2011 WRC : Loeb fights back to win sixth Argentina title

2011 WRC - Rally Argentina winners : Sebastien Loeb (FRA) Daniel Elena (MON), Citroën DS3 WRC, Citroën Total World Rally Team

Seven-times world champion Sebastien Loeb overcame a one-minute time penalty to take a narrow victory in the Rally of Argentina on Sunday.

Mikko Hirvonen (FIN), Ford Fiesta RS WRC, BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team

The Frenchman, winning his sixth Argentine title in a Citroen, won by 2.4 seconds from Finn Mikko Hirvonen with overnight leader Sebastien Ogier third 7.3 seconds behind.

A gripping race went down to the wire after Frenchman Ogier rolled his Citroen on the gruelling, 48.21 kms Ascochinga stage, the first of the day, with damage to the front of the car and the power steering.

"This morning I made a mistake and it was impossible to drive the car," a visibly distraught Ogier, who was in the lead until the decisive final power special, told reporters.

Ogier come in more than 11 seconds off the pace set by power stage winner Petter Solberg of Norway, who took three bonus points to two for second-placed Hirvonen and one for Loeb.

Loeb, who was penalised on Friday but had cut compatriot Ogier's overall lead to a mere 3.3 seconds in the penultimate special, is top of the standings with 126 points from six races. Hirvonen is second on 113 with Ogier third with 96.

"After all the difficulties I had I'm pleased with this finish," Ford driver Hirvonen said at the finish.

Fog hung over the hills of Cordoba province during the early kilometres of the day's first stage as cars continued to get punished on the often tight dirt and gravel roads.

"The first 20 kilometres were in fog and we were fighting well...We hit a few banks here and there but no dramas," Hirvonen told the championship website (www.wrc.com).

Solberg, world champion in 2003 before Loeb notched up seven titles in a row, won the penultimate stage and the closing power stage in his Citroen for three bonus points. He finished fourth overall, just over half a minute behind Loeb.

Finn Jari-Matti Latvala, who led from early Friday until the 13th stage on Saturday before pulling out with suspension damage to his Ford, won the 17th special after being allowed to resume the race but finished seventh nearly 12 minutes off the pace.

"Rallying can be the hardest game," said the 26-year-old Finn.

2011 WRC - Rally Argentina -Race result

Pos	No	Driver		Group Class	Stage Time	Penalties	Total Time	Diff Prev	Diff 1st
1	1	S. LOEB	M	A0	4:02:56.9	1:00.0	4:03:56.9	0.0	0.0
2	3	M. HIRVONEN	M	A0	4:03:59.3	0.0	4:03:59.3	+2.4	+2.4
3	2	S. OGIER	M	A0	4:04:04.2	0.0	4:04:04.2	+4.9	+7.3
4	11	P. SOLBERG	M	A0	4:04:29.5	0.0	4:04:29.5	+25.3	+32.6
5	6	M. ØSTBERG	M	A0	4:09:13.7	0.0	4:09:13.7	+4:44.2	+5:16.8
6	7	F. VILLAGRA	M	A0	4:10:45.4	0.0	4:10:45.4	+1:31.7	+6:48.5
7	4	J. LATVALA	M	A0	4:13:21.4	2:10.0	4:15:31.4	+4:46.0	+11:34.5
8	5	M. WILSON	M	A0	4:17:29.6	0.0	4:17:29.6	+1:58.2	+13:32.7
9	38	H. PADDON	P	A0	4:29:30.7	10.0	4:29:40.7	+12:11.1	+25:43.8
10	21	P. FLODIN	P	A0	4:36:51.1	40.0	4:37:31.1	+7:50.3	+33:34.1
11	33	D. TAGIROV	P	A0	4:42:37.6	30.0	4:43:07.6	+5:36.5	+39:10.7
12	35	N. FUCHS	P	A0	4:46:03.1	1:50.0	4:47:53.1	+4:45.5	+43:56.2
13	53	R. ORLANDINI		A0	4:48:46.1	2:50.0	4:51:36.1	+3:43.0	+47:39.2
14	26	M. SEMERAD	P	A0	4:51:56.5	0.0	4:51:56.5	+20.4	+47:59.6
15	39	B. GUERRA	P	A0	4:49:47.1	3:10.0	4:52:57.1	+1:00.6	+49:00.2
16	50	E. CAMPOS	P	A0	4:54:07.5	10.0	4:54:17.5	+1:20.4	+50:20.6
17	23	G. LINARI	P	A0	4:55:52.7	1:00.0	4:56:52.7	+2:35.2	+52:55.8
18	43	K. BLOCK	M	A0	4:56:26.8	50.0	4:57:16.8	+24.1	+53:19.9
19	34	Y. PROTASOV	P	A0	4:57:25.5	0.0	4:57:25.5	+8.7	+53:28.6
20	22	M. KOSCIUSZKO	P	A0	4:58:04.7	0.0	4:58:04.7	+39.2	+54:07.8
21	27	H. HUNT	P	A0	5:04:14.3	1:00.0	5:05:14.3	+7:09.6	+1:01:17.4
22	65	G. SUAREZ		A0	5:32:29.9	1:10.0	5:33:39.9	+28:25.6	+1:29:43.0
23	75	P. PELAEZ		A0	5:44:59.8	3:00.0	5:47:59.8	+14:19.9	+1:44:02.9
24	72	C. CUEVAS		A0	6:19:48.5	0.0	6:19:48.5	+31:48.7	+2:15:51.6
25	78	M. DURANTE		A0	6:27:12.9	1:00.0	6:28:12.9	+8:24.4	+2:24:16.0
26	71	G. BOTTAZZINI		A0	6:27:59.6	1:10.0	6:29:09.6	+56.7	+2:25:12.7
27	76	F. CLEMENTE		A0	7:01:20.1	1:40.0	7:03:00.1	+33:50.5	+2:59:03.2

