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2006 WRC: RALLY AUSTRALIA

• LOEB STILL ABSENT DUE TO ARM INJURY - Xevi Pons to drive the lead Citroen car

RALLY ROUTE

• Thursday 26 October: Leg 1 Perth - Perth
• Start Perth 19.04
  SS1 Perth City Super I 2.00km 19.12
  SS2 Perth City Super II 2.00km 19.21
  Finish Perth 19.31
• Friday 27 October: Leg 1 (continued) Perth - Perth
• Serv A Perth City (10 mins) 07.15
  SS3 Murray North I 15.92km 09.23
  SS4 Murray South I 20.12km 09.56
  SS5 Holyoake 3.13km 10.36
  SS6 Murray North II 15.92km 11.49
  SS7 Murray South II 20.12km 12.22
  Serv B Perth City (30 mins) 14.42
  SS8 Beraking I 22.84km 16.32
  SS9 Flynns I 18.78km 17.18
  SS10 Perth City Super III 2.00km 19.25
  SS11 Perth City Super IV 2.00km 19.34
  Serv C Perth City (45 mins) 19.44
  Finish Perth 20.29
• Saturday 28 October: Leg 2 Perth - Perth
• Serv D Perth City (10 mins) 07.30
  SS12 Bannister North I 17.71km 09.20
  SS13 Bannister Central I 17.85km 09.52
  SS14 Bannister Loop 3.62km 10.36
  SS15 Bannister North II 17.71km 11.55
  SS16 Bannister Central II 17.85km 12.27
  Serv E Perth City (30 mins) 14.42
  SS17 Beraking II 22.84km 16.32
  SS18 Flynns II 18.78km 17.18
  SS19 Perth City Super V 2.00km 19.25
  SS20 Perth City Super VI 2.00km 19.34
  Serv F Perth City (45 mins) 19.44
  Finish Perth 20.29
• Sunday 29 October: Leg 3 Perth - Perth
• Serv G Perth City (10 mins) 06.00
  SS21 Atkins I 4.42km 07.03
  SS22 Helena North I 29.93km 07.33
  SS23 Helena South I 17.31km 08.14
  Serv H Perth City (30 mins) 09.40
  SS24 Atkins II 4.42km 11.03
  SS25 Helena North II 29.93km 11.33
  SS26 Helena South II 17.31km 12.14
  Serv I Perth City (20 mins) 13.23
  Finish Perth 14.30

RALLY RESULT

FINAL REPORT - FORD - HIRVONEN 1ST, GRONHOLM 5TH  (TOP OF PAGE)

• Hirvonen secures first win as Ford stretches lead in title fight
• Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen claimed their maiden world rally victory in Australia today as the BP-Ford World Rally Team increased its lead in the FIA World Rally Championship. The Finns won Rally Australia in their Ford Focus RS World Rally Car by 37.1sec. Team-mates Marcus Gronholm and Timo Rautiainen finished fifth in another Focus RS as BP-Ford widened its lead in the manufacturers' series to 16 points.
• This was the team's sixth victory of the season and, in terms of rally wins, this is now Ford's most successful season ever in world rallying.
• The four-day event, round 14 of the 16-rally series, was based on dusty gravel tracks near Perth in Western Australia, the 19th and final time that the west coast has hosted the rally. The 26 speed tests covering 348.51km were as demanding as ever, as millions of tiny ball-bearing like stones coated the road surfaces and made conditions treacherously slippery in temperatures touching 30C. However, BFGoodrich's tyres played a crucial role in Hirvonen's success, cutting through the gravel to the harder, more grippier, surface beneath.
• As many top drivers fell foul of conditions on the opening morning, Hirvonen steered clear of trouble and took a firm grip at the front towards the end of the leg. He matched his pace to that of his rivals for the remaining two days to secure an emotional success.
• "This is fantastic!" said Hirvonen, who won seven speed tests. "I had so much pressure, not only to win but also to bring the car home for manufacturers' points. Petter pushed me hard but I didn't want him to get too close and it felt good to keep him back. I wasn't too nervous and I concentrated on controlling my speed and rhythm. Now the plan is to win the manufacturers' title.
• "I'm still young and to score my first win at just 26 is good. I can't believe I have finally done it. The team placed a lot of faith in me and it is a big relief to pay them back. It will take a lot of time to sink in. Before this I had scored podium finishes but the only way for me to learn is to fight for wins and that's what I did here. I know the Focus RS well and on the last four rallies I've learned a lot about my driving - I've been more consistent at high speed," added Hirvonen.
• Gronholm dropped 11 minutes after rolling on Friday morning. However, the team calculated that he could regain fifth and score valuable points for BP-Ford in the manufacturers' championship. The 38-year-old Finn recovered from 56th and last position to claim fifth on the second of today's six special stages, covering 103.32km, east of Perth. His fightback means BP-Ford leads by 16 points with a maximum 36 available from the final two rounds in New Zealand and Britain.
• "I'm pleased that after losing so much time on Friday I was able to score points and help the team move further ahead in the manufacturers' championship," said Gronholm, winner of 10 speed tests. "The team and the car are looking really strong and we are in a great position. I'm really happy for Mikko. This win will really boost his confidence and I'm sure he will be confident of beating me now! I'm sad we are not coming back to Perth again because it's a fantastic rally, a great place and the people are so friendly. I will miss it."
• BP-Ford team director Malcolm Wilson said it was a 'dream result' for Hirvonen. "Mikko was confident and always felt he had the rally in his control once he took the lead. I've seen him mature throughout the season and the way he handled the pressure over the last two days was fantastic. I'm sure this is a platform for him to go on to score more wins. Marcus did well to recover to fifth after his problems. He worked hard in firstly getting the car back on the road after his crash and then fighting back up the leaderboard to score valuable manufacturer points," added Wilson.
• Ford TeamRS director Jost Capito said: "This is a special day for everyone at BP-Ford. We put our faith in Mikko and Jarmo this season and they have come through to win their first rally. They join drivers of the calibre of Marcus Gronholm and Sebastien Loeb as the only ones to win this year."
• News from our Rivals: Gronholm's fifth place finish means that the absent Sebastien Loeb (Citroen) is crowned world champion for the third time (subject to the official publication of results by the FIA). Loeb broke his right arm in a mountain bike crash last month and has missed the last two rallies. Gronholm needed a podium finish to keep the title race active. Petter Solberg (Subaru) claimed his best result since Rally Argentina in April by finishing second ahead of Manfred Stohl (Peugeot). Xevi Pons (Citroen) and Gronholm were the only other WRC cars in the top 10.

