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Australia : Peugeot Sport - Leg 1
Peugeot on top in Australia
Australia : Peugeot Sport - Leg 1 [12/11/04 - 15:07]
Both Peugeot drivers enjoyed perfect reliability all day, to stamp their
authority on the final round of the 2004 World Rally Championship. After
an opening spectator superspecial last night today's action consisted of
six classic forest stages, followed by two more runs over the
superspecial in the evening.
The Australian stages are made up of fast and flowing gravel roads, with
a unique ball-bearing surface. The stages started off damp in the
morning, but progressively dried out throughout the days as temperatures
climbed higher.
Excellent performance by Rovanperä
Marcus: " There is very little to report"
Marcus reported no problems at all throughout the day, choosing not to
make any changes to the set-up of his 307 WRC at service. He won five
stages, and ends the leg with a lead of 21 seconds.
He said: "I'm very happy with the way that things have gone today,
which is a tribute to all the hard work that the entire team has put into the
development of our new 307 WRC. We've been trying to go at a sensible
pace all day: pushing quite hard but not taking any stupid risks either.
Apart from that there is very little to report – we just have to try and do
the same again tomorrow. Of course it would be fantastic to end the
season with a victory, but it is much too early to even start thinking
about that."
Harri: "It's been a very good day"
Harri also had no problems today, apart from an overshoot on SS4
which cost him only 10 seconds. He had a reliable and well-judged run
through the afternoon stages, to end the leg with a solid podium place
and every chance of improving his position on leg two.
Harri commented: "It's been a very good day. Although I missed the last
two rallies I've felt very confident with my car and I have been able to
attack. I still think that there is a little more to come and I hope to be able
to show that during leg two tomorrow. But it has been important to get
the rally off to a good start and we have succeeded in doing that.
The car has also been very reliable, so I definitely have a good feeling
on a rally I have always liked!"
Tomorrow the crews face 10 more challenging special stages,
concluding with two final runs over the superspecial in Perth City. With
several stages run consecutively without service, drivers need to be on
their guard to avoid making mistakes in the notoriously punishing
conditions.
(Press release / Peugeot Sport )
Rally Australia Nov. 12 -14 2004 (WRC 16/16)
Leg 1, 9 special stages, 133,27 stage kilometers
(total 25 SS/388,25 km)
Situation after SS 9/22
1. Marcus Grönholm, Peugeot 307, +1 h 15´ 43,6" (106,2 km/h)
2. Sebastien Loeb, Citroen, +00´21,4”
3. Harri Rovanperä, Peugeot, + 01´06,6"
4. Francois Duval, Ford, + 01´37,9”
5. Mikko Hirvonen, Subaru, + 03´21,2”
6. Anthony Warmbold, Ford, + 05´43,9"
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