In less than a week after the IRC series on asphalt successfully completed, it is time for the penultimate round of the season 2012 of FIA W...
In less than a week after the IRC series on asphalt successfully completed, it is time for the penultimate round of the season 2012 of FIA WRC is based in the Italian Island of Sardinia, in the town of Olbia. So it is a fortnight celebration affair for the Italians and the rally fans across the globe.
This rally is been held in this venue since 2004, after the previous base shifted from the Riviera town of Sanremo, on the shores of the Mediterranean which was operational since the inception of WRC since 1973 here. However despite the change from the historic base, the event never lost its charm and in fact opened up to a all new challenge at the picturesque mountains and some flats, which has all the ingredients to make it a must watch gravel event with water splashes, jumps, twisting climbing and descending gravel filled roads. The most important to the drivers/crews is to watch out for those rocks/boulders lined alongside the roads which can definitely break if the cars think of smooch or so.
Colin Clark from iRally, in this video of 2011 event, explains the stages better. Missing him and his fantastic report this year though.. hope they come back next year onwards.
It has a signature jump on a mountain crest just before the tip of the climb ends called Mickey's jump, which can put up a car even under what we say normal speeds. If they get it right, it will both be spectacular to the fans, faster and safer to the crew.Almost most of them get it right, but Chris Atkinson while driving for then Subaru WRT had one close call after going fast, high, barely managing to keep it on the road.
This year's 16 stages round up to a total of 306.04 kms, spread across 4 days starting with an opening 28.14kms Terranova run twice, in the evening which concludes at dusk for the down order starters. A total of 6 stages are run each of the next two days which leaves 2 more stages for the final day with the last one being the power stage, which is the repitition of the day's opening stage itself.
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Mikko Hirvonen wins the rally, after dramatic retirements that followed that started to happen on day 2 with Loeb initiating it. Latvala & Petter both retired from the factory Ford WRT. This lead Mikko, who was just about a second behind the rally leader Loeb to move ahead & the second and third was finally won by Evgeny Novikov & Ott Tanak from M-Sport WRT.
The point scoring final top 10 finishers are as below.
| Pos | No | Driver | Time | Diff Prev | Diff 1st | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 2 | M. HIRVONEN | M | 3:23:54.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 2. | 6 | E. NOVIKOV | M | 3:25:15.5 | +1:20.6 | +1:20.6 |
| 3. | 5 | O. TÄNAK | M | 3:26:16.0 | +1:00.5 | +2:21.1 |
| 4. | 10 | M. ØSTBERG | 3:27:37.8 | +1:21.8 | +3:42.9 | |
| 5. | 22 | S. OGIER | 3:28:22.4 | +44.6 | +4:27.5 | |
| 6. | 12 | C. ATKINSON | 3:29:17.1 | +54.7 | +5:22.2 | |
| 7. | 23 | A. MIKKELSEN | 3:30:07.4 | +50.3 | +6:12.5 | |
| 8. | 21 | M. PROKOP | 3:33:24.2 | +3:16.8 | +9:29.3 | |
| 9. | 4 | P. SOLBERG | M | 3:33:47.2 | +23.0 | +9:52.3 |
| 10. | 24 | L. PEDERSOLI | 3:44:30.5 | +10:43.3 | +20:35.6 |
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