WRC
Ford Rally Argentina Event Summary
Cordoba-Villa Carlos Paz
Published: May 29, 2011, 11:07 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Hirvonen takes second in Argentina after exciting final stage clash
Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen finished second in Rally Argentina today after a thrilling three-car battle for victory through the final speed test. The Finns missed the top step of the podium by just 2.3sec in their Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Car in one of the closest finishes in FIA World Rally Championship history.
Only three rallies have produced a closer finale than this sixth round of the season, fought out in the hills of Cordoba province, 700km north-west of Buenos Aires. Just 7.2sec covered the top three drivers after 380.21km of competition over a mix of rocky gravel tracks and smooth asphalt.
The result keeps Hirvonen in second place in the drivers' championship. Team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila remain fourth in the standings after finishing seventh in another Fiesta RS WRC. Latvala was involved in the closest finish in WRC history just two rallies ago in Jordan when 0.2sec split the leading cars. Ford Abu Dhabi remains second in the manufacturers' points.
I struggled on the asphalt sections and better driving there could have given me the win.
Mikko Hirvonen
Hirvonen ended the opening leg in fourth and climbed to second yesterday to start the final day 43.7sec from the lead. When leader Sébastien Ogier rolled on the opening special stage and broke his car's power steering, the fight for victory became a three-car battle between Ogier, Hirvonen and Sébastien Loeb.
Ford's 30-year-old Finn entered the final 3.90km test in third, with just 5.7sec covering the trio. He was second fastest to climb to second, claiming two bonus championship points for his performance on the live television Power Stage.
"I made a couple of small mistakes at the start of the stage and things were so close that I knew then that victory wasn't going to be mine," said Hirvonen. "Second was a good result after a hard weekend, which was a strange one also. I struggled on the asphalt sections and better driving there could have given me the win. I'm annoyed to lose by such a small margin, but the bonus points from the Power Stage were a boost.
"We received presents from some drivers and gave our own presents away to others. I fought hard and it was a great ending to the event. I love this rally because the gravel roads are fantastic and there are so many fans alongside the road that it's a great feeling. Second place brings good points, but I need to start winning rallies to improve my chances of lifting the championship," he added.
Latvala dominated Friday's opening leg, winning four stages to build a 18.2sec lead. The 26-year-old Finn retained his advantage through most of yesterday, only to retire when he hit a rock and broke his car's front left suspension link. The damage was too great to repair and he restarted today in eighth, after incurring penalties for not completing the final two stages. He climbed one position to seventh.
Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila, Ford Fiesta RS WRC, BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team
Photo by: Ford Motor Company
"It was a big disappointment to lose the lead yesterday," he said. "It was a frustrating weekend because I hoped for much more from the final result. I had good pace on both the asphalt and the gravel sections. But sometimes my gravel speed was inconsistent. When I pushed too hard to find extra speed I slid sideways and lost time, so I need to drive more smoothly.
Ford Abu Dhabi team director Malcolm Wilson was pleased with the pace-setting speed of the Fiesta RS WRC. "It was another stunning performance from the car but sadly we're not on the top step of the podium. Jari-Matti had the rally under control before damaging his suspension on a rock. Mikko produced a brave fightback after a difficult day yesterday and was rewarded with second. The car's asphalt performance was strong and it's encouraging for the sealed surface events later in the year," said Wilson.
Gerard Quinn, Ford of Europe motorsport chief, said: "A podium is always a good result, bringing strong points in both the manufacturers' and drivers' championships. But I'm disappointed we're not going home with more than second place. Jari-Matti had the pace to win before damaging his car and a slightly stronger performance from Mikko during the opening two days could have delivered a win."
News from other Ford teams
M-Sport Stobart Ford duo Mads Østberg / Jonas Andersson finished fifth in a Fiesta RS WRC after an untroubled day. Team-mates Matthew Wilson / Scott Martin dropped from seventh to eighth when their car stopped for almost six minutes in today's opening stage after the engine swallowed water at a river crossing. Argentines Federico Villagra / Jorge Perez Companc were sixth for the Munchi's Ford team, while Monster World Rally Team's Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino finished 18th after losing 15 minutes when they went off the road and punctured a front right tyre on the opening test.
Next round
The first half of the season ends with the Acropolis Rally of Greece, one of the WRC's classic rounds. The gravel event is based in Loutraki on 16 - 19 June.
-source: wrc
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Petter Solberg Rally Argentina Event Summary
Next article Munchi's Ford Rally Argentina Event Summary
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Ken Block
Cadillac F1 announces high-profile signing of former Miami GP president ahead of 2026 F1 debut
Formula 1
Formula 1
Singapore GP
Cadillac F1 announces high-profile signing of former Miami GP president ahead of 2026 F1 debut
Lia Block "struggled" with being seen only as Ken Block’s daughter but proud: "He shaped who I am"
F1 Academy
F1 Academy
Zandvoort
Lia Block "struggled" with being seen only as Ken Block’s daughter but proud: "He shaped who I am"
Items from Ken Block’s career listed for charity auction
Other rally
Other rally
Items from Ken Block’s career listed for charity auction
More from
M-Sport
Jon Armstrong announces WRC co-driver split for 2027
WRC
WRC 6 h
Jon Armstrong announces WRC co-driver split for 2027
M-Sport’s 2027 WRC Fiesta Kit car breaks cover
WRC
WRC
M-Sport’s 2027 WRC Fiesta Kit car breaks cover
Latest news
Tim Clark wants NASCAR to be better storytellers to counter "brand perception problem"
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup 24 min
Tim Clark wants NASCAR to be better storytellers to counter "brand perception problem"
Why NASCAR's Zane Smith fine for Carson Hocevar contact was consistent
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Talladega II
50 min
Why NASCAR's Zane Smith fine for Carson Hocevar contact was consistent
Jimmie Johnson on the NASCAR business world: "It's a war"
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup 1 h
Jimmie Johnson on the NASCAR business world: "It's a war"
David Alonso lashes out at Dani Holgado: "When you’re not a good person, there’s nothing you can do"
Moto2
MOT2 Moto2
Phillip Island
1 h
David Alonso lashes out at Dani Holgado: "When you’re not a good person, there’s nothing you can do"
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe