Mikko Hirvonen was next up in fourth, after opting for a ‘safety-first’ approach in order to ensure he notched up at least three points to secure the manufacturers’ championship for
BP Ford.
In the end he easily did enough, taking 5 points for P4, something that guarantees the M-Sport-run outfit its second consecutive manufacturers’ crown. He also won two stages on the final day, just for good measure.
Further down the order, Subaru’s
Petter Solberg was fifth. ‘Hollywood’ was slowed on day 1 with an engine misfire on the first loop, but other than that didn’t really have any issues with his Impreza.
He closed in on Hirvonen on Saturday and got the gap down from 26 seconds to 12.6 seconds post-SS13, before dropping back a bit in the afternoon. He lost further ground on Sunday and eventually finished 38.1 seconds adrift.
Guy Wilks came in sixth following an impressive showing in his privately entered Impreza. The Englishman set 17 top-ten stage times in total during the event and was even second quickest on the final ‘proper’ stage, Donegal Bay. It is the first time he has scored ‘senior’ WRC points and will give him a boost ahead of Rally GB, where he will be out to try and win the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship.
Fellow countryman,
Matthew Wilson was next up in the ‘third’
Stobart Ford car, to score points for the second event in succession – and the third time this year. Although he struggled at times in the end he did enough to take two more championship points.
Gareth MacHale rounded out the top eight, with Andreas Mikkelsen ninth and
FIA Production Car World Rally Championship category winner, Niall McShea tenth.
McShea took the lead in the PWRC on the penultimate test when Armindo Araujo went out. McShea eventually finished 44.1 seconds up on Gabriel Pozzo.
Second place was good enough though for Pozzo to keep his PWRC title hopes alive and he now needs to win Rally GB to overhaul Toshi Arai and take the Production crown.
