlucky with punctures but fourth is OK in the circumstances and hopefully this is the worst rally I’ll have this year. Unfortunately I will be first on the road again on the next round in Argentina, but it feels good to be still leading the championship.

BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson said: “After what we encountered, we’ve come away with a great result which increases our lead in the championship. And for Mikko to still lead the drivers’ standings after his problems is more than we thought we would achieve on Friday night. I’m pleased we showed the speed to lead the rally and that’s promising looking forward to another high altitude event in Argentina later this month.”

Ford of Europe motorsport director Mark Deans was equally happy. “This was the first gravel rally of the season and for the Focus RS WRC to prove its speed on what is the dominant surface of the year bodes well. Five Focus cars finished in the top seven and for BP Ford Abu Dhabi to maintain its lead in both championships after three rounds represents an excellent opening sector of the year,” he said.

News from our Rivals

Sébastien Loeb (Citroen) paced himself through the final stages to claim his third consecutive Rally Mexico victory. The Frenchman finished 66.1sec ahead of Chris Atkinson (Subaru), who scored his best ever result, despite feeling unwell and only three hours’ sleep. Behind the BP Ford Abu Dhabi cars, Henning Solberg (Ford) took fifth, the Munchi’s driver losing fourth place after front right punctures on the final two tests. Stobart driver Matthew Wilson (Ford) rounded off the top six while Munchi’s Federico Villagra (Ford) equalled his career best result in seventh. Petter Solberg (Subaru) claimed the final manufacturers’ point in 12th, despite a front right puncture on the penultimate stage and a spin on the final test.

Despite setbacks for both cars, BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team ended the second day of Rally Mexico in a strong position as the only squad with both pairings in the top five on the leaderboard. Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila are third in a Ford Focus RS World Rally Car with team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen in fifth as this opening gravel encounter of the FIA World Rally Championship season continued to pose problems for the leading competitors.

Latvala, who claimed his maiden victory in Sweden last month, was engaged in an enthralling fight for the lead with Sébastien Loeb until a broken turbo pipe this afternoon cost over two minutes. Hirvonen was comfortable in fourth until a double puncture this afternoon cost a place on the leaderboard.

Today was the longest of this third round of the series. Drivers tackled 157.32km of competition, split into two identical loops of three speed tests in the hot and dusty mountains north and east of the rally base in León, before two more passes over the super special stage on the edge of the city. Temperatures again hovered just under 30ºC in the city, although they were a few degrees cooler in the hills as the route took competitors up to 2600m.

Overnight leader Latvala had the dubious privilege of being first in the start order in his Focus RS. It meant the 22-year-old Finn had to cope all morning with the same slippery loose stones on the road surface that hampered Hirvonen in the same position yesterday. His disadvantage was typified on the opening special stage when he dropped 9.5sec to Loeb, but he got to grips with the conditions on the following two tests to end the loop just 5.8sec behind the Frenchman.

The battle continued on cleaner roads this afternoon until a broken turbo charge pipe on the second test slowed the BP Ford Abu Dhabi driver. Latvala and Anttila tried to make repairs after the stage but to no avail and they dropped over two minutes during the rest of the day before the team could replace it.

“About 1km after the start of the stage the car suddenly lost power, with no warning,” said Latvala. “The pipe between the intercooler and the turbo came loose and I had some power, but not full boost. We wrapped some aluminium tape around it before the next stage but it didn’t help. I couldn’t fight with Loeb for the lead this afternoon and I wanted to do that. It was bad luck but it’s not my time yet to win this rally. I’m still third though and tomorrow I will drive to save my podium.

“The first stage this morning was slippery and I couldn’t find the right way to drive. I understand how difficult it was for Mikko yesterday. I was cleaning the corners and that’s the difference between first in the start order and second, where I was yesterday. There were many different grip levels on the loose stones and it was hard for braking. In the third stage I did everything I could, and maybe too much, because I had a close escape after a crest when the car was totally off the road,” he added.

Hirvonen restarted in fifth but quickly moved into fourth, without ever feeling truly happy with his performance. However, two punctures on the opening afternoon stage, one of which he stopped to change, cost almost three minutes. Caution was the watchword through the final four stages, with both spare wheels that competitors are allowed to carry in the car already used. He is just 15.9sec behind fourth-placed Henning Solberg.

“Early in the stage, there was a big rock on the inside of a fast right bend,” he explained. “I couldn’t avoid it and hit it with both right wheels. I immediately knew the front tyre was punctured and stopped to change it but didn’t notice the rear puncture. It was only after a couple of kilometres more that the rear tyre started to slowly lose pressure. I had to be really careful in left corners and actually slid off the road at one point. Now my aim is to catch Henning for fourth tomorrow.

“I made some small changes last night and the car didn’t slide as much this morning but I drove too cautiously. I was better than yesterday but I don’t deserve a ‘well done’ yet. It was better not being first on the road but I started this morning with the intention of driving flat out and while I drove fast, improvements are still needed. I’m at the same pace as last year and it’s not enough,” he added.

BP Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson said Latvala’s problems were ‘unfortunate’. “He’s still third and so many drivers have had problems that the rally isn’t over yet. Mikko had a tough day but he made it back and will be out there battling again tomorrow,” he said.

News from our Rivals

Fastest time on the opening two tests carried Sébastien Loeb (Citroen) into the lead. He won another three stages this afternoon to finish 61.4sec ahead of Chris Atkinson (Subaru). The Australian’s only concern was a problem with the car’s launch control system. Behind Latvala, Munchi’s driver Henning Solberg (Ford) capitalised on Hirvonen’s punctures to move into fourth, despite brake trouble on the opening test. Stobart’s Matthew Wilson (Ford) climbed to sixth, despite spinning and stalling on the morning’s final test. Dani Sordo (Citroen), competing under SupeRally rules after retiring yesterday, won two stages as he fought to climb into the manufacturers’ points. The only major retirement was Petter Solberg (Subaru) who stopped after a broken driveshaft on stage 10 cost four minutes.