Francois Duval's co-driver Patrick Pivato is making 'steady progress' following the injuries his sustained on the opening day of the Rally Japan, Ford boss Malcolm Wilson has said.
Mikko Hirvonen led the Rally Japan from start-to-finish this weekend, but while he took the maximum haul it wasn't sufficient to keep his title dream alive and with Sebastien Loeb finishing third, the Frenchman becomes the first ever driver to win the WRC crown five times.
SS23 - Sikot 1 (27.76km): Latvala fastest through a very wet and slippery SS23; Andersson second - despite overshooting a junction; Hirvonen third; Petter Solberg fourth; Gardemeister fifth - even though he had an off and went into a ditch; Wilson sixth; Henning Solberg retired; Rautenbach
Petter Solberg has apologised to Subaru's fans after he crashed out in the final 'proper' test on day two of the Rally Japan, the squad's home round in the World Rally Championship.
SS20 - Sapporo 4 (1.49km): Sordo fastest in SS20; Gardemeister second; Latvala third; Loeb and Hirvonen joint fourth; Wilson sixth; Novikov heads the PWRC category; Hirvonen leads overall by 15.5 seconds at the end of day 2. Top ten stage times for SS20:
Francois Duval's co-driver Patrick Pivato will be operated on tonight after he suffered a fractured pelvis and fractured tibia in the accident in SS6 of the Rally Japan on Friday afternoon.
The organisers of the Rally Japan have had to cancel SS8, the repeat run through the 5.74 kilometre Pipaoi test. The decision was taken by the clerk of the course as a result of the delays caused after Francois Duval's accident.
Petter Solberg has upped the pressure on himself and the Subaru World Rally Team ahead of the squad's home event in Japan next week by predicting that he could win there.
Petter Solberg took a solid fifth place finish on the Rallye de France on Sunday, to maintain a run that has seen him score points on every event since the Acropolis, when the all-new Impreza WRC2008 made its debut in the World Rally Championship.
Toni Gardemeister marked the one year anniversary of the debut of the Suzuki SX4 WRC car in the World Rally Championship by picking up the final manufacturers' point in Corsica at the weekend.
Ford boss Malcolm Wilson has said that Francois Duval's form on the Rally RACC Catalunya-Costa Daurda last weekend is proof they made the right decision in drafting him in for the twelfth round in the World Rally Championship.
Mikko Hirvonen has paid homage to Francois Duval after the Belgian obeyed team orders and eased off in the penultimate stage of the Rally RACC Catalunya-Costa Daurada, something that handed the Finn third place.
Gigi Galli is expected to be discharged from hospital today [Wednesday] following the high-speed accident on last weekend's Rallye Deutschland which left him with a broken leg.
Francois Duval will return to action in the World Rally Championship this weekend on the Rallye Deutschland and many believe the Belgian will be a serious contender.
Ford privateer Matti Rantanen defied the odds to score points on his home event, the Neste Oil Rally Finland last weekend, bringing his Focus RS WRC06 home in seventh place.
Subaru World Rally Team boss David Richards has predicted that the Banbury-based outfit will be just as competitive as arch rivals Ford and Citroen by the end of this year.