Marcus Grönholm and co-driver Timo Rautiainen claimed their fourth victory in the Uddeholm Swedish Rally, which finished in Karlstad today. The crew, who also won the opening round in Monte Carlo two weeks ago in their debut outing with Ford, led the three-day event from start to finish and claimed a winning margin of 30.9 seconds after 349 kilometers of competition. Their victory, on Grönholm’s 38th birthday, also represents Ford’s 50th world rally win.
The Finnish double World Champion did however have two scares today, firstly when the car failed to re-start early this morning, and then when a filter exploded and hydraulic oil poured onto the windscreen. Nevertheless, the Finn maintained his advantage throughout and takes a four-point advantage in the FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers after two rounds.
“After my first test in the Focus RS here before Christmas I thought I could take a good result in the rally, but to win is just amazing,” said Grönholm. “To win both my first two rallies is a dream and it’s good for the future.”
Reigning World Champion Sébastien Loeb finished second in a Citroën Xsara after a trouble-free run to the finish, but the battle for the final podium position was fiercely fought between Sweden’s Daniel Carlsson and Italian Gigi Galli. The two Mitsubishi privateer drivers have traded positions throughout the rally and were split by mere tenths of a second over today’s closing stages. Carlsson ultimately took third, with Galli seven seconds adrift in fourth.
Petter Solberg’s woes continued with starter motor problems and he was finally excluded when he was unable to start the penultimate stage within the permitted time. Swedish DTM driver Mattias Ekström (Škoda Fabia) was also forced out from fifth position when he crashed into a snow bank and crushed the radiator.
The third round of the FIA World Rally Championship takes the crews to North America for the first gravel event of the season. Corona Rally México takes place between 3-5 March.
Uddeholm Swedish Rally – Final Results
1. Marcus Grönholm/Timo Rautiainen Ford Focus RS WRC 3 hr 09 min 01.9sec
2. Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena Citroën Xsara WRC 3 hr 09 min 32.8sec
3. Daniel Carlsson/Bo Holmstrand Mitsubishi Lancer WRC 3 hr 11 min 58.7sec
4. Gigi Galli/Giovanni Bernacchini Mitsubishi Lancer WRC 3 hr 12 min 05.7sec
5. Thomas Rådström/Jörgen Skallman Subaru S10 WRC 3 hr 14 min 55.2sec
6. Kosti Katajamäki/Timo Alanne Ford Focus RS WRC 3 hr 16 min 36.7sec
FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers (after 2 of 16 rounds)
Marcus Grönholm (S) 20 points
Sébastien Loeb (F) 16 points
Toni Gardemeister (FIN) 6 points
Daniel Carlsson (S) 6 points
Manfred Stohl (A) 5 points
Gigi Galli (I) 5 points
Stéphane Sarrazin (F) 4 points
Thomas Rådström (S) 4 points
FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers (after 2 of 16 rounds)
BP-Ford World Rally Team 26 points
Kronos Total Citroën World Rally Team 24 points
OMV Peugeot Norway 10 points
Subaru World Rally Team 8 points
Stobart VK M-Sport Ford World Rally Team 7 points
Red Bull-Škoda Team 3 points