FINAL REPORT - SUBARU - SOLBERG 2ND, ATKINSON 6TH   (TOP OF PAGE)

• Subaru World Rally Team driver Petter Solberg finished Rally Australia in second place today after an excellent performance on the red gravel roads around Perth. Solberg's Impreza WRC2006 ran perfectly over the final 103 kilometres and enabled him to win three of the day's stages -and a total of six throughout the rally. After a small mistake on Leg one cost Chris Atkinson the rally lead and 25-minutes of penalty time, his focus switched to learning the stages and testing for the next WRC round in New Zealand. Nevertheless, another consistent and reliable run from Atkinson moved him up seven more places today and he finished inside the top ten. Overall the weekend was an encouraging one for Subaru, with both factory Imprezas showing an increased level of competitiveness after a relatively disappointing season so far.
• SUBARU WORLD RALLY TEAM MANAGING DIRECTOR, RICHARD TAYLOR: "It's been quite some weekend! We've had both drivers leading during the rally; we won nine stages and then came home with second overall. This is a big milestone for the Subaru team as there have been a lot of difficult events in the past few months. You cannot turn a car's performance around overnight and there has been a great deal of hard work to get us this far. We're not at the top of the podium yet and so we still have much more work to do."
• PETTER SOLBERG: "I am very, very happy to get second place. It's been a really tough season and the team has been working so hard for this, day and night. We're still going to keep pushing on the car, as there's still more to do, but today I am really pleased for all the team and mechanics as it's a big boost for everyone."
• CHRIS ATKINSON: "It's not the result we wanted, but we had the pace we wanted and we haven't had that speed for a long time. To be leading the rally on Friday was good and sure, we made a small mistake, but it's encouraging to have that speed. I don't think we would have held onto the lead but we would have been on the podium. So while the result is disappointing, we're encouraged and keep on learning about the car."

FINAL REPORT - CITROEN - PONS 4TH, LOEB WINS CHAMPIONSHIP  (TOP OF PAGE)

• Third world title for Loeb and Elena !*
• It has been a fantastic weekend in Australia for the Kronos Total Citroen team and its driver line-up of young Spaniards. The rally ended with the happy news that 14,000 kilometres away from Perth, their team leaders Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Elena had become FIA World Rally Champions for the third consecutive time.*
• Xevi Pons/Carlos Del Barrio underlined their strong performance of last year with another solid run on the slippery Australian stages, avoiding the pitfalls of the Murray stages (SS1-SS7) on Friday morning. For the rest of the event they were able to control their pace, putting aside their natural desire to finish on the podium in favour of securing a safe fourth place to keep Marcus Gronholm as far away from the podium as possible. "Today was quite close to being stressful" admitted Xevi. "I was paying a lot of attention to avoiding all the stones. Many drivers made mistakes on this rally and I did not want to become one of them. "A very emotional Carlos Del Barrio, Pons' co-driver, added. "I am happy because what has happened is right and fair. The best driver and the best co-driver are champions. We are pleased to have been able to help them out a bit..."
• Dani Sordo/Marc Marti were forced to stop on Friday and re-started on Saturday morning under the superally regulations. On unfamiliar territory, the reigning Junior World Champion's times demonstrated once more his uncanny ability to quickly adapt himself to new circumstances. With too great a time penalty to overcome, Dani was not able to fight with Seb's Finnish rival unlike his team mate. But having battled at the very front in Catalunya and Germany, Dani too has given his team leader a hand to win the title. "Obviously I hoped for a better result," admitted the Spaniard afterwards. "But this delicate balancing act, on a surface with no grip at all, has allowed me to learn a lot which was the whole point of this year. And some of the time, my stage times and the gaps to the stage winners were encouraging."
• "Mission accomplished, thanks to excellent teamwork," was the conclusion of Marc Van Dalen, Kronos Total Citroen. "One year ago, Citroen Sport entrusted us with the responsibility of giving Seb and Daniel the best possible chance of defending their world titles. The challenge was far from easy : we had to back up Seb and Daniel with the best rally team in the world. Everyone at Kronos Racing should feel proud. Thanks to their hard work and commitment, with perfect support from Citroen Sport, our objectives have been met. This emotional moment is one to savour. The miracles of the internet and modern technology have allowed us to share it with Seb and Daniel, who were on a live link to us. Now we cannot wait to have them back, so that we can celebrate this third world title together..."
• * Subject to official validation from the FIA.

