Kungokokuqala ukuthi abakwaFinn Mikko Hirvonen, oshayela iCitroen DS3, banqobe eRally de Portugal.
U-Hirvonen wasizakala ngesimo sezulu esibi e-Algarve kanye namaphutha ezitha zakhe ukurekhoda igama lakhe emlandweni wabawine i-Rally de Portugal.
“Bekuwumhlangano onzima kakhulu, omude kunayo yonke engake ngangenela kuyona. Manje kuzwakala kumnandi, ngempela, kukuhle ngempela. Senze khona kanye okwakumele sikwenze. Kwakuwubuqili ngoLwesihlanu, kodwa ngagxila. Ngizenzele mina neqembu. Kuyakufaneleka. Bekunzima kakhulu, kodwa ngaphandle kwenkinga eyodwa,” kusho uMikko Hirvonen ekupheleni komjaho.
Ngemva kokuhamba kukaSebastien Loeb (naye wakwaCitroen), u-Hirvonen waphoqeleka ukuthi ahlasele izimbangi zakwaFord ukuze avikele imibala yohlobo lwesiFulentshi. ULwesihlanu ekuseni kwaba ujuqu, njengoba abashayeli ababili bakwaFord banikeze uHirvonen isipho sangempela njengoba bephuma emgwaqeni ezimisweni ezimbili zokuqala zosuku lokufaneleka. OwaseFinn, ebona umsebenzi usiba lula, waphakamisa unyawo lwakhe ku-accelerator futhi wakwazi ukulawula inzuzo yakhe kuze kube sekupheleni komncintiswano.
Manje uHirvonen uhamba phambili kweyeNdebe yoMhlaba ngamaphuzu angu-75, kanti uzakwabo uSebestien Loeb usendaweni yesibili ngamaphuzu angu-66, angu-7 ngaphezu kukaPetter Solberg osendaweni yesithathu.
Besingeke sehluleke ukugcizelela ukusebenza kuka-Armindo Araújo, okwathi naphezu kokungagijimanga njengoba bekulindelekile, kwaholela amaPutukezi amaningi ukuba ashiye ukunethezeka kwekhaya lakhe ukuze alandele umhlangano eduze. Noma kunjalo, u-Armindo Araújo wayengumPutukezi ongcono kakhulu emncintiswaneni, eqeda endaweni "ekhungathekisayo" ye-16.
“Bekuwumhlangano onzima kakhulu kimina futhi obunezinkinga eziningi. Ngahlabeka umxhwele emdlalweni wokuhlunga owandulela owamanqamu. Nokho, iMini iyimoto enhle. Ngokuvamile ngenelisekile,” kusho umshayeli ongumPutukezi.
Izinga lokugcina le-Rally de Portugal:
1. Mikko Hirvonen (FIN/Citroen DS3), 04:19:24.3s
2. I-Mads Ostberg (NOR/Ford Fiesta) +01m51.8s
3. U-Evgeny Novikov (RUS/Ford Fiesta) +03m25.0s
4. Petter Solberg (NOR / Ford Fiesta), +03m47.4s
5. I-Nasser All Attiyah (QAT / Citroen DS3) +07m57.6s
6. Martin Prokop (CZE/Ford Fiesta) +08m01.0s
7. U-Dennis Kuipers (NLD/Ford Fiesta) +08m39.1s
8. Sébastien Ogier (FRA /Skoda Fabia S2000) +09m00.8s
…
16. U-Armindo Araújo (POR/Mini WRC) +22m55.7s