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Valuable victory for Mikko Hirvonen in WRC Rally of Japan

27. - 28.10. 2007

Mikko Hirvonen drove Ford to a valuable victory in the Japanese round of the World Rally Championship. The third win in his career and his second of the current season, the result secured at least third place for the driver from Jyväskylä in the FIA World Rally Championship drivers' standings. Hirvonen's win also helped Ford to increase its lead in the manufacturers' championship to 34 points, with two WRC rounds remaining.

“For me personally the win was really important, as I was able to compete for victory even with Marcus (Grönholm) and Sebastien (Loeb) still in the race,” comments Hirvonen. Hirvonen snatched the lead during the sixth stage of the 27-stage rally. Grönholm retired after crashing out on the fourth stage, as did Loeb on the 13th stage, and also the early rally leader Jari-Matti Latvala, who nevertheless continued the race on Sunday.

“I started with the attempt to beat Loeb, but when Grönholm retired, I had to try driving even more carefully and faster to ensure the lead over Loeb,” Hirvonen recalls. After Loeb's retirement, Hirvonen's only remaining threat was Citroen's Daniel Sordo, who finished second, 37.4 seconds behind. Hirvonen did not let the Spaniard's hard effort to distract him during the last stage, despite the difficult conditions in the narrow, slippery and foggy gravel roads of the Hokkaido Island.

“Victory of course always feels better when it comes in tricky conditions, but there were not any problems with Sordo. I let him narrow my lead by a few seconds during the slippery parts of the last leg, and drove to widen the lead again when it became dryer,” Hirvonen recalls.

Championship hunt awaiting next year

Hirvonen and his co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen posted their first WRC win in Australia in 2006. They now have three wins, and will attempt to drive for more during next season.
“Success like this always increases your self-confidence, especially when you realise that you can drive fast enough to keep up with the pace of Marcus and Loeb. This feels good at the moment and of course warms one's heart with a view to the next year. Next season, the only goal is the championship,” says Hirvonen.
“There is a small chance of second place in the WRC even this year, but that requires others to slip up.”

Hirvonen's confident driving also earned praise from the Ford team director Malcolm Wilson.
“Mikko was under a great deal of pressure when Marcus retired, so the rally was an opportunity for him to prepare for handling such pressure next season, and he took the opportunity well,” says Wilson, praising Hirvonen’s performance.