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Seeking for compensation for the disappointing early season
Finnish crews of Peugeot ready to conquer Japan
Finnish crews of Peugeot ready to conquer Japan
Round eleven of 2004 World Rally Championship will be competed in
Japan from 3 to 5 September. Behind the wheel of Peugeot works team
cars will appear Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen as well as Harri
Rovanperä and Risto Pietiläinen.
Seeking for compensation for the disappointing early season
During the season so far, Grönholm
and Rovanperä together have set a bigger number of fastest stage times
than any other drivers who have scored manufacturers’ points for any
team. In manufacturers’ championship, however, Peugeot lies in fourth
place. The technical problems of the WRC 307 have remarkably lowered
the score of points. The drivers’ performances have also varied a lot.
Marcus Grönholm, who has been battling for a victory in each rally, has
been forced to retire from three events (Greece, Argentina and
Germany) after going off the road. In addition, he has been slowed
down by rolling his car once and spinning a couple of times.
Harri Rovanperä has also been setting times comparable to the fastest in
almost every event he has participated in during 2004, but in most
events mechanical problems have prevented him from finishing in a
satisfying position. Going to Japan, Harri is burdened only of the memory
of one off (Rally Finland) and one spin.
The first victory of the Peugeot WRC 307, taken by Marcus Grönholm in
Rally Finland, together with the astonishing speed Harri Rovanperä
demonstrated in the early moments of the rally provide both drivers with
a good basis to battle even for a double win in Japan.
In the German round of WRC, the 307 set six fastest stage times, even if
Grönholm was out of the race right after the start. The five-speed
gearbox proved to be efficient, however.
For the Peugeot drivers eligible for manufacturers’ points, the Rally
Japan is going to be the first gravel event in which they will finally have
the five-speed gearbox in their cars. With five gears, the drivers will be
capable of much better performances. For example, there is no dead
point between the third and the forth gears, which according to many
specialists at least partly caused Harri Rovanperä going off in Rally
Finland.
Summary of the season with 10/16 rounds completed:
Early season frustrating for Peugeot
Better than for ages in Monte Carlo, but disappointed in Sweden
In the opening event of the season in Monte Carlo, January 23-25, as
well as in Rally Sweden, February 6-8, the drivers representing Peugeot
works team were Marcus Grönholm and Freddy Loix. Early int. Marcus
Grönholm was leading the Rally Monte Carlo at first, but was dropped
down to third due to gearbox problems. After going slightly off and
causing the gears to get stuck, Grönholm finished the rally in fourth
overall. Loix was fifth, but over eight minutes slower than the winner.
Rally Monte Carlo, FIA WRC round 1/16, January 23-25, 2004
Final results (15 special stages / 389,32 km)
1. Sebastien Loeb, Citroen, 4 h 12’03,0” (81,3 km/h)
2. Markko Märtin, Ford, + 01’12,6”
3. Francois Duval, Ford, + 01’19,6”
4. Marcus Grönholm, Peugeot 307, + 01’26,8”
In Rally Sweden, Grönholm lost his front position and dropped down to
seventh after the power steering failed. He span once ending into a
snow bank, but managed finally to climb back to second overall. Loix
went off and was down to 20th overall. He was forced to retire due to
an engine failure when he was running 10th overall.
Rally Sweden, FIA WRC round 2/16, February 6-8, 2004
Final results (19 special stages / 394,8 km)
1. Sebastien Loeb, Citroen, 3 h 26’17,7” (114,8 km/h)
2. Marcus Grönholm, Peugeot 307, + 00’46,4”
3. Petter Solberg, Subaru, + 01’21,5”
Rovanperä in from Mexico onwards
Reasonable outcome for the team in New Zealand
Harri Rovanperä got his first experience of the Peugeot 307 WRC in Rally
Mexico from March 12 to 14. Despite some problems with brakes and
gears, he was running in fourth in the beginning of the rally, but dropped
to 10th overall after suffering a steering arm failure. He managed to
make it to the finish, though, and scored one point in manufacturers’
championship. Grönholm, on the other hand, was dropped from second
place to finish in sixth place after his car’s power steering failed.
Rally Mexico, FIA WRC round 3/16, March 12-14, 2004
Final results (15 special stages / 394,43 km)
1. Markko Märtin, Ford, 4 h 06’46,2” (95,9 km/h)
2. Francois Duval, Ford, + 00’42,5”
3. Carlos Sainz, Citroen, + 01’20,9”
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6. Marcus Grönholm, Peugeot, + 03’58,4”
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10. Harri Rovanperä, Peugeot, + 19’20,3”
In Rally New Zealand, the Peugeots were in top speed, and Grönholm
was in the lead when five stages had been completed. Rovanperä was
third behind Petter Solberg. In the following stage, Grönholm rolled his
car, but Rovanperä managed to get ahead of Solberg and was leading
the race after stage seven. Grönholm eventually moved up to second
and Rovanperä, too, succeeded in opening his drivers’ points account
by finishing fifth, even if he spun once during the final day with his
worn-out tyres.
Rally New Zealand, FIA WRC round 4/16, April 15-18, 2004
Final results (23 special stages / 395,5 km)
1. Petter Solberg, Subaru, 4 h 02’29,5” (97,9 km/h)
2. Marcus Grönholm, Peugeot, + 00’05,9”
3. Markko Märtin, Ford, + 00’25,5”
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5. Harri Rovanperä, Peugeot, + 02’23,7”
Two podium positions from rocky Mediterranean roads
- Cancellation of win and fifth place of Cyprus a deep disappointment
In Rally Cyprus in May 14-16 Grönholm and Rovanperä were holding a
double lead after the first day, even if Harri had suffered from problems
with the gear lever ever since the start. The gear problems got worse
and second gear was soon out of use. Later in the rally the gearbox
case got split, but as he kept changing the broken gearboxes,
Rovanperä managed to reach the finish line in fifth. Grönholm took the
victory, but both his first place and Rovanperä’s fifth place were later
cancelled, because the water pumps of their cars had been irregular.
