Volkswagen dominate Rally Sweden
Volkswagen's Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila claimed their third Rally Sweden victory yesterday, taking the win by 53.6 seconds over their VW Polo R WRC team-mates Andreas Mikkelsen and Mikko Markkula.
Andreas Mikkelsen (N), Mikko Markkula (FIN) Volkswagen Polo R WRC (2014) Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila in their works Volkswagen Polo R WRC, en route to overall victory in the weekend’s Rally Sweden. Picture: FIA
The third position went to the Citroën DS3 crew of Mads Østberg and Jonas Andersson.
In the 2014 World Rally Championship for Drivers, Latvala’s victory sees the Finn head the leaderboard, five points ahead of VW team-mate and reigning World Champion Sébastien Ogier.
Mads Østberg (Citroen DS3) rounds off the top three, another five points adrift.
In the Manufacturers’ Championship, wins in Monte-Carlo and Sweden put Volkswagen Motorsport in the lead, the German marque 16 points ahead of the Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team.
Yesterday’s final day of competition took in two identical loops of four stages covering 142.16 competitive kilometres.
The rally was rounded off with the televised Power Stage, in which all-important extra championship points are awarded to the quickest three drivers through this single stage.
Østberg, Latvala and Mikko Hirvonen collected the extra points.
Latvala started the day in control of the field and a clean sweep of fastest times in the opening loop helped the Finn extend his advantage.
In the afternoon he was able to control the field to notch up his first WRC victory since Greece last year.
Mikkelsen also drove a fine event, the Norwegian always in the frame for his first WRC victory.
Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila in their works Volkswagen Polo R WRC, en route to overall victory in the weekend’s Rally Sweden. Picture FIA
Yesterday he went off in the second stage and damaged his Volkswagen’s suspension, but otherwise escaped unscathed to secure his maiden WRC podium.
Mads Østberg won two of the afternoon’s stages and finished a deserved third overall in his Citroen.
Mikko Hirvonen (Ford Fiesta RS) finished a distant fourth, just over 30 seconds ahead of Ott Tanak in a similar Ford.
After going off the road on Saturday, Volkswagen’s Sébastien Ogier managed to climb up to sixth, overhauling reigning Junior WRC Champion Pontus Tidemand (Ford Fiesta RS) and Henning Solberg (Ford Fiesta RS).
Craig Breen (Ford Fiesta RS) finished ninth and Kris Meeke (Citroen DS3) 10th after losing time stuck in a snow bank.
The FIA World Rally Championship contenders now head across the Atlantic for the first full gravel event of the season, Rally Guanajuato Mexico (March 6 to 9).