2011 WRC : Drivers Championship Standing

Pos								Total
1.	S. LOEB	10	27	21	16	26	26	126
2.	M. HIRVONEN	25	21	12	14	21	20	113
3.	S. OGIER	15	R	26	28	12	15	96
4.	J. LATVALA	16	15	17	18	2	6	74
5.	P. SOLBERG	10	13	8	R	15	15	61
6.	M. OSTBERG	18	10	0	0	10	10	48
7.	M. WILSON	2	R	10	10	2	4	28
8.	F. VILLAGRA	-	2	4	6	0	8	20
9.	K. RAIKKONEN	4	-	6	8	-	-	18
10.	H. SOLBERG	0	8	2	0	R	-	10
11.	D. SORDO	-	-	-	-	8	-	8
12.	J. HANNINEN	-	4	-	-	4	-	8
13.	M. PROKOP	0	6	-	-	1	-	7
14.	O. TANAK	-	1	-	-	6	-	7
15.	P. ANDERSSON	6	-	-	-	0	-	6
16.	K. AL QASSIMI	1	-	0	4	0	-	5
17.	D. KUIPERS	0	R	1	2	R	-	3
18.	H. PADDON						2	2
19.	B. SOUSA			R	1	R	-	1
20.	P. FLODIN						1	1
21.	N. AL-ATTIYAH	-	Excl	-	R	0	-	0
22.	K. KRUUDA		0	0	0	0	-	0

2011 WRC - Manufacturer Championship Standing

Pos								Total
1.	Citroen Total World Rally Team	22	25	43	40	37	40	207
2.	Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team	40	33	27	30	20	24	174
3.	M-Sport Stobart Ford Rally Team	18	18	4	3	18	14	75
4.	Petter Solberg World Rally Team	0	12	10	0	15	12	49
5.	Munchis Ford World Rally Team	-	6	6	8	4	8	32
6.	Ice 1 Racing	8	-	8	10	-	-	26
7.	Team Abu Dhabi	6	-	1	6	6	-	19
8.	FERM Power Tools World Rally Team	4	R	2	4	R	-	10
9.	Monster World Rally Team	2	4	R	-	-	2	8
10.	Brazil World Rally Team	-	-	0	0	1	R	1
11.	Van Merksteijn Motorsport	-	-	0	R	R	R	0