Japan Rally 2005: Subaru World Rally Team - Finish
A day of mixed fortunes for the Subaru World Rally Team as Chris Atkinson achieved the best result of his WRC career with third overall, but Petter Solberg retired from the lead of the rally on the penultimate stage. The Norwegian had held the lead since SS4, but when his car ran into a 21kg rock on the road in SS25 his rally came to an abrupt end.
Subaru`s young charger Chris Atkinson put in a superb performance throughout the rally, scoring three stage wins, including one on the longest stage of the 2005 season. The 25-year-old`s previous best result in a World Championship event came in Rally Australia 2004 where he finished fifth overall, despite driving a Group N Subaru Impreza. His result equalled the best-ever finish of an Australian in the WRC and Chris became the first Australian in 13 years to step onto the WRC podium.*
* The last Australian to finish on the podium was Ross Dunkerton who finished third in New Zealand in 1992.
Petter Solberg
"It`s shocking, I almost can`t believe it. I don`t really know what to say. Things had been perfect for the 24 stages before and we were so close to the result we wanted, but then it just went in an instant. We could do nothing to avoid the rock, it was right in the line, it happened so fast and that was that. I`m absolutely gutted. There`s nothing more to say."
Chris Atkinson
“It`s awesome, I`m more than happy with the result and to get my first ever podium is pretty special too. We`ve done this rally before and today`s result just goes to show how much difference experience can make. I can`t wait for next year! We took things fairly steady yesterday when the road conditions were difficult but today the whole package felt good and we decided to push a little harder. Things worked out perfectly. Getting on the podium in front of Subaru`s home crowd makes it extra special but at the same time I really feel for Petter - he`s been terribly unlucky.”
David Lapworth, Team Principal
“Firstly I want to congratulate Chris on such a great result. He`s put a tick in all the boxes this weekend. He has driven consistently, fast, under pressure and on some extremely difficult roads and I`m sure he`ll benefit a lot from the experience. On the other hand, clearly all of us at Subaru are devastated by Petter`s retirement from the lead. But the only reason it hurts so much is that it was so good up to that point. If we can take any consolation at all it is that, in performance terms, we were back where we should be. The set-up changes we have made to the car`s suspension have taken its performance to another level and I think that bodes well for the remaining rallies this season.”
After two gravel events the WRC heads to Corsica, which is the first `true` asphalt rally of the season. The twisty route takes in asphalt stages in the mountains above Corsica`s capital, Ajaccio. With vertiginous sheer drops on one side and the hard mountain side on the other, the rally is an awesome test for any crew. The route blasts through villages, mountains and valleys, earning Corsica the nickname of `the rally of 10,000 corners`.


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