Latvala fastest on inaugural Qualifying Stage

Ford driver first to choose starting position for Friday runs

By Franck Drui

9 February 2012 - 13:06
Latvala fastest on inaugural Qualifying

Ford driver Jari-Matti Latvala has gone quickest in the FIA World Rally Championship powered by Nokia’s inaugural Qualifying Stage, beating his former team-mate Mikko Hirvonen by half a second on a 3.99-kilometre ice-coated test near Hagfors.

The result means that Latvala will be able to choose where he wants to start the first day of the rally on Friday, in order to make the best possible use of road position.

“I had no problem in the stage at all,” said the 2008 Rally Sweden winner. “Maybe on one corner I was a little bit slower after I saw some rocks and went around them, but otherwise it was the perfect time for me. I am happy with the time I set and the position I am in, but certainly there is a lot to be thinking about before we decide what place we take. We have to think about the weather and a few other factors: it’s not so straightforward.”

Hirvonen, the winner of the last two rallies in Sweden, edged out M-Sport’s Ott Tanak by a mere five-thousandths of a second, to claim second place in his factory Citroen. It was a remarkable performance though from the young Estonian, contesting only his third world championship event in a World Rally Car.

“The stage was pretty good, to be only five thousandths of a second behind Mikko was a good result for me,” said Tanak - whose mentor is former Ford factory driver Markko Martin.

The quickest of the World Rally Car debutants was Eyvind Brynildsen, who was eight-fastest in another Ford Fiesta RS WRC, 2.213s behind Latvala. Patrik Sandell was the top Swede in ninth overall on his first run in a MINI John Cooper Works WRC.

Conditions were cold and bright on the stage, which benefitted from a good covering of snow and got quicker as more cars passed over it. The cars started the qualifying stage in championship order, meaning that Citroen driver Sebastien Loeb went first. The eight-time world champion was sixth quickest.

1 Latvala Fiesta RS WRC 1’53’5
2 Hirvonen DS3 WRC 1’54’0
3 Tänak Fiesta RS WRC 1’54’0
4 Novikov Fiesta RS WRC 1’54’1
5 P.Solberg Fiesta RS WRC 1’54’3
6 Loeb DS3 WRC 1’54’7
7 Ostberg Fiesta RS WRC 1’54’8
8 Brynildsen Fiesta RS WRC 1’55’7
9 Sandell Mini JCW WRC 1’56’3
10 Prokop Fiesta RS WRC 1’56’7
11 Sordo Mini JCW WRC 1’56’7
12 H.Solberg Fiesta RS WRC 1’56’7
13 Ketomaa Fiesta RS WRC 1’57’3
14 Ogier Fabia S2000 1’57’8
15 Araujo Mini JCW WRC 1’59’5
16 Al-Attiyah DS3 WRC 1’59’7
17 Solowow Fiesta RS WRC 2’01’7
18 Goransson Mini JCW WRC 2’02’2
19 Van Merksteijn DS3 WRC 2’03’6
20 Neuville DS3 WRC 2’04’7
21 Nobre Mini JCW WRC 2’06’1

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