Rally Cyprus, FIA WRC round 5/16, May 14-16, 2004
Official final results (18 special stages / 326,68 km)
1. Sebastien Loeb, Citroen, 4 h 59’38,5” (65,4 km/h)
2. Markko Märtin, Ford, + 00’15,1”
3. Carlos Sainz, Citroen, + 02’24,0”
In Rally Acropolis in Greece, from June 3 to 6, Grönholm and Rovanperä
took an early double lead until Grönholm spun and was down to fourth at
the end of leg one. On the following day Grönholm retired from the race
after the left rear tyre of his car had slid into a rock. Rovanperä
managed to maintain his second place after leg two, even though he had
lost half a minute after the tyre wear of one of the wheels had peeled
off. Rovanperä had to struggle through the final day with a broken
anti-roll bar, so he wasn’t able to defend his second place, which was
eventually taken from him by Sebastien Loeb by a gap of 10 seconds
over third placed Rovanperä. Rovanperä climbed on the podium for the
13th time in his career, merely 28 seconds slower than Solberg, the
winner.
Rally Greece, FIA WRC round 6/16, June 4-6, 2004
Final results (22 special stages / 377,13 km)
1. Petter Solberg, Subaru, 4 h 39’06,2”
2. Sebastien Loeb, Citroen, + 00’18,4”
3. Harri Rovanperä, Peugeot 307, + 00’28,3”
In Rally Turkey, June 24-27, Rovanperä’s car was hit by transmission
problems already at the beginning of the race. Harri dropped back to
ninth overall, but regained top speed in stages 4 to 12. He moved up as
far as fourth overall until he was forced to retire due to jammed gearbox.
Grönholm was struggling with a stomach disease but finally made it to
second place.
Rally Turkey, FIA WRC round 7/16, June 24-27, 2004
Final results (17 special stages / 383,33 km)
1. Sebastien Loeb, Citroen, 4 h 48’26,8” (79,8 km/h)
2. Marcus Grönholm, Peugeot 307, + 00’26,2”
3. Petter Solberg, Subaru, + 00’36,7”
Stage wins and left-over points from Argentina
In Rally Argentina, July 15-18, Rovanperä was among the fastest
drivers, and when six stages had been run, he was in a pack of five
that had made a clear difference to others, 23 seconds behind the
leader in fifth place. Power steering failure dropped him down to ninth,
10 minutes behind the front. After that until the finish, Rovanperä found
the top speed again posting consecutive stage wins and being second
fastest in two stages.
On the final day, Harri was indeed the fastest of all drivers, and
eventually arrived to the finish in fifth plce, 9 minutes 59,9 seconds
behind the winner, Carlos Sainz.
Marcus Grönholm was leading the rally, but hit a rock towards the end
of Saturday’s leg so badly that a front wheel came off. In that incident,
the timing belt of the engine was damaged, and Grönholm was out of
the game. Of the total of 26 stages of the rally, the Peugeot drivers won
14.
Rally Argentina, FIA WRC round 8/16, July 15-18, 2004
Final results (26 special stages / 382,63 km)
1. Carlos Sainz, Citroen, 4 h 23’11,0” (87,2 km/h)
2. Sebastien Loeb, Citroen, + 01’32,5”
3. Francois Duval, Ford, + 04’23,5”
Latter half of season began with victory!
Grönholm’s win and Rovanperä’s pace create confidence in future
Neste Rally Finland, opening event of the latter half of rallying season
2004, began under Peugeot’s command. The threesome scorching in
front consisted of Harri Rovanperä, Marcus Grönholm and Sebastian
Lindholm. After stage 5, Rovanperä’s advantage over Grönholm was 11
seconds. At that point, the three Peugeots were way ahead of all the rest.
After the amazing pace of the early rally, Rovanperä went off in stage 6,
Ruuhimäki, and the next day, in stage 12 in Ouninpohja, it was
Lindholm’s turn to go off and retire from second place. Marcus Grönholm
finally succeeded, in his home event, to give the Peugeot 307 its first
official victory.
Rally Finland, FIA WRC round 9/16, August 6-8, 2004
Final results (22 special stages / 357,3 km)
1. Marcus Grönholm, Peugeot 307, 3 h 07’16,1” (122,6 km/h)
2. Markko Märtin, Ford, + 00’34,7”
3. Carlos Sainz, Citroen, + 01’44,5”
Promising speed in Rally Germany with the 5-speed gearbox
In Rally Germany, August 20-22, Marcus Grönholm and Cedric Robert
were the two Peugeot drivers eligible for manufacturers’ championship
points. Grönholm drove off in the first stage, but his speed was among
the top three in five stages on Saturday and Sunday, and he even
clocked two fastest stage times.
Cedric Robert managed to set two stage wins and finally finished the
rally in fifth place. Freddy Loix in a Peugeot 307 was sixth in final
results. Harri Rovanperä did not participate in Rally Germany.
Rally Germany, FIA WRC round 10/16, August 20-22, 2004
Final results (24 special stages / 411,06 km)
1. Sebastien Loeb, Citroen, 4 h 01’57,4” (101,9 km/h)
2. Francois Duval, Ford, + 00’29,1”
3. Carlos Sainz, Citroen, + 01’09,5”
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5. Cedric Robert, Peugeot, + 03’30,1”
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