Wales Rally GB : Solberg and Wilson hold steady on stormy stages

Solberg and Wilson hold steady on stormy stages

24 October 2009, 2:33 pm

Both Henning Solberg and Matthew Wilson have held their ground on the second morning of Rally GB to remain in sixth and seventh place. But as the fearsome Welsh weather conditions battered the stages both Stobart VK M-Sport Ford drivers have suffered this morning in the wet and muddy conditions.

Solberg, with yesterday's engine misfire resolved, was looking to chase down Sebastien Ogier this morning, targeting fifth place. But the Norwegian and co-driver Cato Menkerud have lost time on the Frenchman and were hit badly on the final stage of this morning's three-stage loop as their windscreen wipers struggled to cope with the barrage of muddy water.

Wilson is much happier with his Ford Focus RS WRC after the traction problems that affected his pace yesterday. The young Briton and co-driver Scott Martin are battling to stay on the pace of their Stobart team mate but have found it hard going on the slippery roads with mud and standing water causing hazards for the car.

Steve Perez was also hit by wiper problems on the first stage of the morning, but he managed to make minor repairs on the road which have enabled him to get through the stages in 14th place.

Stobart VK M-Sport Ford driver Matthew Wilson said:
"The first stage this morning was one of the most difficult stages I've ever driven. At one point the wipers stuck and my heart was in my mouth, but they started working again. We made a couple of mistakes at the start of the second stage, but it was good after that; the car feels much better today. We've got the grip back now and the handling is much improved so I am just getting my confidence back and pushing as hard as I can."

Stobart VK M-Sport Ford driver Henning Solberg said:
"The car is working very well today so I am happy with that. My wipers broke on the last stage and that made it very difficult for me but I am trying my best to push. We will get back to Service and get them fixed and hopefully push again this afternoon. There was lots of standing water on the first stage this morning, but that should clear for the second pass and conditions will be better."

Leaderboard after SS9
1. S Loeb/D Elena (FRA) Citroën C4 1h53m48.5s
2. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen (FIN) Ford Focus RS +25.0s
3. D Sordo/M Marti (ESP) Citroën C4 +1m02.5s
4. P Solberg/P Mills (NOR) Citroën C4 +1m26.1s
5. S Ogier/J Ingrassia (FRA) Citroën C4 +3m44.6s
6. H Solberg/C Menkerud (NOR) Ford Focus RS +4m27.0s
7. M Wilson/S Martin (GB) Ford Focus RS +5m21.3s
8. J-M Latvala/M Antilla (FIN) Ford Focus RS +7m40.4s
14. S Perez/P Spooner (GB) Ford Focus RS +15m29.0s

Sebastien Loeb has won Rallye Monte-Carlo for a sixth time following a dominant performance behind the wheel of the Citroen DS3 WRC he shares with Monegasque co-driver Daniel Elena.

Of the 74 starters who began Wales Rally GB in Llandudno on Thursday 10th November, 40 were classified at the end of the four-day,1860 kms rally which featured 23 timed special stages as it wound its way from the North coast to the ceremonial finish in Cardiff.

As this year's Wales Rally GB - the final and deciding round of the 2011 FIA World Rally Championship - draws to a close, Business Minister, Edwina Hart has announced a funding package of £1.4 million for the 2012 event.

Useful Contacts

Welsh Government

World Rally Championship

Information on Cardiff

Conwy and Llandudno

Further Information

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