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2006 WRC: RALLY ITALY (GRAVEL RALLY)

• Rally 7 of 16: Apr 28-30, 2006, Rally of Argentina
• 18 special stages; 9 different stages
• 344.94km competition; totalf 1140.18 km

RALLY RESULT

CITROEN RALLY REPORT    (TOP OF PAGE)

• Sébastien Loeb, Daniel Elena and their Citroen Xsara WRC took their fifth win of the season in Porto Cervo today. This latest victory - also their fifth in a row - marked the 25th success in 77 World Championship events for Kronos Racing's famous franco-monegasque pairing.
• Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: "Victory always tastes sweet, but this one is special. For Daniel, it's a historic moment. Knowing just how much I want to beat Carlos Sainz's record myself, I can easily imagine exactly how Daniel is feeling now, after becoming the first co-driver to chalk up 25 wins."
• Xavier Pons/Carlos Del Barrio: "Sardinia is a very difficult rally. I feel less at ease here than I did in Argentina, maybe because of the narrow stages. This means that I still need to improve in this type of conditions. Securing the manufacturer points for third place was my priority since yesterday afternoon, so I was very careful throughout the second half of the rally. These points are the best way for me to repay the team for their limitless support from the start of the season. "

FORD RALLY REPORT    (TOP OF PAGE)

• BP-Ford World Rally Team drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen scored the best result of their careers by finishing second on the Rally d'Italia Sardegna today. The Finns took no risks in their Ford Focus RS World Rally Car during the final leg of this seventh round of the FIA World Rally
  Championship to better their third place in Spain last year.
• Marcus Grönholm/Timo Rautiainen: Retired
• Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen: "Finally everything has come together for me this weekend and it feels fantastic to finish second on a WRC event with a factory team for the first time. I just have one more step to reach the top level of the podium. It was a long and difficult weekend and I was nervous
  all day in case anything went wrong. I had just one problem yesterday but that was my mistake when I touched a bank. The roads were rougher then they looked on the recce but they were enjoyable to drive. Sardinia is a good island for me and it seems to have a good history for Finns. More than
  anything this weekend I have learned how to drive in these conditions without taking any risks and yet still achieve a good result. Previously when I have been chasing a podium I have had to push all the way, but here I was able to drive at a speed with which I was comfortable."

SUBARU RALLY REPORT    (TOP OF PAGE)

• Both Petter Solberg and Chris Atkinson demonstrated the stage-winning pace of the Subaru Impreza WRC2006 on the final Leg of Rally d'Italia Sardegna. Petter secured two stage wins while Chris set his first fastest time of the year, however problems in the final stage of the rally cost both drivers places. A bent steering arm dropped Petter to ninth while accident damage relegated Chris from fifth to tenth.
• Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: "It's been a hard event for me. I tried as hard as I could all weekend but the overall result is disappointing. There's not really a lot more to say. We're looking forward to the next event now. I like the Acropolis Rally a lot and I'll give it my best shot."
• Chris Atkinson/Glen MacNeall: "Overall I'm happy with how I've driven on this rally. Before the last stage we had gone consistently all weekend, made no mistakes and had kept a good pace. Obviously to end the rally like we did is very disappointing, but there was a lot of dust coming into the car and I got distracted. We will be targeting a better finish next month in Greece."

SKODA RALLY REPORT    (TOP OF PAGE)

• In a nutshell, the seventh WRC event of the season did not quite go according to plan for the entire Red Bull Skoda team. Despite rather positive results in testing and the Sardinia shakedown, there were small problems right from the start.
• Harri Rovanpera/Risto Pietiläinen: "On today's SS 14 we suffered from severe transmission problems. I contacted the team management but there was no point in running the remaining four stages as there was no service left today. Subsequently I brought the car back to the Porto Cervo parc fermé in accordance with rally headquarters. My summary of Rally Sardinia is naturally very sobering. Aside from petty little matters which will always cost you time over the course of a rally I simply didn't find any decent rhythm. We also lacked the correct balance, even though the team constantly modified the setup. What a shame, I was totally motivated for a better result. I just hope that Rally Acropolis will be better."
• Andreas Aigner/Timo Gottschalk: "I'm glad that I didn't go down the order any further because of that and still managed to get important manufacturers' points. Apart from that I'm rather satisfied with my performance in Sardinia. My WRC gravel debut surely wasn't an easy task, but I'm already looking forward to Greece."

