Loeb still the man to beat in WRC
It was a dream start to the season for the BP-Ford World Rally Team as Marcus Gronholm took the victory in Monte Carlo. Not only did Gronholm take the win, but he also recorded his first victory on asphalt.
It was far from easy however and Gronholm himself was not afraid to hand out some criticism on his own performance - admitting that he could not have beat Sebastien Loeb to the win were it not for the Citroen driver`s uncharacteristic error on the first day.

"My speed was not fantastic, I`m not happy with that, but I`m happy with the win," Gronholm stated in the post rally press conference. "I was afraid on the slicks on the snow and ice, it`s not comfortable. Anything is possible on this rally."

"On the first day, of course, we were pushing like idiots, then the spins in the first stage had taken so much time, it looked already difficult," Gronholm continued. "The second stage was okay, then the third stage was cancelled, the fourth and fifth we lost to Sebastien. Already it was clear we cannot beat Seb. He had his moment on stage six and it looked like we could win. But without that I don`t think we could have won..."

Meanwhile BP-Ford World Rally Team Principal Malcolm Wilson was encouraged overall by the rally - not just because of his team`s win - but because of the standard of competition.

"For me, the WRC is in great health," Wilson stated. "Look at this rally, there`s been 26 World Rally Cars – a record. Six teams going for the Championship. For me, if it was too expensive, you certainly wouldn`t get private teams and drivers investing in the WRC. To have a private driver finish on the podium sends out the right message. It is possible with these technical regulations. You would have to say the technical regulations are also in very good health."

"Okay nobody likes to see manufacturers disappear, but I think there`s enough evidence to see there will be more teams coming," Wilson continued. "It was a long negotiation with Marcus, starting in March or April last year, but as you can imagine, we`re delighted. What he`s done here is fantastic. In his entire career, I don`t think he`s ever had to drive like this. It`s been tough to control, especially, as Sebastien says, it`s been the most difficult rally. You could see how tough it was from looking at the splits. It`s been a difficult job for Marcus, who likes to drive at 100 per cent."

"On his first rally with the team, and his first Tarmac win, it`s a great boost for our operation. Not only for those here, but also those back at home in the factory who have worked so hard on this project."

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