Stage 3 – Hirvonen 1st… the championship is not reignited

Mikko Hirvonen has just achieved his third consecutive victory at the 2007 Rally Japan. The day before, a comfortable lead of 38 seconds over his closest rival allowed him to race today with complete peace of mind. It was then up to the Finn and his compatriot co-driver Lehtinen to secure the race.

During this third stage, where the biggest names like Loeb, Grönholm, and Latvala had retired since the beginning of the weekend, the Finnish pair managed to maintain the lead throughout the last 7 stages.

But it was the Citroën drivers who set the best times of the day, with the exception of the super special stage.

Loeb, for his part, was able to get back on the road as part of the Super Rally, but when things go wrong, they really go wrong… He, in fact, retired a second time due to a fuel pressure problem.

The second Citroën driven by Dani Sordo climbs to second place on the podium and finishes more than 37 seconds behind Hirvonen.

The other drivers are a notch behind, as the third, Solberg, arrives more than 4 minutes and 33 seconds ahead of his partner for Stobart Ford, Wilson.

Following them are Luis Perez-Companc, Manfred Stohl, Federico Villagra, and Katsuhiko Taguchi, who finish 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th respectively. All of these drivers therefore score points in the championship.

We will therefore note the excellent performance of Focus, which placed 5 cars in the top 7, and that Stohl and his Xsara could have shone even more during this Japanese event, as he fell victim to technical problems on Saturday.

Therefore, only the Rally of Ireland and the Rally of Great Britain remain to decide whether Loeb or Grönholm will be the 2007 champion. Ford is almost assured of winning the constructor’s title for this season.

Stage 3 – Rally Japan – Special Stage 27/27