LEG 2 REPORT - FORD - HIRVONEN 1ST, GRONHOLM 7TH  (TOP OF PAGE)

• Hirvonen in charge as BP-Ford dominates leg two in Australia
• Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen continue to lead Rally Australia after today's second leg. The BP-Ford World Rally Team pair returned to Perth this evening having extended their opening day advantage to 32.3sec in their Ford Focus RS World Rally Car. The Finns, chasing their maiden victory in the FIA World Rally Championship, controlled their pace over the slippery gravel tracks in Western Australia on a day when the team won eight of the nine speed tests.
• Team-mates Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen continued to fight back up the order after yesterday morning's roll. The Finns, who began the day in 18th in their Focus RS, won five speed tests to climb to seventh. They remain on course for a fifth place finish, their target after losing 11 minutes in yesterday's crash.
• Today's route initially took competitors 100km south-east of Perth to Bannister Plantation for a group of five special stages. Huge crowds gathered at the famous Bunnings jumps and watersplash, where cars were launched high into the air before plunging down into the river crossing at the bottom of the hill. Competitors then repeated yesterday afternoon's tests east of Perth before two final passes over the city's Gloucester Park trotting track. They tackled 120.36km of competition.
• Hirvonen won three of the five Bannister stages to increase his advantage by a slender 0.2sec. Although the tracks were covered in a thick coat of loose gravel, earlier cars swept much of it away and the wider roads left more room for manoeuvre. A heavy rain shower during the lunchtime service compacted the gravel on the more technical afternoon tests, and there was more grip for the 26-year-old Finn than there had been on the same roads yesterday. He was second on both tests and ended the day by sharing another stage victory with Grönholm at Gloucester Park.
• "I've had a fantastic day with no problems and I really enjoyed it," said Hirvonen. "I've proved that I can drive fast enough to challenge for victory. I've watched Petter Solberg's split times and driven accordingly. It's nice to be able to defend a lead and I've proved something to myself under pressure. I'm still not really thinking about actually winning. I'm just trying to maintain a good speed and keep Petter behind us.
• "I expected Petter to push hard this morning but I knew those stages well and I was up for the challenge. I must think about manufacturers' points and not make any mistakes. If he catches me tomorrow then I will not risk everything to stay ahead because the points are more important than the win. Tomorrow's stages will be tricky but I'm not worrying about them. I will sleep like a baby tonight!" he added.
• Grönholm was fastest over two of the morning tests in Bannister to complete a clean sweep there for the BP-Ford team. The 38-year-old Finn won three more stages this afternoon as he charged back up the order and ended the leg just 39.3sec away from fifth place.
• "I'm closing on fifth, which is where we calculated we could climb to after the accident," he said. "Tomorrow I will continue to drive at my own speed and hope to get there. I don't think I can get any higher so anything more would be a bonus. It's not so good to be so far behind but it was my mistake and I must pay the penalty.
• "I've not pushed to the maximum, but driven quite fast and watched what everyone else was doing," "The car felt fine and although there was still some dust getting in, it was nothing like as bad as yesterday. The roads were softer and there was more grip than during the first leg. There was plenty of loose gravel but my running position meant the roads had cleaned. My back is fine but I hurt my shoulder when I hit a stone in a corner. It's an old motocross injury, but it will be OK."
• BP-Ford team director Malcolm Wilson said he hoped tomorrow would be a carbon copy of today. "The cars have been great and we have dominated the day, having only been beaten on one stage. Tomorrow will be difficult and on this rally a lot often happens on the final day, so we can't be complacent," he added.
• News from our Rivals : Petter Solberg (Subaru) remained Hirvonen's main challenger. The Norwegian won one speed test but was unable to make inroads to the BP-Ford driver's advantage. Xevi Pons (Citroen) began the day with a slender advantage over Manfred Stohl (Peugeot) in third, but the Austrian driver moved ahead on the second test and extended his lead over Pons to 20.1sec. Production Cup driver Toshi Arai (Subaru) climbed to fifth on the opening stage and pulled clear of his rivals before rolling into retirement this afternoon. Argentine Marcos Ligato (Mitsubishi) replaced him in the top five. All yesterday's leading retirements returned to action today under SupeRally, with the exception of Henning Solberg (Peugeot), whose car was too badly damaged.

LEG 2 REPORT - SUBARU - SOLBERG 2ND, ATKINSON 17TH   (TOP OF PAGE)

• Subaru World Rally Team driver Petter Solberg holds second place overall at the end of the second day of competition on Rally Australia. Solberg's Impreza WRC2006 ran faultlessly throughout the Leg and enabled him to set a string of top-three times, as well as the stage win on the longest test of the day. With six more timed stages remaining, the Norwegian looks on course to equal his best result of the season so far. Solberg's team-mate Chris Atkinson restarted after retiring from the lead earlier in the event. Although out of contention for the result he had hoped for, the 26-year-old Australian made the most of the opportunity to test his Impreza before the next WRC round in New Zealand.
• SUBARU WORLD RALLY TEAM MANAGING DIRECTOR, RICHARD TAYLOR: 'I am pleased that once more we are in the fight at the top of the leaderboard. Again, both cars have run without fault and Petter is challenging hard to win. Chris has set some solid times throughout the day and has not taken any chances. There's still another 100km to go tomorrow with some tricky stages that will I am sure suit Petter, so we look forward to the action.'
• PETTER SOLBERG: 'It's been very close today and I've really enjoyed the fight. This afternoon was not as damp as we hoped, so I think I lost some time there with the tyre choice. Of course I really want to win, but I think Mikko wants to win too! It's a long day tomorrow and the stages are a bit more difficult so it will be very interesting to see what happens.'
• CHRIS ATKINSON: 'After the time loss yesterday there was nothing to be gained in being a hero today. I didn't have the same confidence in the car as yesterday, so I've not been taking big risks and have wanted to look after the car for New Zealand.'
• News from Pirelli - MARIO ISOLA, PIRELLI COMPETIZIONI RALLY MANAGER 'The Subaru drivers have again both used the KP tread pattern throughout today's stages. Once more the tyres have performed well in the conditions and we are very hopeful that tomorrow Chris can make up many more places and Petter can hopefully fight to win.'

