Araujo crashed out on stage 18, Campana finished 10th. Catching up on a few articles: SS18: Araujo crashes, Sordo closes up (wrc.com)
A second place is something to be proud of anytime, but this soon in just a development year is simply spectacular!!! Congrats to Dani, Prodrive and Mini for a Rally well done!!
That really is fantastic. The announcers on WRC radio were talking about the problems Between Loeb and the other drivers on the Citroen team. They were saying that Citroen might try and bring Sordo back, because he will support Loeb and be in a position to win if anything happens to Loeb. I really doubt that would happen now, or at least I hope not. Jim
Don't know how much money might be involved but why would Sordo leave a very promising team as their number one driver to play second fiddle to Loeb and be on a team that is struggling right now?
Those were my feelings too Mark, but I thought I'd toss it out there since I heard it. Could be the announcers were just trying to fill air time between stages. One is a Brit and the other a Scott and it was hard to follow them sometimes, especially when they got excited during one of the stage runs. Jim
Sordo seems very happy with the change. I don't think leaving Citroen was his idea (I wasn't paying attention back then) but he's enjoying the underdog, team-building experience. A couple months ago he even said Loeb made a mistake in re-signing with Citroen for more of the same and that he should have switched to VW's new team so he could enjoy the challenge. Big money might make him change his mind but I think at the moment he really likes where he is.
It should come as no epiphany that this team is doing so well when one considers the history of Prodrive. Sordo probably didn't have to think very long when deciding to drive for them, knowing that BMW was going to be behind the effort too. Pretty good bet in retrospect, don't ya think?
Breaking news: 3rd place finisher Petter Solberg excluded from Rally France results because his car was found to be under the minimum weight limit. He and team have a few hours to appeal. Doesn't change much for Sordo, though it does mean he beat new 3rd place finisher Hirvonen by 3min 26.6sec.
I know this has nothing to do with MINI or Sordo but... Only 2 rallies left in the season and thanks to Ogier's win, Loeb's day 1 retirement and Solberg's post-rally exclusion* there's now a tie at the top of the drivers' championship -- Loeb (Citroen) and Hirvonen (Ford) -- with Ogier (Citroen) only 3 points behind. *Solberg's team has decided not to appeal.
I will be rooting for Ogier to win all the marbles & MINI for the rally wins. As far as Solberg not appealing an FIA exclution, well that was smart on his part.
How did they find that out? Do the have to weigh in and out like a jockey? I'm asking, as I learning the WRC as we go here and loving it by the way. Jim