PCWRC: Teiskonen promoted back to third

Aki Teiskonen has finished on the podium after all, having be promoted to third place in the Production World Rally Championship category at the end of a dramatic final leg on the Acropolis Rally.

The Finn, who had been leading the PWRC class entering the final stage before the closing superspecial, thought that he had finished fourth after suspension problems on SS16 and SS17 cost him valuable time, However, when event officials handed a five-minute penalty to third-placed Mirco Baldacci, it was enough to lift him back above the San Marino driver.

Baldacci was penalised when it was noticed that he had failed to fit a replacement rear bumper at the service halt prior to the final stage, and the five-minute punishment was enough to drop him to fourth in class, completing a topsy-turvy day for the PWRC leaderboard.

Teiskonen, having been handed the advantage by overnight penalties to erstwhile leader Nasser Al-Attiyah and second-placed Gabriel Pozzo, set the ball rolling when suspension problems on the penultimate stage robbed him of a 36-second lead.

The 25-year old's brand new 2006-spec Impreza STi had run almost faultlessly through the three days, and Teiskonen had been happy to control his pace over the opening tests of the final leg, unconcerned by a strong challenge from Baldacci and conscious of the increasing roughness of the Greek tracks. However. on SS16, a rear suspension link broke and, although the Finns had the necessary spare parts in the car to repair the damage, Baldacci was suddenly within touching distance.

"Before the rally, we decided to carry more spares than usual because of the risks here in Greece," a relieved Teiskonen revealed later, "This was exactly the situation that we were concerned about."

However, the suspension fix proved only temporary and, when the repair failed on the final gravel stage, Teiskonen saw his lead become fourth place as he limped through the section. A further repair allowed him to complete the rally-ending superspecial in Athens but, by then, the damage appeared to have been done.

"It was a big disappointment, but luck just wasn't with us," the Finn said, unaware of the boost he was to receive, "One minute we were driving carefully to a possible maximum points and the next we had lost almost everything. Maybe using these stages so many times wasn't such a good idea.

"However, although we didn't get the result we wanted, we proved that we had the right approach to difficult events like this, and that I can drive with my head as much as my heart."