LEG 2 REPORT - CITROEN - PONS 4TH  (TOP OF PAGE)

• After an action-packed opening leg, day two of the Rally Australia was considerably calmer. The two Kronos Total Citroen Xsara WRCs enjoyed a trouble-free run through all the stages. Xevi Pons and Carlos Del Barrio end the day in fourth place. Having picked up 40 minutes of road penalties yesterday, Dani Sordo and Marc Marti are currently in 30th position.
• The format of leg two was identical to that of the previous day, starting with a loop of stages in the morning to the south of Rally HQ. This time it was the famous Bunnings stages in the Sotico complex, rather than the Murray stages run yesterday morning. Then the route moved to the east of Perth towards the Helena river, for a re-run of Beraking and Flynns in the afternoon. Finally, the crews went to the head-to-head Perth City superspecial, run for the fifth and sixth times.
• Last year, Xevi Pons and Manfred Stohl were team mates at Kronos Racing, and they met once more in a fierce battle this morning. Both drivers were victims of a surprising change to the established running order to the benefit of Marcus Grönholm and Chris Atkinson. Pons and Stohl had to run two places higher up the order than they expected : a big disadvantage as Australia is the most crucial event of the year to have a clean road and a decent starting position.
• Xevi and Manfred took this setback in their stride, despite a tooth and nail battle for the final podium place claimed by Pons the night before. Manfred took the place by just 0.1 seconds after SS13. Xevi replied by matching his overall time exactly on the next stage (SS14), but dropped a few seconds to his rival on the afternoon stages before the Gloucester Park superspecial. The Spaniard said : "I wasn't really able to fight back on the afternoon stages, partly because I had chosen a soft BFGoodrich tyre that was not correct for the road conditions. It had rained, but the road had dried out completely. Suddenly our car was moving about a lot, which is not what you need when the roads are this fast. Manfred is only 20 or so seconds ahead though so the fight is not over yet. I'm going to go for it, but I will also remember that it is crucial for us to finish both in terms of the manufacturers' championship and to stay ahead of Marcus [Grönholm] " Dani Sordo had to get to grips with the unique Australian conditions today. The reigning Junior World Champion was happy with his work. "It was good to have started with Bunnings, which are wide and fast stages, " he said.
• "I wasn't as confident in the afternoon for my first run through Beraking, which was narrower and more difficult. I also discovered there that my notes were far from perfect. I came to Australia with little confidence, as I had been warned about this rally many times. It's quite something to be flying through these tree-lined roads with so little grip.... My feeling now is that this is a rally one would grow to like with time and experience. I think we have worked well today. I know where I've lost time and I know where I'm going to lose some more, but this is what learning is all about. Looking at the time sheets, I'm not too unhappy bearing in mind my position of second on the road, my inexperience of the stages, and my determination not to make any mistakes... "

LEG 1 REPORT - FORD  (TOP OF PAGE)

• Hirvonen leads for Ford after dramatic opening in Australia
• BP-Ford World Rally Team drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen lead Rally Australia tonight after an extraordinary opening leg. The Finns are 26.2sec clear in their Ford Focus RS World Rally car after a day in which the treacherously slippery gravel tracks of Western Australia took a heavy toll on their rivals. Team-mates Marcus Gronholm and Timo Rautiainen fell foul of the conditions and dropped 11 minutes after rolling their Focus RS. They are 18th.
• It is the first time that 26 year old Hirvonen and 37 year old Lehtinen have led a round of the FIA World Rally Championship at the end of a leg.
• After two short crowd-pleasing super special stages at Perth's Gloucester Park trotting track last night, the action began in earnest this morning. Competitors tackled seven speed tests in forests south and east of the state capital before a repeat of the Gloucester Park double-header. It took the competitive distance to 124.83km, the longest leg of this 14th round of the championship.
• The gravel roads here are unique and among the most demanding of the season. They have a hard base which is covered by millions of tiny circular bauxite stones. Not only are they extremely slippery, but the early cars to drive the fresh roads are at a considerable disadvantage as they sweep the stones clear to leave better grip for those behind.
• Hirvonen was second after last night's opening and moved into the lead late this morning when Chris Atkinson retired. He fought closely with Petter Solberg and the gap between the duo never rose above 2.7sec before Hirvonen took advantage of a more dust-free run through the final country stage to open a more comfortable advantage.
• "I made no mistakes and had no problems and that's why I'm leading, but it has been a strange day because I didn't set any fastest times," said Hirvonen. "Winning is a possibility but I need to find a balance between fighting for first place and finishing. There are no words to describe how slippery this gravel is. It was just like driving on ice. But there is no room for error now that Marcus has lost time and the pressure is on because I must score good points for the team.
• "We were lucky in the dust on the last forest stage. It was hanging in the air and I had to stop near the finish. I came over a crest and it was like hitting a wall of dust. Tomorrow will be easier because we will not be cleaning the road but I know Petter and he will not give up. There are still two days to go but it is a good feeling to be leading," added Hirvonen.
• Gronholm and Rautiainen led last night but their advantage was short-lived. Just 5km after the start of the day's opening 15.92km Murray North test, the Finns rolled their Focus RS. "I hit a stone on the inside of a second gear right bend and the impact threw the car across the road and I rolled over the bank on the opposite side," said 38-year-old Gronholm. "The car rolled once, it was slow and soft, and ended on its roof. We pushed it back onto its wheels with the help of two or three people but then it became stuck on a tree stump so we had to jack it up to get out. We were stuck for more than 10 minutes. I made a stupid mistake."
• Although the Focus RS did not suffer serious mechanical damage, the accident cracked the windscreen and broke both side windows. Although the crew taped them up as best they could, it was impossible to prevent choking brown dust from infiltrating the cockpit and they had to tackle another 70km of competition before returning to service in Perth for repairs.
• "It was hell inside. We had so much dust in there that I couldn't breathe or see. My eyes hurt now and I also hurt my back trying to push the car over," added Gronholm. The team changed the transmission assembly and replaced battered body panels and the Finn then posted fastest time over three of the final four stages. Having dropped to 56th, following the crash, he recovered to 18th.
• "I wasn't so fast this afternoon but the others were hindered by dust. I'm an old motocross rider so I'm used to it. I'm disappointed because we had the opportunity to lead comfortably and I think it will be a few years before I forget this. A top five finish is possible and that's my aim," he added.
• News from our Rivals
• Chris Atkinson (Subaru) led all morning until his car slid off-line and became beached in soft sand on stage 6. The hot exhaust ignited undergrowth beneath Atkinson's car and a small fire broke out which was quickly extinguished with the help of following competitors. Team-mate Petter Solberg moved ahead, and remained in front until severe hanging dust on the final country stage cost almost 30sec and he lies second. Xevi Pons (Citroen) holds third, ahead of Manfred Stohl (Peugeot), who complained of oversteer throughout the morning. The list of retirements was large. Dani Sordo (Citroen) stopped on the opening stage this morning with broken transmission while Matthew Wilson (Ford) hit the same rock as Grofnholm and broke a steering arm. Luis Perez Companc (Ford) rolled on the following stage and Henning Solberg (Peugeot) also went off on stage 6.

