BP Ford number two driver,
Mikko Hirvonen has said that it will take a bit of time for it to sink in, after he took his maiden win in the WRC on the Rally Australia on Sunday.
Mikko took the lead on leg one, after many of the top drivers' - including his team-mate, Marcus Gronholm had succumbed to the conditions on the opening morning. The Finn then built up a good advantage and paced himself through the remaining two days eventually beating
Subaru's
Petter Solberg by just under 40 seconds.
"This is fantastic! I had so much pressure, not only to win but also to bring the car home for manufacturers' points. Petter pushed me hard but I didn't want him to get too close and it felt good to keep him back,” reflected Mikko. “I wasn't too nervous and I concentrated on controlling my speed and rhythm.
"I'm still young and to score my first win at just 26 is good. I can't believe I have finally done it.
“The team placed a lot of faith in me and it is a big relief to pay them back. It will take a lot of time to sink in. Before this I had scored podium finishes but the only way for me to learn is to fight for wins and that's what I did here. I know the Focus RS well and on the last four rallies I've learned a lot about my driving - I've been more consistent at high speed. Now the plan is to win the manufacturers' title [for BP Ford].”
Asked about the win in more detail, Mikko added that he thought he might be able to take P1, once he saw Gronholm had gone off on SS3 and had dropped down the order, losing 11 minutes.
