Rarely is Australia a rally of attrition, but this year’s race wasn’t typical. Only four factory cars made it to the finishing ramp (one of each of the four major makers), and one (Marcus Gronholm) crashed out not once but twice. In the end, Sebastien Loeb matched Didier Auriol’s record of six rally wins in a season, though Loeb admitted he never pushed his pace, even when Gronholm was still in the rally and leading. Peugeot’s Harri Rovanpera brought the second 307 home in second, Ford’s Francois Duval in third, and Subaru’s Mikko Hirvonen in fourth.
Now to the laundry list of the wounded. Carlos Sainz never made it to the start ramp, after a recce shunt earlier in the week. Ford’s Markko Martin only lasted through the Thursday night super special, retiring with engine problems. Petter Solberg was looking quick on leg one, but a rock damaged his steering column and he was out. Finally, Marcus Gronholm crashed out on leg two, re-entered the rally on Sunday under the SupeRally rules (which is rare for the Finn), then crashed out again, much more spectacularly, on leg three, prompting a visit to the hospital. Solberg also re-entered the rally, and hauled in the majority of the scratch times, no small consolation for a poor end to the season.
The final championship standings look like this:
1. Sebastien Loeb
2. Petter Solberg
3. Markko Martin
4. Carlos Sainz
5. Marcus Gronholm
6. Francois Duval
7. Mikko Hirvonen
8. Harri Rovanpera
And the manufacturer’s race ended like this:
1. Citroen
2. Ford
3. Subaru
4. Peugeot
5. Mitsubishi
And here are the storylines for the offseason:
Where will Francois Duval and Markko Martin end up?
Ford Motorsports waited nearly the entire season to announce they would compete in the WRC next year (and the following years). Both Duval and Martin were approached by other teams. Duval will likely stay at the Blue Oval next season, but Martin has been linked with Peugeot. Those plans could change, however, with Peugeot’s announcement that 2005 will be their final season in the WRC.
Who will drive the second Citroen Xsara?
With Citroen, Peugeot’s sister company, also pulling out of the WRC after 2005, it’s expected that Citroen won’t sign a single driver to team with Seb Loeb, but will fill the second seat with several, younger drivers that will share the car. The other question looming is whether or not Citroen will try to be competitive next season. The Xsara was the car to beat in 2004, but without a future, what sort of development will occur? No doubt both the Ford Focus and Subaru Impreza (both already quick) will improve in the offseason.
Will Mikko Hirvonen return for Subaru?
Team manager David Lapworth never gave a good answer to this question. While Hirvonen performed well in his first full factory drive, he was inconsistent. Likely, Lapworth will see how the offseason plays out with Martin and Duval, and then make his decision.
Can Peugeot be competitve?
The new 307 was an incredible disappointment this season, and without a future, will Peugeot try and fix the problems? No doubt Marcus Gronholm will push for a better car, even if the team doesn’t.
Will Skoda and Mitsubishi be better?
Both teams ran limited schedules this season to focus on developing their new cars. And both teams showed good pace in the later season rallies. Gilles Panizzi returns to Mitsubishi next season, so he should be able to coax more speed out of the Lancer, and Mitsubishi should begin to look like a WRC contender. Skoda is considering signing Colin McRae for the upcoming season for a limited programme, and the Scot’s experience would serve the development of the Fabia well.
Posted on 14 November 2004