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Front Page
Ford Extends Points Record to Bring Turkish Delight
Staff, Monday June 28, 2004.
Page 1 of 1
It was the 35th consecutive world rally that Ford has finished in the points, a record that is unmatched in championship history and one that dates back to the opening round of the 2002 season in Monte Carlo. Four Focus cars claimed top 10 positions after privately-entered drivers Janne Tuohino, Antony Warmbold and Serkan Yazici were seventh, eighth and ninth.
Blazing heat made this seventh round of the series one of the hottest for a long time and extremely tough for drivers, cars and tyres. Air temperatures of more than 35°C in the southern mountains above Kemer put an enormous strain on engines and transmission parts, especially as the twisty roads ensured there was little airflow to provide cooling. Ground temperatures approaching 50°C posed big demands on the Ford BP team's Michelin tyres and stifling cockpit heat put a large emphasis on drivers' fitness.
Today's third and final leg comprised two identical loops of four speed tests covering 77.90km, bringing the rally total to 383.33km. Duval and Prévot, lying fifth overnight and with no realistic opportunity of making further progress unless those in front encountered trouble, cruised through the final day for their fourth points finish of the season.
"It has been a pretty good weekend for me," said the 23-year-old Belgian driver. "The car has run perfectly today and I'm pleased to score points both for Ford and for myself. It has been incredibly hot again today and I'm relieved that the rally is over and we have no more stages to drive. It was important not to take any risks today. We couldn't catch the car ahead of us and we were in no danger of being caught from behind, so I decided to be cautious."
Duval and Prévot experienced one cooling moment in the heat this morning. "We had an unexpected shower in the first stage. We went through a watersplash and water poured in through the air vents in the roof. We were soaked!" added Duval.
After first day problems which cost more than 50 minutes, Märtin and Park's only aim was to score manufacturer points. They achieved this, despite spending much of the final two days tackling the stages first in their Castrol-branded Focus RS. It meant they had to plough the loose gravel on the surface, leaving a cleaner and faster line for those behind.
"The surface was very loose so we took no risks," said the 28-year-old Estonian driver. "After Friday's troubles we have had a quite a stress-free weekend. We've not been driving slowly but it has been quite steady. There was no point in driving flat out because after our time loss the only way we could score points was through the retirements of others. Fortunately that happened. It's a shame that I couldn't score driver points but after everything that happened a point for the team was good."
Ford BP team director Malcolm Wilson was full of praise for both drivers. "François drove a great rally. I think he has moved up another level in terms of stage performance. I would also like to praise Markko for his perseverance and mechanical skills in making repairs to his car on Friday. Full credit to him for sticking with it in difficult circumstances and getting a point for the team," he said.
News from our Rivals
Sebastien Loeb's (Citroen) hopes of victory were boosted last night when his 10-second penalty for a jump-start yesterday was withdrawn. The Frenchman controlled his performance for most of today to win by 26.2sec from Marcus Grönholm (Peugeot). However, he had a late scare when he hit something on the final liaison section and the impact ripped off the right rear wheel. He drove to the finish with only three wheels on the car. Grönholm challenged hard during the opening loop, despite an upset stomach, but gearbox troubles on the penultimate test ended his hopes. Petter Solberg (Subaru) had no trouble en route to third while Carlos Sainz, feeling better but still weak after his illness, was fourth. Behind Duval, Mikko Hirvonen (Subaru) was seventh, despite two spins this morning, and Tuohino and Warmbold claimed the final drivers' points. Tenth was sufficient for Gigi Galli (Mitsubishi) to score manufacturer points for his team.
Next round
After the heat of a Turkish summer, Ford BP Rallye Sport switches to the cold of an Argentine weather for round eight of the championship. Rally Argentina is based in Villa Carlos Paz on 15 - 18 July.
Final positions ? Rally of Turkey
1. S Loeb (Fra) / D Elena (Mon) - Citroen Xsara 4hr 48min 26.8sec
2. M Grönholm (Fin) / T Rautiainen (Fin) - Peugeot 307 +0:26.2
3. P Solberg (Nor) / P Mills (GB) - Subaru Impreza +0:36.7
4. C Sainz (Esp) / M Marti (Esp) - Citroen Xsara +2:49.3
5. F Duval (Bel) / S Prévot (Bel) - Ford Focus RS +4:26.8
6. M Hirvonen (Fin) / J Lehtinen (Fin) - Subaru Impreza +6:01.1
7. J Tuohino (Fin) / J Aho (Fin) - Ford Focus RS +11:44.9
8. A Warmbold (Ger) / G Price (GB) - Ford Focus RS +21:15.3
FIA World Rally Championship (after round 7 of 16)
Drivers
1. S Loeb 53pts
2. P Solberg 44pts
3. M Märtin 34pts
4. M Grönholm 32pts
5. C Sainz 24pts
6. F Duval 23pts
Manufacturers
1. Citroen 80pts
2. Ford 65pts
3. Subaru 59pts
4. Peugeot 47pts
5. Mitsubishi 11pts
Further information and high-resolution images relating to Ford Racing Australia can also be found at : media.ford.com
For further information contact:
Mark Wilford
Media Coordinator
Ford Rallye Sport
Phone: + 90 242 815 3331
Mobile: +44 7770 756214
Email: mwilford@ford.com
Ben Beazley
Media Coordinator
Ford Racing Australia
Phone: 03 9359 8190
Mobile: 0417 262 753
Email: benb@global-marketing.com
