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Second place for Mikko
Hirvonen Ford Focus Wrc
Another win, the fifth in the 2006 World
Rally Championship, for Sebastien Loeb ,
Daniel Elena and their unreachable
Citroen Xsara Wrc of the Kronos Total
Team. The Italian round confirmed that,
also this year, Loeb will be the one to
defeat. His victory in Sardinia was
anyway more difficult than the others
gained in the first part of the season.
In fact, Marcus Gronholm held on with
his Focus of BP Ford World Rally Team,
but he had to leave at the beginning of
leg 2 when he hit a rock loosing the
engine oil. The finnish driver retired,
the race for the place was over, as Loeb
began to gain time on all the others.
With this last win, the fifth on seven
races already disputed, Loeb is alone at
the head of the world championship with
31 points advantage over the second one.
Once Gronholm got out , another Finns
manage to gain a good place: Mikko
Hirvonen, from Ford too, is second , and
reached his best result in a world
championship. Hirvonen, after taking the
second place, didn’t have problems to
guard it till the end of the race. The
only to press him was Daniel Sordo,
driver of another Citroen Xsara Wrc. The
twenty-three years old guy confirmed
once more to be the real revelation of
this year, gaining the third position
just five points far from Gronholm.
Another spanish , Xavier Pons, with the
second Citoren Xsara Wrc from Kronos
Total team, gained the fourth position.
Behind the first four took place Jussi
Valimaki, with his Mitsubishi Lancer Wrc,
Kristian Sohlberg, Subaru, Manfrodo
Stohl, Peugeot 307 Wrc, and the Belgian
Duval, the last in the score zone with
his Skoda Fabia Wrc.
Not so lucky Gigi Galli, who couldn’t
run on the last leg. The engine’s
problems he had yesterday reappeared
just near the finish line, making him
stop. A pity for the pilot of Peugeot,
who was fourth when he had to leave
following the third one with just one
second of delay. Today’s races were very
important for the final classification
of Junior World Championship’s fifth leg
. On today’s opening Guy Wilks retired
after winning the first two legs. The
winner was Patrick Sandell, Reanault
Clio Super 1600, who arrived before
Rautenbach’s Clio and the two Aava’s and
Anderson’s Suzuki Swift.
Alessandro Bettega won the Ford Fiesta
Trophy with his Trt supported car.
Winner of Subaru Cup, Alan Scorcioni,
before Bruno Bentivogli.
Unlucky Simone Campedelli, Mitsubishi,
who was for a long time in the first
places in N group, and had to retire for
technical problems just before the
finish line. The Finnish Hannine won
between the production cars.
Final Classification – 1. Loeb – Elena (Citroen
Xsara Wrc) in 3h 54’18”9; 2. Hirvonen –
Lehtinen (Ford Focus Wrc) a 2’41”4; 3.
Sordo – Marti (Citreon Xsara WRrc) a
3’27”7; 4. Pons – Del Barrio ( Citroen
Xsara Wrc) a 5’28”3; 5. Valimaki-
Kalliolepo (Mitsubishi Lancer Wrc) a
7’08”8; 6. Sohlberg - Tuominen ( Subaru
Impreza Wrc) a 7’36”9; 7. Stohl – Minor
(Peugeot 307 a 8’18”4; 8. Duval – Prevot
( Skoda Fabia Wrc) a 9’45”8
Drivers world classification: (unofficial)
1.Loeb 66; 2. Gronholm 35; 3. Sordo 30;
4. Stohl 20; 5. Solberg 18;
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