Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen won the Acropolis Rally of Greece yesterday to
secure Ford's 70th world rally victory.
The Finns won this seventh round of the FIA World Rally Championship, the
toughest encounter in the 12-event series, by 1min 12.9sec in their Ford Focus
RS World Rally Car (above). BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team colleagues
Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila were third in another Focus RS WRC to
secure maximum points in the manufacturers' series for the Blue Oval.
Between them Hirvonen and Latvala led from start to finish of the three-day
event to secure Ford's seventh win in 10 seasons in Greece. It was also
the 40th world rally win for M-Sport, Ford's partner in the WRC and the
British-based preparation company which runs the programme. It completed
a perfect weekend for team director Malcolm Wilson, who received an OBE in The
Queen's Birthday Honours list.
Ford's first WRC victory was in 1973 when Timo Mäkinen and
Henry Liddon won Finland's 1000 Lakes Rally in an Escort RS1600.
Rally Poland 25 - 28 June returns to the championship for the first time
since 1973 as round eight of the series. The fast gravel event is based
in Mikolajki
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