JYVASKYLA // Mikko Hirvonen drove "absolutely crazy" all weekend, but despite missing out on his dream of winning his home rally still had a smile on his face last night.
The Finnish BP-Ford Abu Dhabi driver finished 9.9secs behind the winner Sebastien Loeb, having being given faint hope of a comeback when his spun on the second stage of the day. "I came here to win and am disappointed, but it was fun and I really enjoyed every moment. It was still a fantastic event," he said.
"The pace was absolutely crazy and I'm sure the feeling was that we were taking more risks than last year.
"It was a fantastic rally and an amazing fight and it's unfortunate I didn't win in front of my home fans. I pushed right to the end but it wasn't enough.
"The championship fight is not over, but of course all the rallies coming up are more important now. It's not over yet."
Hirvonen holds on to his place at the top of the drivers' standings thanks to his second-place finish, though his lead over Loeb was cut to a single point. BP-Ford Abu Dhabi's advantage in the race for the manufacturer's title is also reduced to three points from nine.
Hirvonen trailed his French rival by 18.2secs at the start of yesterday's racing, when the final three stages were played out in the Finnish countryside.
The title rivals posted exactly the same time in the first stage of the day, it was 11.8secs after the second and under 10secs at the end of the third and final outing.
Although disappointed at his second-placed finish, Hirvonen felt he did nothing wrong other than stall at the start of a stage late on Saturday. Though he felt it had no impact on the final result. "I'm pleased with the speed we had but Seb was able to find few more seconds, and in the end that's all he needed to win," he said.
Finland is seen as the home of rallying, and claiming top spot on the podium here is a major coup for Loeb. It is very rare for a non-Finn to win the event, which is held over narrow gravel tracks which wind through forests and lakes. With ditches close to the road there is no margin for error. "It's been a very hard battle with Mikko all weekend with no chance to relax. He did a great job - I've had to fight for every second," said Loeb.
BP-Ford Abu Dhabi's second driver Jari-Matti Latvala finished 39th, with his accident on Friday ruining his hopes of victory.
@Email:lthornhill@thenational.ae
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Uefa Nations League: How it Works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
Read more about the coronavirus
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Brolliology: A History of the Umbrella in Life and Literature
By Marion Rankine
Melville House
Health Valley
Founded in 2002 and set up as a foundation in 2006, Health Valley has been an innovation in healthcare for more than 10 years in Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
It serves as a place where companies, businesses, universities, healthcare providers and government agencies can collaborate, offering a platform where they can connect and work together on healthcare innovation.
Its partners work on technological innovation, new forms of diagnostics and other methods to make a difference in healthcare.
Its agency consists of eight people, four innovation managers and office managers, two communication advisers and one director. It gives innovation support to businesses and other parties in its network like a broker, connecting people with the right organisation to help them further
My Country: A Syrian Memoir
Kassem Eid, Bloomsbury
The specs: 2018 Jeep Compass
Price, base: Dh100,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.4L four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 184bhp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 237Nm at 3,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.4L / 100km
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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All you need to know about Formula E in Saudi Arabia
What The Saudia Ad Diriyah E-Prix
When Saturday
Where Diriyah in Saudi Arabia
What time Qualifying takes place from 11.50am UAE time through until the Super Pole session, which is due to end at 12.55pm. The race, which will last for 45 minutes, starts at 4.05pm.
Who is competing There are 22 drivers, from 11 teams, on the grid, with each vehicle run solely on electronic power.
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS
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SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
World Cup final
Who: France v Croatia
When: Sunday, July 15, 7pm (UAE)
TV: Game will be shown live on BeIN Sports for viewers in the Mena region