LEG 1 REPORT - SUBARU  (TOP OF PAGE)

• Subaru World Rally Team driver Petter Solberg holds second place overall at the end of a dramatic first day of competition on Rally Australia. Solberg and his team-mate Chris Atkinson were the pace-setters for much of the day and between them won five of the Leg's seven forest stages in their Impreza WRC2006s. Australian-born Atkinson won the first three tests of the day and had a 13sec lead of the rally before a small mistake left his car undamaged but stuck in deep sand by the roadside. Atkinson retired from the Leg but will restart on Saturday. Solberg was fastest on two stages and led the rally overall before losing a place in controversial circumstances when he was caught in the dust of cars ahead.
• SUBARU WORLD RALLY TEAM MANAGING DIRECTOR, RICHARD TAYLOR: "We have been encouraged by the performance of both our cars in these hot and dry conditions. Once again this demonstrates the enormous effort from all the team to ensure Subaru can consistently challenge for top stage times. Both cars have run faultlessly and in the early stages we had two cars in the top three positions with Petter and Chris securing five stage wins. Chris was unfortunate to go off while leading and Petter lost a great deal of time in the dust, however I am sure Chris will be back tomorrow showing his pace, and am confident that Petter can close the gap to the rally leader."
• PETTER SOLBERG: "Today was mostly a good day. Early on we made some changes and won two stages then there were more improvements again after the service. We lost a lot of time in the dust on both of the last two forest stages; turning the wrong way on the first and having to stop again and again on the second. It was just so bad we could not see what we were doing. Overall though I am quite happy with the position, we made some good tyre choices, the Pirellis worked very well and we're looking forward to still more improvements tomorrow."
• CHRIS ATKINSON: "It was obviously a disappointing end to the day. We were trying hard for the whole team here and were leading but unfortunately made just a small mistake and that's it - we're out for the day. We went a little wide on one corner and didn't recover for the next. We slid to a stop on a bank partly off the road. We tried to reverse, but we couldn't and that was that. The car's pretty much fine, there was a small fire, but we got it out with little damage and we hadn't hit anything. We'll probably restart tomorrow but we've still blown our chances of a podium or a win."

LEG 1 REPORT - CITROEN  (TOP OF PAGE)

• Xevi Pons and Carlos Del Barrio have held their own throughout an extremely difficult opening leg. The Spanish Kronos Total Citroen crew are in a provisional third place overall : a position they hope to defend to the end of the rally.
• The drivers knew that they were starting the leg with the most difficult stages of the day : two runs each through Murray North and South. These roads situated about 100 kilometres to the south of Perth have a fearsome reputation. They combine the three riskiest elements of Rally Australia : high speed (nearly a 110kph average despite several junctions), narrow roads (with trees close by), and last but not least, a thick coating of marble-like stones.
• The pitfalls are well-known, but the Murray stages still claimed several high- profile victims, slashing the World Rally Car field. The only driver who stopped on these stages through no fault of his own was Dani Sordo, who was forced onto the sidelines with a gearbox problem. Dani could only sit and watch as he clocked up a penalty of five minutes for every stage missed, in accordance with the superally rules. This means that he will start leg two with a 40 minute gap to the leader, in the hope of making up enough ground to score some manufacturer points.
• Xevi Pons and Carlos Del Barrio managed to find the right rhythm to survive this difficult day, without succumbing to the temptation to push too hard. "I think we can be happy, " said the Spaniard. " With a perfect Xsara and the right tyre choice (BFGoodrich medium/soft compound) I forced myself to stay concentrated and follow the right line. It might not be the most fun way to drive, but it's essential in order to stay off the `marbles'. Everything was going well until the final forest stage, Flynns. There, with the sunset in our eyes, we lost a lot of time in the dust from the cars ahead. In some sections we were driving blind. "
• "In any case we are still third, " concluded Xevi. " Tomorrow's stages in the Bunnings complex are wider so they are easier and a lot more fun to drive. I'm going to try to stick to the pace we had today and avoid making mistakes. I had a good feeling after Cyprus and my confidence grew even more after the Rally of Turkey. Thanks to all that, I hope to carry tonight's objective through to the end of the rally: holding onto third place. "

