Jussi Valimaki / Jarko Kalliolepo
Mitsubishi Lancer WRC
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Juho Hanninen / Marko Sallinen
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX
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Juho Hanninen / Marko Sallinen
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX
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Finland’s Jussi Valimaki scored a sensational fifth position at today’s finish of Rally Italia, despite never having driven the Mitsubishi Lancer WRC05 competitively before the start of the Sardinian event. Valimaki’s result was even better, given that it was his first World Rally Car outing in the FIA World Rally Championship for more than 18 months.
The 31-year-old, co-driven by Jarkko Kalliolepo, spent last season winning the FIA Asia-Pacific Championship in a Group N Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, but elected to step up to a World Rally Car for this year’s Rally Italia. He will also compete in the same car in next week’s Acropolis Rally in Greece.
Soon after clinching the best result of his career, Valimaki said: "The Mitsubishi Lancer has been fantastic on this rally. It’s been a while since I drove a World Rally Car, it’s amazing how they have changed. The performance was incredible. It took some time for me to get used to the car to start with. I’m used to driving the Group N Mitsubishi but the Lancer WRC05 requires a different style."
Valimaki’s run through the 18 hot, dry and dusty stages on the Italian island were trouble-free, allowing him to spend the third and final day fighting for fifth place with 2003 world champion Petter Solberg. Going into the final stage, Solberg was just 10.7 seconds behind him. Valimaki clinched the position despite not having the best run through the last test of the event.
"I stalled on the startline and then had a spin in the stage," he said. "I was trying so hard, but the road was really difficult. It doesn’t matter now, though. Petter stopped so we took the fifth position. It’s fantastic for me."
Head of Mitsubishi Motorsports, Isao Torii was on hand to witness Valimaki’s finest hour in the WRC. He said: "Jussi has driven very well on this rally. What I have also been impressed with is the pace and reliability the Mitsubishi Lancer WRC05 has shown on what was one of the toughest rallies in the season so far. This is a very good result."
To make a good rally even better for Mitsubishi, Valimaki’s fellow Finn Juho Hanninen scored his second Group N win at World Rally Championship level. Hanninen dropped to third on Friday afternoon, but rocketed straight back to the front, eventually winning the class by an incredible 10 minutes.
"I can’t believe how I this car performs so well on roads as rough as these," said the 24-year-old. "It’s been amazing. I haven’t had one single problem with the car. We had one punctured tire on the final stage on Friday, but otherwise, it’s been incredible. Now I have done two WRC rallies and won Group N in my Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution on each of them."
At the front of the field, Frenchman Sebastien Loeb took his second consecutive Rally Italia win for Citroen, beating Ford’s Mikko Hirvonen into second place. The final podium position place went to Daniel Sordo in another Citroen.
The next round of the FIA World Rally Championship is the Acropolis Rally, June 1-4.
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