CITROEN (KRONOS) LEG 2 REPORT  (TOP OF PAGE)

• There were as many twists and turns to day two as there were over the harsh Sardinian landscape, in conditions that were as hot as those of the opening leg yesterday. The three Kronos Racing crews proved to be as fast and reliable as their Xsara WRCs, coming into their own through six demanding stages. Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena end the day in the lead, Dani Sordo/Marc Marti are third, while Xevi Pons/Carlos Del Barrio finish fourth.
• Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: "Before Monte Lerno [SS8], I made an adjustment to the suspension. From the start of the stage I could tell that it did not result in the improvement I had hoped for. At the 24th kilometre, according to Daniel, a big impact with a rock embedded in the road surface hit the front of the car. It made me think briefly of the two incidents in Mexico and Catalunya 2004 that had forced me into retirement. But I also remembered that compared to those two occasions, the impact had been on the 'good' side of the car - the bit under the gearbox rather than the engine. The handling didn't seem to be affected, so I continued to push. Then we were told that Marcus had retired, putting us in the lead. At the end of the stage I examined the car carefully, but there was no real damage. The Xsara is certainly tough ! Afterwards, it was a question of controlling the situation, while still pushing hard enough to feel comfortable. It's at that sort of pace when you can drive most safely."
• Xavier Pons/Carlos Del Barrio: "I decided to protect those precious six points, which I would be really pleased to bring home to the team. I was very areful not to make any mistakes, and I plan to be extra careful tomorrow."

FORD LEG 2 REPORT    (TOP OF PAGE)

• BP-Ford World Rally Team drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen are chasing a career-best result after climbing to second during today's second leg of Rally d'Italia Sardegna. The Finns, who finished third in Spain last
  year, set a strong pace in their Focus RS World Rally Car over the gravel tracks on the sun-kissed Mediterranean island to hold a comfortable advantage over their pursuers. Hirvonen restarted in third this morning but
  inherited second following the retirement of team-mates and overnight leaders Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen. The double world champions hit a rock on this morning's second speed test and broke the sump on their Focus RS. Retirement was instant and the damage was such that they will be unable to restart tomorrow under SupeRally.
• Marcus Grönholm/Timo Rautiainen: "Everything was going fine as we approached a left corner just before a hairpin right. I even braked early because I wasn't in a hurry and there was no pressure. But there was a big stone on the line and I hit it under braking. It was a surprise because I didn't see it and I hit it with the middle of the left wheel. There was a big bang as the rock hit the sump and the oil pressure warning light came on. I thought
  it was a sensor problem initially so I continued for another 800 metres but the engine oil had come out and I had to stop.
• Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen: "I had no battles today and it's hard to drive like that because I didn't find a rhythm and I lost concentration. I stepped up the pace a little this afternoon and it felt better. I enjoyed the stages more. Maybe driving flat out is a better choice. It's important to finish this rally for me and the team. I remember some sections of tomorrow's stages from when I competed on the Costa Smeralda Rally but it will be tough with no service during the day and I need to be really careful. I've never been in a position to take a podium where I've not had to take risks and push so this is new for me and I need to be sharp."