RALLY PREVIEW

CITROEN (KRONOS) RALLY PREVIEW  (TOP OF PAGE)

• Kronos' young aces ready for the Australian challenge
• With the absence in Australia of masters Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Elena, Kronos Racing has decided to play the youth card and to nominate for the first time together Xevi Pons/Carlos Del Barrio and Dani Sordo/Marc Marti. The Spanish crews will both take part in the FIA WRC's fourteenth round with the 2006 version of the Xsara WRC with `passive differentials'.
• It might be the last time that the city of Perth Western Australia's capital and the world's most isolated big town hosts the Australian round of the world championship, just like it did discontinuously since 1989. Langley Park, which sits on the Swan river's right bank, offers one the most beautiful single service park of the season. Not far from there is Gloucester Park horse track, home of the `Perth City Super Special', which drivers will contest no fewer than six times in total, and also featuring the shakedown on Wednesday evening.
• Except for this innovation, the 2006 route is similar to last year's, with visits to the Dwellingup region, to the Mundaring/Helena River area east of Perth and to the Sotico Complex, famous for its spectacular jumps.
• If most of the drivers appreciate the delightful city of Perth, they seem to like a bit less Perth's stages specificity. They feature small, marble-like stones that form an unstable top-coating. Their colour ranges from yellow to dark ochre, while their size varies between that of a garden pea to that of a playground marble. The combination of this loose surface, the high average speeds between 105 and 110 km/h on the five last editions - reached by the drivers and the proximity of the trees in the forest stages makes this one of the toughest challenges of the entire championship.
• Since 2002, date of its first outing on the wallaby grounds, the Xsara WRC has integrated the specificities of the Australian terrain and has improved continuously. It competed for first place in 2003 and won the event in 2004 and 2005. The Xsara is now ready to tackle the aussie stages as far as traction and precision in handling are concerned. The Australian rally is probably one where road sweeping is the most penalising, especially on dry conditions.
• As spring shows up in Perth, rain should not be expected to minor the `sweeping tax'. Starting third on the road on day one, Dani Sordo could probably not avoid completely the road cleaning. However, the lines from the cars preceding him might help. The target for the Junior World champion will be to take maximum profit of this and stick up to the leaders in order to avoid a penalising starting order on day two. Seventh on the road on Friday, Xevi Pons will benefit from better conditions to try to reach the same goal: keep the front runners in his sight.
• Kronos Total Citroen' Spanish young aces know the team counts on them and they are both extremely motivated to take part in the battle for the Manufacturers' title...
• Questions to...
• Jean-Pierre Mondron and Marc Van Dalen, Kronos Racing...
• You have chosen to nominate your two young Spanish drivers in Australia, with Xevi Pons driving Sebastien Loeb's Xsara...
• Marc Van Dalen : "We've tried a bit of a gamble in Turkey but things didn't really go as Colin and ourselves wished. The road conditions were the worst possible for a driver's come- back. Those conditions required a perfect knowledge of the BFGoodrich tyre range. In Australia, Colin would have been a good choice with his experience of the terrain and the fact he would have encountered clean roads unlike in Turkey. Although, we have chosen to enter only two cars for this long and expensive trip. However young, Xevi is a strong member of the Kronos team. He found his confidence back and has performed really well in Turkey. He has already competed twice in Australia and has achieved a great result in 2004 and set some good times last year. According to me he deserves this `nomination'."
• Your Xsaras are back to their traditional Citroen colours. Why?
• Jean-Pierre Mondron: "We have concluded at the start of the season an agreement with Citroen Sport to rent some Xsara WRC for the sixteen rounds of the championship. This way we could enter the series as `Manufacturers 1'. Our partnership with Gauloises only concerned thirteen events. It came to an end with both parties very satisfied I think. From now until the end of the season, it is not excluded that a new partner could join in. In the meantime, given the technical support that Citroen has supplied us with, we have estimated that it was quite fair play to reward them for their trust by giving back the Xsara its original colours."
• You've lost the lead of the `Manufacturers' Championship. How do you see Kronos' future regarding this competition?
• Marc Van Dalen: "We were leading this competition since Mexico, thanks especially to Sebastien and Daniel. The fact that Kronos has resisted well to an extremely performing rival has contributed a lot in the interest of the championship. The gap before Australia is eight points with fifty-four remaining possible to score. Nothing is done yet. I trust our young Spanish drivers who have just demonstrated what they can do in Turkey. I am neither a dreamer nor pessimistic. Without hiding to ourselves how difficult is this coming challenge, we continue to fight. The fate has been rather against us recently. Let's see what it can offers now..."
• ..and to Xevi Pons.
• For a lot of people, your Turkish rally is one of your best performance at the wheel of the Xsara WRC. Do you agree? How would judge your result in such difficult conditions?
• "Maybe it's my best... I think I did quite well in Catalunya in 2005 too. But it's true, in Turkey I was performing and consistent throughout the whole event. I drove steadily, sure of myself... Although the conditions were very tricky with a lot of mud. I had never driven in such circumstances before. Maybe my experience as Enduro rider helped me. But what's the most important is that my confidence is back since Cyprus. Marc Van Dalen was right to advise me to take a break after Finland to try to find what was going wrong. The result is here. And deep in me, I know I can give even more. This season I have learnt so much next to the best professionals in the sport. Some things which I will use as a driver but also as a man..."
• You have competed in Australia already twice in the past. Can you tell us a bit more about that?
• "I took part in this rally twice. In 2004, with a Production car, it went really well. I finished second of the group N after a good battle with local drivers such as Chris Atkinson, Cody Crocker, and Dean Herridge. Without knowing the terrain, I set quite good times throughout the event. Actually this rally remains one of my best memories in Production category as well as New Zealand the year after. To come back to Australia, in 2005, I had a Kronos Xsara WRC. We posted quite good times on the first two `real' stages at the level of Francois Duval and Toni Gardemeister. Unfortunately, in `Turner Hill' we damaged the radiator going too sideways after a hairpin and we had to retire. Despite that I can say that I really like this rally."
• Sebastien won't be in Australia and you are nominated instead of him. How are you feeling about taking the start with the number one of the doors of your car? Do you already feel some pressure?
• "Seb is irreplaceable and I hope that he will back with us soon... He taught Dani and myself a lot this year. The owner of the number one is him, the world champion for whom I have an enormous respect. The fact I will be driving the nr one Xsara is only due to regulations purposes. I feel no pressure. I will start exactly like in Cyprus or Turkey. As I said I've learned a lot this season and I hope I won't repeat my old mistakes. I will drive very focused but I also hoping to enjoy it at the same time. My aim is to deserve the trust of Marc Van Dalen and Guy Frequelin. I hope to bring the maximum number of points to the team. For them to feel proud of me too..."

