Leg 1 – Rally Ireland

Rain are mud are making the stages in Ireland really slippery. Petter says it has been incredible difficult out there today and that it feels like they are driving more on mud than on tarmac. Markus Grønholm and Henning Solberg both went off the road during the day, and were forced to retire.

Petter is holding 5th position, 2 minutes and 19 seconds after Sebastien Loeb, who is leading the rally when leg 1 is finished. Petter had a misfire from the engine on the three first stages of the day, and lost a lot of time before the team managed to repair it during the service. Both Pons and Atkinson went off the road on the slippery tarmac, and Pons had to retire. Henning Solberg went off the road on SS8, hit a three and were forced to retire.

Markus Grønholm was taken to hospital after the crash on SS4. His car sled into a concrete-wall going into a right hand turn, and the impact was so hard that both wheels on the driversside came off. The crew both was OK, but when Markus fainted after a while, an ambulance was called, taking Markus for a check-up at the hospital. He was released from the hospital later in the afternoon.

Rally Ireland continues Saturday with 6 more stages. First car starts at 0813.

Overall classification leg 1

1. Loeb, Citroen
2. Sordo, Citroen +11,2
3. Latvala, Ford +1.28,4
4. Hirvonen, Ford +1.53,2
5. Petter, Subaru +2.19,2
6. Stohl, Citroen +4.41,9
7. Wilson, Ford +6.45,4