FORD LEG 1 REPORT

• Grönholm dominates opening leg to lead for Ford in Sardinia
• BP-Ford World Rally Team drivers Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen lead the Rally d'Italia Sardegna after dominating today's opening leg on the rocky roads of the Mediterranean island. The Finns built a large advantage after winning all three of this morning's speed tests in their Ford Focus RS World Rally Car and controlled their lead during this afternoon's repeat tests to end the day 35.4sec in front.
• Team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen lie third in a similar Focus RS after a strong performance. They were a model of consistency, setting five top three times from the six special stages to return to the rally base of Olbia, on Sardinia's east coast, with a comfortable grip on the final podium place.
• The blistering sunshine of the last few days was replaced by grey clouds as competitors left Olbia this morning for the seventh round of the FIA World Rally Championship, following last night's start ceremony in the exclusive resort of Porto Cervo. By mid-morning the sun burst through to make it uncomfortably hot in the cars, air temperatures peaking at 34?C in the shade and 44?C in the sun. Drivers tackled two identical loops of three stages covering 129.64km south of Olbia.
• The opening stages had a sandy surface and Grönholm made good use of BFGoodrich's new construction gravel tyres. He opted for medium compound rubber with extra cuts hand-carved into the tyres to disperse the sand. They worked well as Grönholm raced to fastest time on all three stages to return to service with a 40.1sec lead. In the afternoon, 38-year-old Grönholm matched his speed to that of Loeb, conceding just a handful of seconds before claiming a fourth stage win on the final test.
• "I was surprised to have such a large lead this morning but the car felt great and I was relaxed in the stages," he said. "We worked hard during our tests here to make improvements to the suspension, differentials and engine and it paid off. I was more confident. I still have a big fight on my hands with Loeb and I think there will be two more days like that. I don't have a big enough lead yet to be comfortable because there are too many corners remaining but it's a good feeling tonight.
• "The roads were badly rutted this afternoon and it was hard for the tyres but I avoided any punctures which is a testament to their strength and BFGoodrich's efforts. Tomorrow I hope to continue at the same pace and I need to avoid mistakes and problems," he added.
• Twenty-five-year-old Hirvonen ended the morning in second, just 0.3sec ahead of Loeb, despite believing his choice of hard compound rubber was wrong. He maintained a consistent pace to end the day 28.8sec behind the Frenchman and 40.3sec clear of Henning Solberg. "It has been rough and rutted but I like these stages and I've not taken stupid risks," he said. "There were many loose stones this morning and the car's sump guard took a few big hits so I knew I had to be careful.
• "The top three is where I want to be and this is the kind of day I have wanted all year. The Focus felt great and the tyres worked really well on the rocks and ruts. Tomorrow I will stick at a sensible pace and try to hold position because anything can happen in these conditions," he added.
• BP-Ford team director Malcolm Wilson described the day as 'fantastic'. "The lead that Marcus built this morning was a sensational performance by him and the car. He controlled that advantage this afternoon. Mikko did what was requested of him to set a good pace and remain in touch at the top of the leaderboard," he said.
• News from our Rivals: Championship leader Sébastien Loeb (Citroen) struggled this morning as the loose, sandy surface did him few favours in terms of grip as first driver to tackle the stages. But he made little impression on the repeat run over cleaner, but rougher, tracks this afternoon. Behind Hirvonen, Henning Solberg (Peugeot) survived going off the road on the second test and a front left puncture in the third to hold fourth, ahead of Dani Sordo (Citroen). The young Spaniard altered his car's settings in service and was happier with the handling this afternoon. Gigi Galli (Peugeot) spun on the opening stage but recovered well to hold sixth. Chris Atkinson (Subaru) was second early on but slipped down the order to seventh. Team- mate Petter Solberg dropped 15 seconds after spinning on the first stage but was fourth until a string of punctures brought his car to a stop in the final stage. He will restart tomorrow under SupeRally rules. Harri Rovanperä (Skoda) retired after the penultimate stage with a broken driveshaft while Jan Kopecky (Skoda) went out on the opening test with a crankshaft sensor problem.
• Tomorrow's Route: The second leg is again based south of Olbia but the bulk of the 137.36km of competition is based further west. After leaving Olbia at 08.00, drivers tackle two identical loops of three speed tests before returning for the final overnight halt at 18.25. The leg includes two passes over the 31.20km Monte Lerno stage, the longest and most demanding of the event. The day also includes two sets of jumps, Mickey's Jump and the Camel's Humps, which rank among the most spectacular sections of the entire season.

SUBARU / ATKINSON LEG 1 REPORT

• Atkinson ends difficult day in Sardinia seventh, Saturday May 20, 2006
• Subaru rally driver, Chris Atkinson, has endured a difficult opening leg of Rally d’Italia Sardegna to finish the day in seventh place outright.
• The Queenslander is two minutes 14.1 seconds behind the leader, Marcus Gronholm (Ford). Sebastien Loeb (Citroen) is second, 35.4 seconds back, while Mikko Hirvonen (Ford) is third one minute 4.2 seconds from the lead.
• Petter Solberg was forced to retire from the Leg on the final stage when a series of flat tyres left him with no option but to withdraw. He is in 14th place outright, six minutes 40.7 seconds behind Gronholm after a five minute penalty for not finishing the day.
• Atkinson and co-driver Glenn Macneall started the day brilliantly and after the opening stage they were in second place, just 12.1 seconds behind Gronholm.
• By the end of the morning’s three stages he was relatively happy with his position, despite having slipped back to sixth place.
• “It’s been pretty good really,” Atkinson said at the first service break. “We went out at a pace and didn’t change anything for the three stages.”
• “Some people went up and down with their speed but we were consistent. To be in sixth is okay, we’re not really that far behind third. This afternoon I think it’s going to be pretty tough on the repeats. The stages will be swept a bit but there will be a lot of rocks about - the most important thing will be to stay on the right line.”
• While Atkinson avoided the punctures that plagued Solberg, the afternoon repeat of the first three stages did not produce the results he wanted.
• “It’s been a tough day,” Atkinson said.
• “In terms of driving we’ve run at the same pace all day. Sometimes the stage times were really good, while other times they’ve not been so great, but we did the best we could.”
• SWRT Performance Director, Luis Moya, said: “Faced with some extremely difficult conditions Chris has driven consistently without error, conserving his tyres where necessary.”
• “Considering Petter’s starting position tomorrow and the amount of time lost, his focus for the next two days will be testing. We will use the opportunity to learn as much as we can before the next rally in Greece.”
• Leg Two the Italian round of the World Rally Championship gets underway at 9.30am local time with another six stages facing the drivers.

