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GRANDE PUNTO ABARTH S2000 - RALLY RUSSIA

Abarth returned to form on the Rally Russia, the fourth round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) which ended yesterday, with both factory drivers, Anton Alén and Giandomenico Basso, finishing on the podium.

Due to some wet weather before the start of the event, the roads on the Rally Russia were extremely challenging, with some big rocks appearing particularly during the second run through the stages. These caused a number of punctures and incidents, including two punctures for last year’s winner Alén on the opening day. “Without them, maybe I could have challenged for another win,” said the Abarth driver. “But Juho was very quick: some of the times he set were incredible.” Alén’s team Basso made it two Abarths on the podium after steering clear of trouble.

Two privately-entered Grande Punto Abarths backed up the factory duo in Russia. Didier Auriol was forced out by a broken brake pipe following differential problems on the rough stages of the morning of day 2. "It was just one of those unfortunate things," said the privateer Abarth Grande Punto driver. "We had a suspension problem yesterday and now this, so it was impossible to continue," said Auriol on Day Two. "Even though it's ended like this, I've still enjoyed the experience of rallying in Russia."

Auriol, who won his title in 1994 and is the first World Champion to compete on the IRC, is driving a selected programme on this year's series for his own pleasure. "For me, rallying is all about having fun now and the IRC has allowed me to do that," added the Frenchman. "It's quite hard for me to get used to the right way to drive these cars though. Throughout my career I've been used to driving cars with a lot of torque, and these Super 2000 cars do not have that at all: the power is all the way at the top of the rev range. I have to say that today's stages were very rough: some of the roughest I have ever seen in my career." Dani Sola in the final Italian machine retired with engine problems on the first day.

Meanwhile Peugeot maintained its winning record on this year's IRC as Finn Juho Hanninen won the Rally Russia commandingly by more than two minutes on his debut in a Super 2000 car. Despite having only tested his Peugeot 207 S2000 for 60 kilometres prior to the start of the event, he took the lead from the very first stage and held it right up to the end. “I am actually very surprised to win,” said Hanninen, who first competed on the IRC this year on the Rally Portugal, finishing fifth in a Group N Mitsubishi. “There was a lot for me to learn about the car and the event, but on the second day in particular I felt a lot more comfortable with it. It’s a lot of fun and I hope to have the chance to drive it again.”

The Peugeot Belgium cars of Freddy Loix and Nicolas Vouilloz also started the rally with the intention of a solid points finish. Fifth place for Vouilloz now places the Frenchman in the joint lead of the drivers’ championship with Luca Rossetti – who should be back for the next IRC round in Madeira at the end of the month.

Sixth-placed Jan Kopecky would have been a definite podium contender had it not been for a front-left puncture on his Peugeot on the longest stage of the rally yesterday that he was forced to stop and change. Brice Tirabassi, also driving a Peugeot, finished seventh despite suffering from a slipping clutch from the very start of the event. Mitsubishi driver and local man Oleg Antropov was the top Russian home in eighth place.

As well as Auriol and Sola, retirements included Englishman Guy Wilks was leading the IRC 2WD Cup commandingly until he was forced out by a transmission problem with just two stages to go. The Peugeot 206 of Vadim Mikhailov consequently won the two-wheel drive category.

IRC Motorsport Development Manager Jean-Pierre Nicolas said: “It’s been another closely-fought rally, in which we at Eurosport Events have been very happy to see the emergence of an exciting new talent in the shape of Juho Hanninen. He seems set to be the latest in the long line of Finns that have lifted the profile of the sport, and we hope to see him out on the IRC again soon.”

Intercontinental Rally Challenge, Rd 3 - Rally Russia, Final Results

1. Hanninen-Markkula (Peugeot 207) in 2 hrs 14’27”0; 2. Alen-Alanne (Grande Punto Abarth S2000) + 2’11”2; 3. Basso-Dotta (Grande Punto Abarth S2000) + 2’44”2; 4. Loix-Buysmans (Peugeot 207) + 2’51”9; 5. Vouilloz-Klinger (Peugeot 207) + 5’30”8; 6. Kopecky-Stary (Peugeot 207) + 6’54”4; 7. Tirabassi-Gordon (Peugeot 207) + 9’03”2; 8. Antropov-Sharipov (Mitsubishi Lancer) + 17’06”8.

Drivers' Championship (after 4 rounds):

1. Luca Rossetti ITA (Peugeot) and Nicolas Vouilloz FRA (Peugeot) points 26; 3. Freddy Loix BEL (Peugeot) 16; 4. Jan Kopecky CZ (Peugeot) 15; 5. Giandomenico Basso ITA (Abarth), Anton Alen FIN (Abarth) e Juho Hanninen FIN (Mitsubishi/Peugeot) 16; 8. Berndt Casier BEL (Volkswagen) and Renato Travaglia ITA (Abarth) 6; 10. Patrick Snijers BEL (Peugeot) 4.