The BP-Ford World Rally Team crew of Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen claimed victory in Wales Rally GB, notching up a home win for Ford for the first time since 1979. The Finns led from start to finish, taking their seventh win of the season in the final round of the 2006 FIA World Rally Championship. Austrian Manfred Stohl finished second, his best result of the season, while Petter Solberg - winner of the event for the past four years - took the final podium position.
*At the end of the 16-round series, just one point separated Loeb and Grönholm in the battle for the title and Loeb claimed the crown for the third consecutive year, despite not contesting the final four rounds. The all-important Manufacturers’ Championship was won by Ford for the first time in 27 years.
Today’s final leg took the crews over two loops of two long stages in Brechfa Forest and, with overnight rain, conditions remained treacherously slippery. Grönholm’s overnight advantage meant he could afford to ease the pace. However he lost over 20 seconds with a spin in the second stage but then cruised to the finish to claim a winning margin of one minute 35.5 seconds.
OMV Peugeot Norway driver Manfred Stohl has enjoyed one of his best outings of the year and, but for hitting a branch blown down by heavy overnight winds, had a trouble-free run to the finish. Petter Solberg, third in the Subaru Impreza, lost time this morning with a puncture and spin, but nevertheless achieved a podium finish for the second time in three events.
Jari-Matti Latvala finished a fine fourth overall in his first outing in a 2006 specification Ford Focus and Xavier Pons was the highest-placed Citroën driver. Rounding off the top six was Australian Subaru driver Chris Atkinson.
The 2007 FIA World Rally Championship resumes in January with the famous Rallye Monte Carlo (19-21 January).
Wales Rally GB - Results after Leg 3
| 1 | Marcus Grönholm/Timo Rautiainen | Ford Focus RS WRC | 3 hr 20 min 24.8sec |
| 2 | Manfred Stohl/Ilka Minor | Peugeot 307 WRC | 3 hr 22 min 00.3sec |
| 3 | Petter Solberg/Phil Mills | Subaru Impreza WRC | 3 hr 22 min 20.0sec |
| 4 | Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila | Ford Focus RS WRC | 3 hr 23 min 01.9sec |
| 5 | Xavier Pons/Carlos Del Barrio | Citroën Xsara WRC | 3 hr 23 min 44.7sec |
| 6 | Chris Atkinson/Glen Macneall | Subaru Impreza WRC | 3 hr 23 min 52.3sec |
FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers (after 16 of 16 rounds)
| Sébastien Loeb (F) | 112 points |
| Marcus Grönholm (S) | 111 points |
| Mikko Hirvonen (FIN) | 65 points |
| Manfred Stohl (A) | 54 points |
| Daniel Sordo (E) | 49 points |
| Petter Solberg (N) | 40 points |
| Xavier Pons (E) | 32 points |
| Henning Solberg (N) | 25 points |
| Toni Gardemeister (FIN) | 20 points |
| Chris Atkinson (AUS) | 20 points |
FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers (after 16 of 16 rounds)
| BP-Ford World Rally Team | 195 points |
| Kronos Total Citroën World Rally Team | 166 points |
| Subaru World Rally Team | 106 points |
| OMV Peugeot Norway | 88 points |
| Stobart VK M-Sport Ford World Rally Team | 44 points |
| Red Bull-Škoda Team | 24 points |