RALLY STAGES

• Thursday 18 May: Ceremonial start
• Start Marina Vecchia, Porto Cervo 20.00

Friday 19 May: Leg 1 Olbia - Olbia

• Start Olbia 08.00
  SS1 Terranova 24.10km 08.46
  SS2 Onani 18.47km 09.58
  SS3 Siniscola 22.25km 11.10
  Serv A Olbia (30 mins) 13.20
  SS4 Terranova 24.10km 14.36
  SS5 Onani 18.47km 15.48
  SS6 Siniscola 22.25km 17.00
  Serv B Olbia (45 mins) 18.50
  Finish Olbia 19.35

Saturday 20 May: Leg 2 Olbia - Olbia

• Serv C Olbia (10 mins) 08.00
  SS7 Loelle 25.20km 09.30
  SS8 Monte Lerno 31.20km 10.28
  SS9 Su Filigosu 12.28km 11.13
  Serv D Olbia (30 mins) 12.50
  SS10 Loelle 25.20km 14.40
  SS11 Monte Lerno 31.20km 15.38
  SS12 Su Filigosu 12.28km 16.23
  Serv E Olbia (45 mins) 17.40
  Finish Olbia 18.25

Sunday 21 May: Leg 3 Olbia - Porto Cervo

• Serv F Olbia (10 mins) 07.00
  SS13 San Giacomo 13.46km 07.49
  SS14 La Prugnola 9.59km 08.40
  SS15 Campovaglio 15.92km 09.17
  SS16 La Prugnola 9.59km 10.48
  SS17 Campovaglio 15.92km 11.25
  SS18 San Giacomo 13.46km 12.32
  Serv G Olbia (20 mins) 13.14
  Finish Porto Cervo 14.15

SUBARU SHAKEDOWN REPORT

• Atkinson sets pace at official Shakedown, Thursday May 18, 2006
• Subaru rally driver Chris Atkinson has demonstrated his good form going into this weekend’s round of the World Rally Championship in Sardinia by setting the equal fastest time at Thursday’s official Shakedown.
• The Queenslander tied with Marcus Gronholm with a time of two minutes 57.5 seconds.
• Sebastien Loeb was the third quickest, just 0.3 seconds behind Atkinson and Gronholm.
• Henning Solberg was fourth fastest 1.4 seconds ahead of his brother, and Atkinson's team mate, Petter Solberg.
• "Thats a good confidence booster," Atkinson said after the Shakedown.
• "We have done a lot of work in preparation for this event so I'm really hoping for a good weekend."
• Rally d’Italia-Sardegna will be the third gravel rally of the year, following Mexico and Argentina.
• The official action on Friday morning at 0846hrs Italian time with the Terranova stage to the south of Olbia. Each Leg will feature three stages repeated twice and will cover a total competitive distance of 344.94 kilometres. The event will be concluded when the winning car crosses the finish ramp in Porto Cervo at 1415hrs on Sunday.

RALLY PREVIEW

CITROEN (KRONOS) RALLY PREVIEW  (TOP OF PAGE)

