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Wilson: Latvala can help Hirvonen’s title bid

“We’re not going to be holding Jari back”

By Franck Drui

21 October 2011 - 00:48

Malcolm Wilson says Jari-Matti Latvala can play a key role in his team-mate Mikko Hirvonen’s bid to win his first world title on RallyRACC-Rally de Espana this week.

Latvala is out of contention for the drivers’ crown but has shown plenty of pace on asphalt this season to the extent he is being tipped as one of the favourites for victory on the penultimate round of 2011.

“We’re not going to be holding Jari back,” said Ford team chief Wilson. “He’s got a really good starting position [on Friday] to try to challenge and win this rally. If he can win the rally and take away the points from Sebastien [Loeb] we’ll take that. If we do that it becomes closer for GB because the points gap becomes less between second and third than between first and second.

“The whole team is 100 per cent Mikko but the one thing we’ve got to do is to stop Sebastien [Loeb] winning the rally and the Power Stage. If he does that then Mikko’s chances are history. Even if Mikko won the rally and the Power Stage here then Loeb is still in with a chance whereas we’re not because of the amount of wins he’s got. The Power Stage could have a deciding effect on the world championship so we might need Jari to try to win that here.”

“It’s a real injection for everybody, the team, Mikko, even Jari. He’s played a great part in helping Mikko for the last two rallies and he can play an even more important role on the next two events. It’s fantastic.”