JYVASKYLA, Finland, 8 August 2005 — Finland’s Marcus Gronholm won the Rally of Finland, the 10th round of the 16-race world championship, here yesterday.
The Peugeot driver finished ahead of Citroen’s overall leader Sebastien Loeb, who had been going for a seventh consecutive victory, and Estonia’s Markko Martin, also driving a Peugeot.
Frenchman Loeb had tried everything however to get back on terms with Gronholm and at one point early Saturday was just 2.3 seconds behind him.
But Loeb soon found out to his cost that he could do little against the flying Finn, whose local knowledge of the surrounding forests meant he continued to gain time against the field.
A puncture cost Loeb more than half a minute in Saturday’s final special and virtually wiped away all hopes of winning but second spot was a good result in his quest to retain his world title. Gronholm had had to suffer Loeb’s extraordinary consistency for most of the season but in this race, on home ground, he was determined to make his mark and he succeeded in that aim.
It was Gronholm’s fifth victory in six years at Jyvaskyla, which propelled him up to second spot in the overall standings but still left him way behind Loeb with a gap of 28 points.
In the constructors’ race, it was a great day for Peugeot who took over the lead from Citroen by a single point.
Gronholm said afterwards the constructors’ race was still wide open but said the individual title race was already finished.
“It’s wide open for the constructors but for the drivers, there’s nothing that can be done against Seb unless he stays at home for at least two rallies,” said Gronholm, delighted to be drinking the drink of victory in a race he has made his own.
