Ford fight to historic Acropolis Rally win
publication date: Jun 15, 2009
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| 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 |
| Final positions | Acropolis Rally of Greece | |
| 1. M Hirvonen/J Lehtinen | Ford Focus RS | 4hr 09min 42.5sec |
| 2. S Ogier/J Ingrassia | Citroen
C4 | 4hr 10min 55.4sec |
| 3. J-M Latvala/M
Anttila | Ford Focus RS | 4hr 11min 27.5sec |
| 4. F Villagra/J Perez Companc | Ford Focus RS | 4hr 13min 30.8sec |
| 5. C Rautenbach/D Barritt | Citroen C4 | 4hr 13min 42.3sec |
| 6. K Al Qassimi/M Orr | Ford Focus RS | 4hr 16min 46.8sec |
| 7. M Østberg/J Andersson | Subaru Impreza | 4hr 22min 07.4sec |
| 8. L Athanassoulas/N Zakheos | Skoda Fabia | 4hr 22min 30.1sec |
| 9. N Al-Attiyah/G Bernacchini | Subaru Impreza | 4hr 22min 52.4sec |
| 10 A Araujo/M Ramalho | Mitsubishi Lancer | 4hr 24min 47.0sec |
World Rally Championship 2009
| Drivers | Manufacturers | |||
| 1. S Loeb | 55pts | 1. Citroen Total | 94pts | |
| 2. M Hirvonen | 48pts | 2. BP Ford Abu Dhabi | 79pts | |
| 3. D Sordo | 31pts | 3. Stobart VK M-Sport Ford | 49pts | |
| 4. J-M Latvala | 25pts | 4. Citroen Junior
| 24pts | |
| 5. H Solberg
| 21pts | 5. Munchi's Ford | 18pts | |