FORD RALLY PREVIEW  (TOP OF PAGE)

• Ford's title battle moves Down Under on Focus' anniversary
• Title chasing BP-Ford aims to strengthen its advantage at the head of the FIA World Rally Championship as the series returns to Australia where the latest generation Focus RS World Rally Car made its debut a year ago. The team takes an eight-point advantage to Perth for Rally Australia (26 - 29 October), the final occasion on which the WRC will visit the country's west coast, following a superb 1-2 finish in the mud of Turkey earlier this month.
• Marcus Gronholm and Timo Rautiainen, whose fifth victory of the season in Turkey also narrowed the gap at the top of the drivers' championship to 25 points, have an excellent record on the unique ball-bearing like roads of Western Australia. The Finns claimed a hat-trick of wins from 2000 - 2002 and went on to claim the manufacturers' world title on each occasion.
• BP-Ford World Rally Team colleagues Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen have less experience in Australia. However, they have finished on both previous starts, claiming fourth in 2004. The Focus RS WRC broke cover for the first time in Australia last year as a key part of its test programme. Since then it has scored five WRC wins in the 2006 championship to propel BP-Ford into the lead of the manufacturers' series with three of the 16 rounds remaining.
• Rally Australia is a firm favourite of most, although the gravel speed tests are among the most demanding of the season. They have a hard base which is covered by millions of tiny circular stones. Not only are they extremely slippery, but the early cars to drive the fresh roads are at a considerable disadvantage as they sweep the stones clear to leave better grip for those behind.
• An additional hazard is the close proximity of trees to the side of the road, which can severely punish even the smallest deviation from the correct line. A combination of the gravely surface and the trees demands precise handling, as well as maximum traction and grip from the team's BFGoodrich tyres.
• Gronholm will have the least wanted job in the WRC on Friday's opening leg - that of being first car through the stages on the slippery stones. However, the 38-year-old Finn has a positive outlook on the difficulties of leading the field. "Australia is a special rally for me and one that I really like. Sebastien Loeb will still be injured so I will be first on the road on Friday. But I have previously set good times on those roads from the front. I prefer to think about that rather than talk about the difficulties. It's all to do with the mind - look at the positives and not the negatives," he said.
• "It's a tough rally but the speeds are quite high, which I enjoy. It's important to stay on the right line and accurate pace notes are vital for that. This will be my eighth start here so I'm starting to know the roads pretty well. The 1-2 result in Turkey gave the team a real boost and having now moved into the lead of the manufacturers' championship, we'll do everything we can in Australia to strengthen our position," he added.
• Hirvonen also enjoys Rally Australia, comparing the event to his home rally in Finland. "It's fast and flowing with many big jumps and it's one of my favourite events of the year," said 26-year-old Hirvonen. "It's unique because the loose gravel makes it so slippery and the jumps are different from other events. In Australia the car rarely flies straight so a driver doesn't know exactly where the car is going to land. It's rare to have a perfect landing - and that's something I like!
• "We had a fantastic result for the team in Turkey and I felt really comfortable battling with the Solberg brothers at a faster pace than I had driven on other rallies recently. I've learned so much this year and one of the biggest things is that I feel more comfortable driving at a pace which is closer to Marcus' speed than earlier in the season. The team is full of confidence and hopefully we can show the same speed and reliability with the Focus as we did in Turkey," he added.
• Team News
• * BP-Ford will use BFGoodrich's g-Force gravel tyres and teams are only allowed to nominate one tread pattern this year. The pattern is relatively compact to ensure a maximum amount of rubber is in contact with the ground for the best possible grip and traction. The grooves can be hand cut to open them if there is a lot of loose gravel on the road surface or if the tracks become muddy. The tyres are available in soft, medium and hard compounds.
• * The M-Sport run Stobart-VK Rally Team has entered two 2006-specification Focus RS WRCs for Britons Matthew Wilson / Michael Orr and Argentines Luis Perez Companc / Jose Maria Volta.
• Rally Route
• The route is virtually identical to last year and is again based around the riverside service park in Perth's Langley Park. The action opens at the city's Gloucester Park trotting track on Thursday evening with two passes over a spectacular super special stage, which is repeated at the end of Friday and Saturday's competition. Friday's opening leg takes competitors south of Perth for a group of stages clustered around the town of Dwellingup. Saturday's route heads south-east to the Bannister stages, formerly known as Bunnings, where the famous roller coaster jumps and watersplash provide some of the season's most dramatic images. Both days end with a short loop of tests east of Perth before the Gloucester Park stages. The final leg is the shortest and comprises two loops of stages near Mundaring, east of Perth. Competitors face 26 stages in all covering 348.51km in a total route of 1334.41.

