Ford wins
back-to-back titles
Released
on: November 20, 2007, 1:40 am
Press
Release Author: Castrol
UK Limited
Industry:
Automotive
Press
Release Summary: The Castrol-Ford Team has won the WRC manufacturers
title for the second successive season thanks to Mikko Hirvonen’s
fourth place on the inaugural WRC Rally Ireland
Press
Release Body: The Castrol-backed Ford Team has
won the World Rally Championship (WRC) manufacturers
title for the second successive season thanks to Mikko Hirvonen’s
fourth place on the inaugural WRC Rally Ireland.
Marcus Grönholm failed to score meaning the
drivers' title will be decided in the final event of the season,
Rally GB in two weeks time.
Rally
Ireland was the newest event to enter the WRC calendar
and the first time the ‘Emerald Isle’ has featured in
the series. The bumpy nature of the roads was always feared as a
danger area as Castrol-Ford
driver Marcus Grönholm found out
to his cost - the championship leader crashed heavily on the opening
morning.
Having
taken an early lead Grönholm had slipped to
third and was fighting back when the Focus went off the road on
SS4. “The roads were like ice this morning,”
said the Finn. “I braked for a bend near the end of the
stage but the car slid sideways before hitting a wall hard. It was
a big impact because we stopped immediately.”
Grönholm
and co-driver Timo Rautiainen went to hospital
where they were given the all-clear but the same could not be said
of the Focus and, for the second event running, the damage was too
severe to allow the Finn to rejoin.
With
Grönholm out of contention, team mate Mikko
Hirvonen turned his attention not to chasing victory but
to ensuring he gained the three points necessary for Castrol-Ford
to retain its manufacturers’ World Championship crown. "Friday
was the hardest day of the season so far,” he said. “I
couldn’t find a good rhythm because I was trying to drive
safely and when you do that you make mistakes.”
After
opening in Southern Ireland, Saturday’s route was concentrated
in the north but heavy rain meant that caution was still the watchword.
“The stages in this area are good with jumps and crests like
we have in Finland,” said Hirvonen.
“If the weather had been dry they would have been incredibly
fast.”
With
just four stages on the final day, Hirvonen was
taking no chances and duly brought the Focus home in a title-winning
fourth place. “This was a great result for the team but
a difficult event for me as I couldn’t risk pushing for a
better overall place and risk not scoring the points the team needed,”
he said.
With
the Manufacturers’ title secure attention now turns to Marcus
Grönholm's quest to steal the crown from under Sebastien
Loeb’s nose on the final round in Wales in two weeks’
time.
Ford
team manager Malcolm Wilson said: 'It's a fantastic
feeling to win back-to-back championships. To win with one event
remaining is amazing. Mikko did a perfect job this
weekend and after Marcus' retirement, he fully
understood the role he had to play this weekend and he did it to
perfection.'
About
Castrol-Ford:
Castrol's world class expertise and engine
oil technology means it is recommended by the worlds leading
car manufacturers, commended by experts and trusted by over 100
million customers. Built on a history of technical innovation over
the past 100 years, Castrol motor oil drivers and
cars have been at the forefront of motor sport, especially the World
Rally and record-breaking competition for more than 75 years.
Castrol is part of BP and is the market and technical
leader for specialised industrial and car
oil lubricants for the retail consumer. Castrol
is the market leader in marine lubricants and a key player in the
aviation and commercial vehicles market. It is also the third largest
marketer of lubricants
worldwide.
Web
Site: http://www.castrol.co.uk
Contact
Details: PR contact:
Caroline Topping
Communications Manager
Castrol UK Limited
Wakefield House
Pipers Way
United Kingdom
SN3 IRE
+44 (1793) 452781
http://www.castrol.co.uk/
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