• After the first six rounds of the 2006 FIA WRC, Sébastien Loeb, Daniel Elena and the Kronos Total Citroën team stand in first place in both Drivers' and Manufacturers' championships thanks to four consecutive wins. To defend these positions and to try to extend its winning streak, the Belgian team enters in Sardinia two 2006 specifications Xsara WRCs for Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena and Xevi Pons/Carlos Del Barrio.
• Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: Winner in 2005 and current leader of the Championship, Sébastien Loeb will start first on the road on Friday and will have to face the inevitable 'road sweeping' throughout the entire first loop comprising 65 competitive kilometres. "Usual strategy" has planned Seb . "And to be honest I only have one which is to start as fast as possible. After the first group of stages and on Friday night, we will see where we stand and what's possible to try. In any case, I
  hope a fight for a win will still be possible."
• Xavier Pons/Carlos Del Barrio: Xavier Pons has experienced various misfortunes over the past two gravel rounds. Having retired very early on a technical problem in Mexico, he had to stop during the first leg in Argentina after hitting something. Fortunately and thanks to the 'superally' regulations, he was able to compete in the next two legs and won his first world rally stage in difficult conditions. "For Xevi, the benefits were double" explained team principal Marc Van Dalen . "He could pile up kilometres on gravel and has set a fastest time, which will boost his confidence. He counts two participations in Sardinia and has also taken part in the pre-event tests. In a word, all the conditions are gathered for him to achieve a good result, important for him and for the team in the Manufacturers' championship."

FORD RALLY PREVIEW  (TOP OF PAGE)

• The Focus RS WRC has already shown its credentials on gravel rallies in Mexico and Argentina. Both Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen and team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen held top three places on the opening day in Mexico. And Grönholm led for much of the first leg in Argentina last month, going on to win more speed tests than any other driver. Although the Mediterranean holiday island is a relative newcomer to the championship (this is the rally's third year in the WRC), the characteristics of the Sardinian roads are well known by the BP-Ford drivers. Grönholm and Hirvonen competed there in 2004 and 2005 and both tested widely in two separate sessions there during the past six weeks.
• Marcus Grönholm/Timo Rautiainen: Thirty-eight-year-old Grönholm, who lies second in the drivers' championship, finished third in Sardinia last year. "The rally has a mix of everything," he said. "Some of the stages are quite tight while others are more open and faster. Quite a lot of the competitive distance is new for this year and I think these roads will be faster than the ones that have been dropped. It's not one of my favourite rallies but neither is it one that I really dislike.
• "It's important to score good points here and my target is clear - to win. The car has shown it is fast on gravel but my mistake in Mexico and a problem in Argentina meant that I didn't score the points I feel we deserved. But it's also important to remember that this is still a new car and we continue to fine-tune it as the season progresses. This will be the first time in competition in Sardinia with this Focus RS and I'm sure we will learn more about it during the event," added the Finn.
• Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen: Hirvonen surprised many in Sardinia last year by taking the challenge to world champion Sébastien Loeb in a privately-entered Focus RS on the opening leg - which he ended in third. "Last year was good for me until I made a mistake on the second day," said the 25-year-old Finn. "I had a good start position which meant the roads had been cleaned of gravel by the time I started the stages. I have a good start position again this year and I hope this will give me an advantage on the opening morning. I prefer the wider roads because when it's narrow and there are bushes and rocks close to the edge of the road, it's difficult to make pace notes. The temptation is to put as much as possible into the notes but then I find that there is too much in there. "The tyres will be important. I think it's going to be hot and the heat and hard roads mean that endurance will be vital. We have some new tyres available which will be good. It's not easy for BFGoodrich to improve its tyres because they are already very good, but I was pleased with these during the tests. They seem faster in every area," he added.

FORD RALLY PREVIEW

• The Subaru World Rally Team will enter two Impreza WRC2006s in Rally d'Italia Sardegna. One car will be driven by Petter Solberg (co-driven by Phil Mills) with the other by Chris Atkinson (co-driven by Glenn Macneall). Subaru has a good record in Sardinia. In 1994 Piero Liatti scored the Group A Impreza's first international victory on the Costa
  Smeralda Rally, a round of the Italian and European championships at the time. In 2004 Petter Solberg led Rally Sardinia from start to finish to take his sixth career win. He finished second on the event in 2005. Chris Atkinson starts his second Sardinian event. Last year he climbed as high as third overall, winning one stage.
• Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: "I was very happy with my drive in Argentina. Okay, things could have been even better but I think we're getting there. We tested in Greece last week and we're making small steps in performance, plus the reliability is improving a lot. We have to prove now that when everything goes well, we can win. This is what the whole team wants, everybody. We need to win."
• Chris Atkinson/Glen MacNeall: "Sardinia is a challenge as it's very technical and narrow and you have to drive cleanly to do well here. It's a good drivers' rally and I really enjoy it. Over half the route is new this year so a lot will depend on making good pace notes on the recce. My goal is a top five result. We set some good stage times last year and were running as high as third at one point, so there's no reason why we can't achieve this target."

(TOP OF PAGE)

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