ACROPOLIS RALLY OF GREECE - AFTER STAGE 10

Another blazing day, both in terms of temperatures and action on the speed tests, lay in store when 57 of the original 60 starters left Tatoi this morning for the second leg of this seventh round of the FIA World Rally Championship.  Eighteen of those started under SupeRally rules having retired yesterday, and the tally was likely to rise considerably over what is predicted to be the event’s toughest day.  Drivers face 119.12km of competition in two identical loops of three special stages west of Athens.

After the disappointment of losing more than a minute and sliding to sixth with suspension problems last night, BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team drivers Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila bounced back in style.  Latvala was second in his Ford Focus RS World Rally Car on the opening 32.16km Aghii Theodori test, the longest and roughest of the rally.  He won the 16.60km Pissia and was second in Aghia Triada to return to service in fourth, narrowing the gap to the lead to 47.4sec.

“I felt confident with the whole package this morning – me, the car and the tyres,” said 23-year-old Latvala.  “The roads were rougher than yesterday so I drove sensibly to avoid punctures.  I knew others were having problems so I drove steadily on the first stage and harder on the next two.  I drove more softly in the braking areas so as not to take risks.  I need to move up the order again but this afternoon will be very tough so I must be careful.”

Team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen, who also lost almost a minute last night with suspension problems on their Focus RS, started well with fastest time through Aghii Theodori to climb to sixth.  However, the Finns dropped 30sec in Pissia after damaging their car’s right rear brakes.  They made repairs on the following liaison section but struggled through Aghia Triada, dropping two minutes and slipping to eighth.

“It was my mistake,” said 27-year-old Hirvonen.  “In a slow corner I slid wide and the car hit a bank.  It seemed harmless but the impact broke the rear right brake disc.  I isolated the brakes on that corner of the car and started the next stage with just three brakes.  But 4km after the start the suspension broke and I finished the stage with virtually no brakes.  I think the suspension must have been damaged in the previous stage but I didn’t notice anything.  It’s a tough rally and I won’t take any risks now.  I’ll drive steadily, try to survive and see what happens to those ahead of me.”

Leaderboard after stage 10 of 20

1.  D Sordo/M Marti                            ESP                 Citroen C4                   2hr 04min 54.6sec

2.  S Loeb/D Elena                               FRA                 Citroen C4                   2hr 05min 11.0sec

3.  P Solberg/P Mills                             NOR                Subaru Impreza            2hr 05min 40.5sec

4.  J-M Latvala/M Anttila                 FIN                 Ford Focus RS           2hr 05min 42.0sec

5.  H Solberg/C Menkerud                NOR               Ford Focus RS           2hr 05min 55.2sec

6.  F Villagra/J Perez Companc         ARG               Ford Focus RS           2hr 08min 00.9sec

7.  P-G Andersson/J Andersson            SWE                Suzuki SX4                  2hr 08min 05.4sec

8.  M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen                FIN                 Ford Focus RS           2hr 08min 30.7sec

9.  M Wilson/S Martin                       GBR               Ford Focus RS           2hr 08min 34.3sec

10 T Gardemeister/T Tuominen FIN                  Suzuki SX4                  2hr 08min 48.0sec