Ford driver Mikko Hirvonen has claimed his third consecutive World Rally Championship victory and his first win on home soil, equipped with Pirelli Scorpion tyres. Rally Finland, which is also known as the 'Finnish Grand Prix' is the fastest and most spectacular event of the season, putting huge demands on the crews, cars and tyres.
The Rally Finland is characterised by flat-out gravel roads and huge crests that launch the cars into the air. Although the weather was largely warm, some overnight rain meant that the road conditions were mixed, making Finland a true challenge for the soft-compound Pirelli Scorpion rubber. These tyres will be used once more for the season-closing Rally Great Britain at the end of the year.
Just as was the case last year, Rally Finland witnessed an epic duel between the Ford of Mikko Hirvonen and the Citroen of five-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb, both on Pirelli Scorpion tyres. However, this time it was the Ford driver who triumphed after their three-day long battle, winning 10 stages en route to his first Rally Finland victory. Hirvonen now enjoys a three-point lead over Loeb in the drivers' championship rankings, while Citroen has a 14-point advantage over Ford, with just three rallies remaining.
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