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Round 10: 23th Deutschland Rally 2004
Pictures of the Deutschland Rally 2004 here.
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Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions have now claimed five wins from five starts in the FIA Production Car World Rally Championship, Xavier Pons’ victory in Rallye Deutschland today underlining the superiority of the Lancer Evolution in this highly-competitive category. The Spaniard drove the rally of his life to claim his first PWRC victory in one of the most treacherous rounds of the series. Championship leader Jani Paasonen (OMV World Rally Team) finished fifth of the contenders, in similar machinery, extending his lead to nine points with two rounds remaining.
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Although the torrential rain that blighted the second leg had finally given way firstly to fog, then to high cloud and occasional sunshine, the seven closing stages were far from easy. Set in the undulating hills and forests of the Saarland, the fast, narrow lanes were often affected by patches of mud and maximum concentration was needed to avoid a mistake. Large numbers of fans appreciated the sunshine, sounding horns and waving flags in a noisy display of appreciation for the drivers’ efforts on the stages and in the service area.
The final leg was a real test of Xavier Pons’ character, for while his earlier performance meant that he wasn’t under intense pressure, even a slight error would have been unforgivable after such an impressive drive in his Lancer Evolution. "It’s fantastic", said the young Spaniard of his first major international victory. "I’m a bit surprised, because I know I can be fast on Tarmac but I wasn’t sure that I could win here. The car has been very good and everything has gone well for us in very difficult conditions. I hope we can do as well in Corsica too". |
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Finn Jani Paasonen was fifth in his Lancer Evolution after a well-judged drive, despite leaving the road briefly in the second leg. The Finn kept his World Championship lead and will be a tough man to beat in his final round in Australia.
Germany’s Sandro Wallenwein was the fourth Mitsubishi driver in the overall Group N leaderboard, finishing just 30 seconds behind Paasonen after a fine performance in the first outing of the newly-developed and prepared Ralliart GmbH Lancer Evolution VIII MR. "This is a fantastic car", said Wallenwein. "It gives you a lot of confidence to drive it and I think this is a very good result for our first rally in it. I am sure we can do better in future". The sixth round of the FIA Production Car World Rally Championship takes the crews to the island of Corsica for the Rallye de France - Tour de Corse (October 15-17), another challenging asphalt event. News from our rivals... The final leg of Rallye Deutschland was a comparatively quiet affair and Sébastien Loeb cruised to his third consecutive victory in this rally and his fifth win of the season. His points tally ensures he extends his lead in the Drivers’ Championship with Citroën doing the same with Carlos Sainz finishing third. Françs Duval put in another fine drive to hold second while team-mate Markko Märtin drove safety to fourth, such were the gaps ahead and behind him. The two Peugeot 307 WRCs of Cédric Robert and Freddy Loix finished fifth and sixth respectively, Robert taking four points for the team. |
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| Names underlined followed by M indicate drivers nominated in the FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers Names underlined followed by P indicate drivers eligible for FIA Production Car World Rally Championship points |
(by mitsubishi-motors.com)