Turkey : Ford news after SS13

After an enthralling morning’s action, BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen remain third in the Rally of Turkey as the fight for supremacy at the head of the leaderboard became even tighter – just 15.2sec cover the leading five crews. Team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila rolled their Focus RS World Rally Car early in the opening speed test and, although the Finns were able to continue, the time loss dropped them from sixth to 17th.

Thirty-seven of the 40 original entrants started the second leg. They faced the most demanding day of the rally with two identical groups of four speed tests north-east of Istanbul, including the 27.17km Riva, the longest of the event. Organisers have taken advantage of new rules for 2010 allowing mixed surface tests and six of the day’s eight special stages contain both gravel and asphalt.

Hirvonen made a good start in his Ford Focus RS WRC with third fastest in the predominantly asphalt 18.17km Göçbeyli. The Finn was then quickest in the 12.98km Ulupelit to climb to second. Fourth in the 14.59km Bozhane and fifth in Riva left him third, 14.6sec from the lead as cars returned to service.

The mixed surfaces and rocky tracks encountered in Riva meant drivers used various tyre changing options as they strived for the fastest strategy. Hirvonen remained tight-lipped about his choices but admitted: "It was a tough morning because the mixed surfaces meant the rhythm changed frequently. There were many rocks in the road in the last two stages and speeds were so high there was no time to react and drive around them. Organisers have scraped the road since the recce and some bends have changed as gravel has piled up on the inside. So it’s difficult to have complete trust in my pace notes."

Latvala rolled 1km after the start of Göçbeyli. "The first corners were slippery so I was cautious. Then we came to a long, fast right bend over a crest, which was flat out in my pace notes. It tightened and the car started to slide. The rear left hit a bank and the impact pulled the front into a ditch and we rolled. The car ended on its roof and we couldn’t open the doors to climb out. Spectators helped us out and pushed the car onto its wheels. My pace notes were too optimistic for the bend," he said.

Latvala dropped nine minutes in the stage but the car continued to handle perfectly afterwards. However, he lost more time in the remaining three stages as the turbo boost pipe was damaged in the crash. The team replaced the pipe and fitted a new cooling package to the front of the car in service