WRC Rd 6 - Cypress Rally: Loeb wins and sets up title
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Image Gallery ( 20 images )May 15, 2005 Citroen’s Sebastien Loeb collected his third consecutive win in Cyprus, and his fourth of the 2005 season to take a significant points lead in the World Rally Championship. This weekend's success – the crew's fourteenth at WRC level – takes the defending champion 11 points clear at the top of the provisional Drivers' World Championship standings thanks to the failure of Subaru’s Petter Solberg, Loeb’s main rival for the title.
This sixth round of the championship was one of the toughest events seen in recent years. Incredibly rocky gravel tracks in the Troodos Mountains took a heavy toll and only 21 of the original 54 starters completed the gruelling three-day route which covered 326.68km of competition. Shade temperatures of 30°C and twisty roads, that ensured average speeds often failed to rise above 60kph, meant there was little airflow and conditions were tough for drivers and hard-working engines, transmissions and suspension.
The officially nominated Citroen Sport crew's win was compounded by the superb second place of the privately-entered, Team Kronos Racing-run Xsara of Manfred Stohl. It is the best result of the young Austrian's career and probably the best performance ever by an Austrian driver at world level.
Loeb was by far the best stage performer with 12 fastest times in the rally but, as he observed after the drama that befell many of the front-runners early on, he emerged from this rout as his own main rival! "I've got to stay as concentrated as possible to keep clear of the innumerable difficulties this minefield is throwing at us."
Later, amidst joyous scenes at the final service halt, the World Champion admitted, "This is the moment we've been waiting for for the past two days. Ever since the real battle ended in fact. It's a bit of a strange win and I feel a certain relief that it's over. The car was perfect and didn't give us any problems, and we didn't make any mistakes. This win may not have been all that exciting but, like all the others, it's worth ten valuable points!"
There was just as much cheering going on nearby under the Kronos Racing awning to celebrate the outstanding performance of its Austrian crew who secured the best finish for a privateer at world level in years. Ilka Minor's joy was a pleasure to behold: "It's a fantastic feeling. To finish 2nd in such a difficult rally… It's just incredible!" Manfred Stohl admitted that his feat was only just sinking in: "I'm not one to show my feelings, but I'm thrilled to bits inside! I am pleased that I succeeded in holding off Henning Solberg and then Markko Märtin. I also want to underline the excellent work put in by the Kronos team. This is a great result for all those who believed in me at the beginning of my career and who enabled me to make a living out of my passion…"
Citroen boss Guy Fréquelin was obviously very pleased too, but didn't conceal that his pleasure was dampened by yesterday's retirement of François Duval and co-driver Stéphane Prévot and by its consequences: "Stéphane has told me that he doesn't want to co-drive for François any more. I've got until 6 p.m. tomorrow to find a solution for the crew of our second car and register it with the FIA. That said, I must congratulate the team. It has come through the first – and perhaps toughest! – of the three rough rallies of the championship very well. The result confirms what we had hoped, that the set-up of the car and our new Michelin tyres would be a match for these conditions. As usual, Sébastien was in imperial form and that has been justly rewarded in the Drivers' standings. I can't hide though that I am very disappointed that what looked to be a promising weekend in terms of the Manufacturers' championship didn't come off. I would finally like to praise Manfred Stohl, Ilka Minor and everyone at Kronos Racing. Citroën Sport couldn't wish for better ambassadors for our privately run cars…"
Ford reaches Landmark Record
Ford created history in Cyprus by claiming its 50th consecutive points finish in the World Rally Championship. Three Focus RS World Rally Cars finished in the top six places of the season's toughest rally to ensure Ford reached its half century. Since the championship was officially launched in 1973, there have been 411 world rallies and no other manufacturer has composed a run of consecutive points scores that exceeds 36.
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