SUBARU RALLY PREVIEW  (TOP OF PAGE)

• After two events in the Mediterranean, next week the Subaru World Rally Team travels to the other side of the globe for Rally Australia and three days of flat-out action on the red earth roads around Perth.
• First included as a round of the WRC in 1989, this will be the last time the rally will be based in Western Australia, and its unforgiving mixture of slippery gravel and narrow tree-lined stages, before it moves to a new home on the east coast in 2008. Most of the rallying takes place on forest roads to the south and east of the city. The roads offer a unique challenge, since they are not only fast and narrow, but covered by a fine layer of marble-like gravel that makes them exceptionally slippery. As a result, it is regarded as one of the toughest events of the year for newcomers. In dry conditions especially, those running first on the road face a disadvantage as they sweep the slippery surface away for those behind, while those further down the order benefit as the base layer becomes more exposed with the passing of every car.
• Despite the tricky conditions, Australia is a very popular event with drivers, teams and spectators who relish its sunshine and stunning scenery. With plumes of dust trailing the cars, and spectacular jumps and water-splashes like those seen in the Sotico stages on the second day, the event is one of the most photogenic of the year. Whilst Europe gears up for winter, Australia is heading for summer and average temperatures are expected to be between 11 degrees and 22 degrees Celsius.
• The competitive action starts on Thursday 26 October with two passes through the head-to-head Superspecial at Gloucester Park before the regular stages start on Friday. Comprising 348 competitive kilometres and 26 stages, the rally will be based around a single service park on the banks of the Swan River in centre of the city. The longest stage is the 29.93km Helena North test, which is run twice on Leg three, while the shortest is the Perth City Super Special, which is run six times. The wining car will cross the finish ramp back in Perth on Sunday at 1430hrs.
• Entries
• The Subaru World Rally Team will enter two cars in Rally Australia, one Impreza WRC2006 for Petter Solberg (co-driven by Phil Mills) and another for Chris Atkinson (co-driven by Glenn Macneall).
• Petter has contested the rally six times before and won it in 2003 on the way to clinching that year's drivers' championship. Last year Solberg was in a commanding lead before an encounter with a kangaroo put him out of the rally altogether. This year will be Chris' third attempt at his home rally. On his debut in 2004, he won the Group N classification and in 2005, in a WRC car, set the fastest time on nine of the 26 stages to finish fourth - equaling Ross Dunkerton's 1993 record as the highest placed Australian finisher.
• Driver Quotes
• PETTER SOLBERG:
  "Australia is a fantastic event. I've had a win there in the past and really enjoy the challenge of the stages. Last year could have been another good result but the circumstances meant it just wasn't to be. On the last round in Turkey we showed that our performance is improving. The small details that have changed on the car made a positive difference, and perhaps if the work that has gone on since then brings further improvements, we can aim for even more next week. As a driver, my confidence is higher than it has been for a while. All I can do is drive to the best of my ability and keep my fingers crossed that's enough. We'll see."
• CHRIS ATKINSON:
  "Of course it's always special to compete on your home event, and the rally in Perth is one of my favourites - I've always enjoyed it. We were fast there last year, but this time we have to be a realistic - we still have some work to do to get the whole package working together again. We came away from Turkey feeling positive about the way the development programme was shaping up, and the changes that have been made so far are encouraging. We'll just have to wait and see what we can do next week. My motivation is always the same; to get a good result, and that's what I'm aiming to do."
• The Car / The Challenge
• SUBARU WORLD RALLY SPORTING DIRECTOR, LUIS MOYA:
  "Historically speaking, Australia has been a good event for the Subaru World Rally Team, even though it's a particularly challenging one for drivers. The stages are generally fast - only Finland is faster - and precision is essential. The racing line offers a reasonable amount of grip once the slippery, ‘rolling-stones' gravel has been cleared, but the first cars on the road suffer as they have to clear the line for everyone else. The advantages of starting further down the order are perhaps the most exaggerated of the year and with the start order for Leg one based on positions in the Championship, this is something that Petter and Chris might be able to use to their advantage this year.
• The wide variety of speeds and corners can be punishing, but the tree-lined route can be even harder as even the tiniest of mistakes can spell retirement. With the rally taking place at the beginning of the Australian summer, the weather is normally warm but rain showers are not unheard of and these may add a further dimension to the mix. As always, the choice of tyres will be crucial. Most drivers tend to go for a softer compound with a fairly open pattern for grip, but the softer rubber can move around a lot on the clean line if the temperature is high.
• Our objectives are to give Petter and Chris good, reliable cars that will enable them to push consistently throughout the rally. In terms of finishing positions, I feel we should be able to get both cars into the top five. As long as they run reliably and keep out of trouble a podium finish is not out of the question for either driver. On this rally, consistency is key."

ATKINSON SUBARU RALLY PREVIEW

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