S-WRC: Sandell secures glory in France

Patrik Sandell has maintained his outside chances of winning the inaugural Super 2000 World Rally Championship title by clinching a dominant victory in the class on Rallye de France today.

The Swede, at the wheel of a Baumschlager Rallye & Racing Skoda Fabia, started the final day with a margin of 14 seconds over Eyvind Brynildsen after the Norwegian suffered a puncture on Saturday’s final test.

Vowing to fight back on the final day, Brynildsen had narrowed Sandell’s margin by two-tenths of a second with a faster run than the Swede managed through the first Haguenau stage on Sunday morning. But things then went dramatically awry for Brynildsen on Bitche Campe when he carried too much speed into a sequence of corners, went off the road and rolled.

“I promise you it was a big push,” said Brynildsen. “And when you push at that speed things like this can happen. I knew it was impossible to beat 14 seconds but I had to try. I am more satisfied to be trying than to be second having led for two days because second is always the first loser. I was just too fast and unfortunately the car is completely destroyed.”

Despite the damage, Brynildsen limped through to finish in fifth overall.

Sandell’s victory alongside co-driver Emil Axelsson was his second in the S-WRC category this season. He was naturally delighted after completing the final stage in Haguenau.

“We were able to relax after Eyvind’s problem but we had to drive safe because the conditions were very difficult, so slippery still on the stages,” said Sandell. “This is a very good result for us, absolutely perfect, and it is a big help for the championship. The team has helped me a lot to find a good set-up on the car and with my driving on asphalt so big thanks to them.”

Jari Ketomaa finished a strong second on his first asphalt rally in his Shanghai FCACA Rally Team Ford Fiesta S2000. The result has put the Finn firmly in contention for the drivers’ title on Wales Rally GB next month. “We did very good preparation with the team so I’m more than happy to be second on my first tarmac event.”

Xevi Pons, who started the event as the joint leader of the S-WRC standings along with Martin Prokop, overtook Michal Kosciuszko when the Polish driver spun his Fabia on Bitche Camp and lost 10 seconds, despite suffering a rotation from his own.

However, after being delayed by Production world championship winner Armindo Araujo through the rally-closing Haguenau stage, when the Portuguese driver’s Mitsubishi Lancer suffered a brake problem, Kosciuszko was able to reclaim the final podium spot. It means he takes a seven-point lead over Ketomaa into the Rally GB season finale. Sandell is two points further adrift and the title battle is between these three drivers.

Prokop, whose hopes of winning were dashed when he had to complete Friday’s eight stages with no power steering, took a disconsolate sixth in his Fiesta. With Rallye de France his last scoring round of the season, the Czech is no longer in contention for the S-WRC title.

Bernardo Sousa finished seventh with French wildcard entrant Julien Maurin eighth and Albert Llovera ninth and the final classified S-WRC finisher after restarting on Sunday morning following his retirement on Saturday.