Co-driver Carl Williamson.
I drove very good but seven punctures and small off on last stage slowed me down. Yet good position in finish four fastest times out of 11.
3rd overall
Ford Focus WRC -01
Service team M-Sport
Rally engineer Esko Reiners
Co-driver Carl Williamson.
My self confidence was lost on first three stages. After that it started to go better. After first leg I was 3rd On Sunday best placing was 2nd but then on stage 12 steering arm twisted and I dropped to third place in Subaru Cup.
18th overall, 3rd Subaru Cup
Car: Subaru WRX, four-wheel drive, group N.
Service team: Motoring Club
Engineer: Esko Reiners
Co-driver Carl Williamson.
First five special stages went well, I made only small mistakes. On special stage six we hit a bank, consequence was that left rear shock absorber broke. Because of service prohibition we had to drive next two stages very carefully. I lost all my chances to win. Service personnel made excellent work and car was again in good condition. Nevertheless we drove last four stages steadily and we kept the second place.
9th overall, 2nd in Subaru cup
Car: Subaru WRX, four-wheel drive, group N.
Service team: Motoring Club
Engineer: Esko Reiners
Co-driver Carl Williamson.
Rally began splendidly and I led the rally after three special stages. On SS5 it started to happen, it was very foggy and I drove to ditch. Fortunately I managed to get out off the ditch without any bigger damages, so we continued. I caught the car before me and mud flew and covered our headlights so badly that we had to stop for a while. I lost eight minutes on that stage and our position dropped from 1st to 20th On Saturday I drove steadily among three fastest driver and we moved upward to 10th overall.
Motorsport News: “With visibility down to less than five metres, drivers had no option but to tiptoe their way through SS3, a 12-mile run through Harwood Forest, with young Finn Jari-Matti Latvala (Ford Focus WRC) quickest by nine seconds.”
10th overall, 5th in group A
Car: Ford Focus WRC-01.
Service team: M-Sport Ltd.
Engineer: Esko Reiners
Co-driver Carl Williamson.
Roads were very challenging, but nice to drive. It rained in the morning, but sun started to shine during the day and soon roads were dry. There were a lot of stones on road banks so we had to be cautious. I started in peacefull mind, keeping an eye on goings and making better times. I tried to narrow the deficit to leader of Subaru Cup, but I tried too hard and we spun. We lost our chances to win and drove sensibly to finish.
Paper: Corriere Dello Sport L’anno scorso ha vinto un altro veneto, Demitri Brunello, e c’è stata anche la rivelazione di un giovane pilota finlandese, Mikko Hirvonen, che grazie aa questa esperienza ha potuto spiccare il volo verso il campionato mondiale dove corre ora con una Ford. Lo schema si ripropone quest’anno. C’è un pilota italiano d’esperienza che punta al titolo. E’ il lombardo Guido Acerbis, che a Radicofani s’è piazzato quinto assoluto, e c’è un giovanissimo finlandese, il diciottenne Jari-Matti Latvala, che punta a far esperienza e spettacolo! In questo monomarca per poi seguire le orme di Hirvonen e degli altra “flying finn”.
6th overall, 2nd in Subaru Cup
Car: Subaru WRX, four-wheel drive, group N.
Service team: Motoring Club.
Engineer: Esko Reiners
Co-driver Carl Williamson.
Morning was frosty. Roads were at the beginning hard and slippery for summer tyres. On stage three, I nearly turned the car over. I set fastest times on all other nine stages and I won the rally by two minutes.
Motorsport News: “The young Finn entered the event to gain further experience of WRC cars and, with the Ford Focus he will use to contest the BRC still not finished, hired a Toyota Corolla WRC for the rally. He set fastest time on all but one of the event’s ten stages and two half spins were the only blots on his copybook.”
1st overall, Class 1st
Toyota Corolla WRC 98, group A.
Service team JM Engineering.
Rally engineer Esko Reiners
Co-driver Miikka Anttila.
My first rally in WRC car and ice-stud tyres. Car worked fine and I didn´t do any big mistakes. My reaction time in the start was not good and I spun in last special stage.
“Pohjalainen” newspaper: “Latvala´s driving was convincing. On friday´s first stage young lad from Töysä set the fastest time by 1,7 seconds and when this stage was driven for second time deficit to second was seven seconds. On saturday´s stages Finnish youngster humiliated his rivals on every stage. Final difference to second place was almost two minutes.”
1st overall, Class A6 1st
Toyota Corolla WRC 98, group A as rally car.
Service team JM Engineering.
Rally engineer Esko Reiners