Abu Dhabi, 2008 Uddeholm Swedish Rally, Day 3
The BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team achieved a dream result on the second round of the 2008 FIA World Rally Championship, Uddeholm Swedish Rally, when Jari-Matti Latvala won the event and was followed home by team-mate Mikko Hirvonen. The young Finns had dominated the event from the second stage and Latvala becomes the youngest rally winner in the WRC’s history.
The final day of the event was all about consolidation – with a minute lead over Hirvonen, Latvala simply had to keep his car on the road to take the win and enter the record books. Hirvonen also started the day with a significant margin – 46 seconds over fellow Ford driver Gigi Galli – and even stretched that to close to two minutes by the end of the event.
Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi was another driver who eased off the pace for the final day, just a few kilometres from the end of his first snow rally. His stage times confirmed that he had adopted an approach to ensure that he reached the finish ramp in Karlstad intact and gain the maximum experience and knowledge to take forward for his 2008 campaign. He also took the award for the longest jump over Colin’s Crest, a jump in stage 14 dedicated to the former World Rally Champion Colin McRae, with a flight of 36m.
Quotes
Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi:
“This has been an incredibly difficult rally for me, the first time on snow and ice. It was made even harder as in places, we were running on gravel and this obviously isn’t the ideal situation for the studded tyres. I was quite pleased with my pace as the experience grew, as I saw myself becoming closer to the front-runners, in terms of speed. However, with the mistakes I made yesterday and the time lost when we went off the road, it’s a shame the result isn’t better.
“Again I have to express my thanks to the team for the hard work they carried out this weekend, in making sure that my Ford Focus RS was in perfect health at all times. I also have to thank the Swedish rally fans. Not only did they welcome me to their country, they also kept me in the rally when they helped to get the car back on the road twice yesterday.
“My next event is the Jordan Rally, which for the first time in my WRC programme, I will feel at home in the conditions. I won the event last year as part of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship program with Team Abu Dhabi, so I hope that I am able to demonstrate what pace I can set in familiar terrain.”
Ahmed Hussein, Deputy Director General, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority:
“This result underlines the speed, team-work and determination which embodies the BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team. It also demonstrates the strength of the team and its driver line-up and is an exceptional achievement by a driver at such a young age. We extend our sincerest congratulations to the team and particularly, Jari-Matti Latvala for entering the WRC record book, partnered by Abu Dhabi.
“Sheikh Khalid also did a very good job under very difficult conditions. His trademark perseverance and determination are a credit to him and of course, to the emirate of Abu Dhabi. We are also proud of the reception that Sheikh Khalid and Abu Dhabi received on its first visit to Sweden. The nation of Sweden has consistently exhibited almost identical values to those of Abu Dhabi; respect, team-work, integrity and innovation. It’s heartening to see a nation so similar to Abu Dhabi, despite a completely contrasting climate.”
Abu Dhabi Fact of the Day
Karlstad means ‘City of sunshine’ in Swedish. Abu Dhabi gets approximately 350 days of sunshine per year, making it truly a city of sunshine.