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February 9h, 2004
SOLBERG TAKES THE PODIUM IN SWEDEN
World Rally Champion Petter Solberg achieved his best-ever result at the Swedish Rally, finishing in third position and collecting six WRC Drivers' and six Manufacturers' points. The Swedish Rally is an exceptionally challenging winter event, as competitors are forced to deal with a mix of road conditions that include snow, ice, gravel and mud. Citroën’s Sebastien Loeb finished first, becoming the first non-Scandinavian driver to ever win in Sweden, and Marcus Gronholm took second place in a Peugeot.
Solberg’s Subaru team mate, Mikko Hirvonen claimed ninth spot, to secure two WRC Manufacturers' points for the team. Despite some difficulties in staying on the road, the Subaru duo delivered a string of impressive times and demonstrated the competitiveness of the Impreza in the demanding conditions.
“Our team goal was to get Petter on the podium, and we’re pleased to achieve that,” said David Lapworth, 555 Subaru World Rally Team principal. “We’ve been able to set good times in a wide variety of conditions. Mikko, too, should be very happy with the way he’s performed. He was unlucky to lose so much time after a minor incident, especially when you consider the number of spins that the leading drivers have had. He’s shown a good pace and I’m sure he’s learned a lot.”
The next round of the 2004 World Rally Championship is the eagerly anticipated Corona Rally Mexico. This brand new event starts on Thursday, March 11, and will cover a competitive distance of 394.43 kilometres over a mixture of mountainous gravel roads.
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