Ford in Norway

Mikko Hirvonen has taken a deeply impressive victory in the first Rally of Norway.

Quick Mik brought his Ford Focus WRC home ahead of vastly more experienced team-mate Marcus Gronholm and local boy Henning Solberg, also driving a Focus.

And to continue the good news for the otherwise beleaguered Blue Oval, rookie sensation Jari Latvala finished fifth after a sensational drive back through the pack after incurring a time penalty early in the rally.

A certain Mr Loeb, current champ and arguably the greatest rally driver of all time, had a nightmare in the Norwegian snow.

Looking uncharacteristically flustered, Loeb's rally was inconsistent.

With seven stage victories, the Frenchman had the pace to finish on the podium but ruined his rally with a series of errors.

He was one of many drivers to get stuck in the surprisingly gluey snowbanks, and finished the rally out of the points.

After three rounds, Gronholm now leads the WRC standings with 24 points followed by Hirvonen on 20 and Loeb on 18.

But the big news is the coming of the rookies. Gronholm admitted he could do nothing about Hirvonen's pace in Norway, and Latvala is looking increasingly like the real deal. The season is shaping up nicely...

© Source: article on topgear
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