Publications
Partners
TRIER, Germany - Dani Sordo of Spain, driving a Citroen DS3, won the WRC Rally of Germany here on Sunday ahead of Belgium's Thierry Neuville in a Ford Fiesta RS and Mikko Hirvonen of Finland in a Citroen.
It was Sordo's first World championship win and it came after a nail-biting finish to the ninth round of the season when Neuville went off the road just three kilometres before the finish and just three seconds off the lead.
'SO NERVOUS'
"It's a great moment for me," said an emotional Sordo, the nearly-man of World rallying with 34 podium finishes in 106 starts.
"Thierry was pushing so hard. He was a little slower than me at first but then he was faster so I needed to push harder.
"I was so nervous at the start but this win is something I've dreamed of for many years."
Second place for Neuville, in his first full WRC season, extended a superb run of results which netted two seconds and a third before this event.
"I feel we proved a lot, even if we did ultimately just miss winning," he said. "I decided we were going to go for it on the final stage but coming out of the forest I mistook one fast left-hand corner in the vineyards for another and we went off.
"By the time Nico (Gilsoul, navigator) announced the pace note it was already too late. Luckily we were able to rejoin the road and make it to the finish."
SPECTATORS INJURED, CREW DEAD
Sebastien Ogier salvaged three points by winning the final Power Stage and still has a 75-point lead in the Drivers' champion over Neuville. Jari-Matti Latvala is third, 11 points behind, with four rounds remaining.
Two spectators were taken to hospital after being hit by a car. They had been standing in an area out of bounds to fans.
On Saturday organisers were forced to cancel the final stage of the day after a Dutch crew taking part in a support race died after their vehicle was involved in a crash.
Result from the Rally of Germany on Sunday
1 Daniel Sordo (Spain) Citroen 3hr15min19.4
2 Thierry Neuville (Belgium) Ford +53.0
3 Mikko Hirvonen (Finland) Citroen +2min36.1
4 Martin Prokop (Czech Republic) Ford +8min00.8
5 Robert Kubica (Poland) Citroen +9min01.3
6 Elfyn Evans (Britain) Ford +9min14.2
7 Jari-Matti Latvala (Finland) VW +9min55.0
8 Hayden Paddon (New Zealand) Skoda +13min01.2
9 Mads Ostberg (Norway) Ford +13min28.1
10 Evgeny Novikov (Russia) Ford +15min17.9
It was Sordo's first World championship win and it came after a nail-biting finish to the ninth round of the season when Neuville went off the road just three kilometres before the finish and just three seconds off the lead.
'SO NERVOUS'
"It's a great moment for me," said an emotional Sordo, the nearly-man of World rallying with 34 podium finishes in 106 starts.
"Thierry was pushing so hard. He was a little slower than me at first but then he was faster so I needed to push harder.
"I was so nervous at the start but this win is something I've dreamed of for many years."
Second place for Neuville, in his first full WRC season, extended a superb run of results which netted two seconds and a third before this event.
"I feel we proved a lot, even if we did ultimately just miss winning," he said. "I decided we were going to go for it on the final stage but coming out of the forest I mistook one fast left-hand corner in the vineyards for another and we went off.
"By the time Nico (Gilsoul, navigator) announced the pace note it was already too late. Luckily we were able to rejoin the road and make it to the finish."
SPECTATORS INJURED, CREW DEAD
Sebastien Ogier salvaged three points by winning the final Power Stage and still has a 75-point lead in the Drivers' champion over Neuville. Jari-Matti Latvala is third, 11 points behind, with four rounds remaining.
Two spectators were taken to hospital after being hit by a car. They had been standing in an area out of bounds to fans.
On Saturday organisers were forced to cancel the final stage of the day after a Dutch crew taking part in a support race died after their vehicle was involved in a crash.
Result from the Rally of Germany on Sunday
1 Daniel Sordo (Spain) Citroen 3hr15min19.4
2 Thierry Neuville (Belgium) Ford +53.0
3 Mikko Hirvonen (Finland) Citroen +2min36.1
4 Martin Prokop (Czech Republic) Ford +8min00.8
5 Robert Kubica (Poland) Citroen +9min01.3
6 Elfyn Evans (Britain) Ford +9min14.2
7 Jari-Matti Latvala (Finland) VW +9min55.0
8 Hayden Paddon (New Zealand) Skoda +13min01.2
9 Mads Ostberg (Norway) Ford +13min28.1
10 Evgeny Novikov (Russia) Ford +15min17.9
