Starting win the eighth stage of the World Rally Championship Cross Country Championships in Norway, the young Swede winning streak continued in France and Turkey. Before the start of the penultimate stage in Italy Hansen lag from the leader Petter Solberg of the season was only 19 points.
Norwegian, in turn, scored three wins, but his season turned out to be very uneven. After the first places won by Petter in May at the Hockenheimring and Liddy Hill, following victories Solberg had to wait right until September!
During this time, the current world champion in rally-cross substantially podrasteryal their advantage — both in terms of eyeglass, and speed. The struggle for leadership in the semifinal and final heats were Hansen, Ekstrom, Jeanne, Heikkinen and even Larsson. Petter also repeatedly found himself on the sidelines.
It seems that is about to be replaced, and the leader of the championship — it was too often unlucky Norwegian.
But thanks to careful driving in Spain Solberg managed to slightly improve the situation — Petter victory allowed him to slightly reduce the intensity of the struggle. It is done? If!
The next step in Turkey again left for Hansen, a Norwegian and even reached the final of the broken machine.
But with such input data series and the leaders came to the penultimate stage of the season, to be held on the track of Franciacorta.
Qualifying «hits» began on Saturday and it was immediately clear that with Timmy Hansen is something wrong. The Swede took only sixth place in the first session and third in the second. At the same time Solberg was second and first, respectively.
At the end of Saturday Petter topped the list of participants, together with Johan Kristofferson and Hansen took only fourth place — for the rider, who wanted to fight the most Solberg was not enough.
Sunday «hits» were no better — the Swede took the 11th place in the third session and second in the fourth. But Solberg, and that is called, I have committed follies. In the third «hit» Petter made a false start, for which he received an additional sentence as «a joker-lap.» However, the championship leader has not fulfilled the requirement of judges, for which he paid a fine of half a minute. The result — the 34th time in the session! But in the fourth «hit» rehabilitated champion, winning.
Sieve heats addition Solberg and Hansen were also Johan Kristofferson, Andreas Bakkerud Timur Timerzyanov Anton Marklund, Robin Larsson, Manfred Stohl, Liam Doran, Reinis Nitishs, Davie Jeanne and Tord Linnerud.
Fate and spread Solberg Hansen on different semi-finals — Norway started in the first Swede in the second.
Petter had his check carefully to avoid serious clashes. The result was a second place behind Johan Kristofferson. Third place went to Timur Timerzyanov — only the three made their way to the final.
Timmy also destroyed all their own hands. The Swede was delayed at the start, allowing slippage, and he was immediately surrounded by rivals. Andreas Bakkerud took the lead, as Anton Marklund board pushed his Audi Peugeot Hansen bump. The blow was not very strong, but it was enough to make the left front suspension of the car pilot team Peugeot-Hansen broke... Ret.
Bakkerud brought race to win, Marklund and Manfred Stohl finished second and third.
In the final race, Andreas Bakkerud achieved the first victory of the season, Johan Kristofferson finished second and Petter Solberg was third. As a result of the Italian stage of the Norwegian virtually secured a second consecutive league title — it lacks only four points.
However, the mathematical chances of Timmy Hansen still remain, so the Norwegians can not relax. A Swede is definitely talk to your father...
At the start of the Italian stage came just two famous Italian rider. Classic Rally represented Dzhanliudzhi Galli — he made his debut in rallycross year ago all the same home stage. But Gianni Morbidelli previously in Formula 1, first sat behind the wheel of a rally-crossover vehicle.
Total home race for the Italians were about the same — both do not score points. But they did it in different ways. Gianni took part in all the «hits», but his best result was 26th place, which he showed in the second session. But Gigi was unlucky — the engine of his latest Kia Rio began to lose oil. Repair the leak quickly failed and Gallo had no choice but to admit defeat.
Step on the track of Franciacorta has become not only the penultimate in the calendar of the championship class cars Supercars, but also the final season for the participants of the European Championships, as well as for the riders who spoke monoprivodnom Super 1600 championship.
The winner of the stage in the European Championship became Tommy Rustad — he became European champion in rally-cross. Company on the podium of the Italian stage he made Jean-Baptiste Dyuburg and Ole-Kristian Veybi.
Offset Super 1600 has become an arena of struggle of three Russian racers — with Nikita drove the whole season and Timur Shigabutdinova Misiulia at the start of the stage in Italy came the legendary Dmitry Bragin.
The results of the phase was extremely successful for the Russians — Shigabutdinov took second place, Bragin was the third, and finished fourth Misiulia! Great results!
The final stage of the world championship on rally-cross will be held in late November in Argentina.
