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Hirvonen wins in Italy


Finland's Mikko Hirvonen won the Rally of Italy on Sunday in the absence of Citroen team mate and nine-times world champion Sebastien Loeb. Was Hirvonen's first victory for Citroen and 15th of his career.

Frenchman Loeb hit rocks and retired on Friday on the first full day of the rally in Sardinia, the penultimate round of the championship and first event since he retained his title in France earlier this month.
 
Russian Evgeny Novikov was second, one minute 20 seconds behind, with Estonian Ott Tanak third, both in privately-entered Fords.

Result from the 2012 Rally of Italy

1 Mikko Hirvonen (Finland) Citroen 3hr23min54.900
2 Evgeny Novikov (Russia) Ford +01min20.6
3 Ott Taenak (Estonia) Ford +02min21.1
4 Mads Ostberg (Norway) Ford +03min42.9
5 Sebastien Ogier (France) Skoda +04min27.5
6 Chris Atkinson (Australia) Mini +05min22.2
7 Andreas Mikkelsen (Norway) Skoda +06min12.5
8 Martin Prokop (Czech Republic) Ford +09min29.3
9 Petter Solberg (Norway) Ford +09min52.3
10 Luca Pedersoli (Italy) Citroen +20min35.6

Drivers and Constructor points after Rally of Italy

1 Sebastien Loeb (France) Citroen Total World Rally Team - 244
2 Mikko Hirvonen (Finland) Citroen Total World Rally Team - 198
3 Mads Ostberg (Norway) Mads Ostberg - 137
4 Jari-Matti Latvala (Finland) Ford World Rally Team - 133
5 Petter Solberg (Norway) Ford World Rally Team - 124
6 Evgeny Novikov (Russia) M-Sport Ford World Rally Team - 87
7 Thierry Neuville (Belgium) Citroen Junior World Rally Team - 53
8 Ott Taenak (Estonia) M-Sport Ford World Rally Team - 52
9 Martin Prokop (Czech Republic) Czech Ford Rally Team - 46
10 Sebastien Ogier (France) Volkswagen Motorsport - 41

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Hirvonen wins in Portugal

Mikko Hirvonen has taken the victory on Rally de Portugal,  the fourth round in the 2012 WRC.

Hirvonen began today's leg comfortably out front and in the end he took the victory by almost 2 minutes. It is his first win with Citroen and comes after a dramatic event, in which his team-mate, Sebastien Loeb went out on Thursday night and both Ford works drivers, Jari-Matti Latvala and Petter Solberg went off on Friday, when heavy rain, fog and mud made conditions extremely treacherous.

Mads Ostberg came through to take the runners-up spot, with Evgeny Novikov third despite a problem with his throttle cable on the final loop.

Solberg fought back from his day two woe to take fourth with Nasser Al-Attiyah and Martin Prokop completing the top six.

Dani Sordo meanwhile took the honours in the event ending Power Stage, ahead of Latvala and Ott Tanak.

1. Mikko Hirvonen Citroen Total WRT DS3 WRC 4hours 19mins 24.3secs M
2. Mads Ostberg Adapta WRT Fiesta RS WRC +01mins 51.8secs
3. Evgeny Novikov M-Sport Ford WRT Fiesta RS WRC +03mins 25.0secs M
4. Petter Solberg Ford WRT Fiesta RS WRC +03mins 47.4secs M
5. Nasser Al-Attiyah Qatar WRT Citroen DS3 WRC +07mins 57.6secs M
6. Martin Prokop Czech Ford National Team Fiesta RS WRC +08mins 01.0secs
7. Dennis Kuipers M-Sport Ford WRT Fiesta RS WRC +08mins 39.1secs
8. Sebastien Ogier VW Motorsport Skoda Fabia S2000 +09mins 00.8secs
9. Thierry Neuville Citroen Junior WRT DS3 WRC +10mins 29.7secs M
10. Jari Ketomaa Ford Fiesta RS WRC +11mins 44.6secs

UPDATE: Mikko Hirvonen’s Citroën DS3 WRC/Michelin has been disqualified from the results of the 2012 Rally de Portugal for a technical infringement. The decision provides Mads Ostberg with the first WRC win of his young career.  

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