After being the overnight leaders for two days, Petter and Chris today ended 2nd in Japan. Sebastien Ogier won the rally, while Jari-Matti Latvala came third. “I am so happy with the second today,” says Petter Solberg. “I started this rally with fever and a really bad cold, so being second today feels quite good. Of course I do feel a bit disappointment of not winning after being so close, but second is good enough today!”
Petter and Chris started the third and final day being the overnight leaders, but a steering problem made them loose time from the beginning. “I hit something quite early, and could feel it right away that something were wrong,” says Petter Solberg. “For a while we were really concerned about not being able to finish the rally. But without this, I just know that Sebastien would have had to fight really hard to beat us today, my confidence were back this morning and I was ready for a big attack!”
Petter is currently 4th in the championship, and the 18 points scored today gives him a total of 118 points.
Next event is Rallye de France, 1 – 3 October.
Overall classification Rally Japan 2010:
1. Sebastien Ogier, Citroën
2. Petter, Citroën +15,7
3. Latvala, Ford +26,0
4. Dani Sordo, Citroën +35,2
5. Sebastien Loeb, Citroën +53,3
6. Mikko Hirvonen, Ford +1.13,5
7. Henning, Ford +3.03,1
8. Federico Villagra, Ford +10.17,9
– Credit: Petter Solberg World Rally Team.