MIKKO HIRVONEN REVVED UP
Ford stars target Sebastian Loeb Down Under
WRC CHAMPIONSHIP leader Mikko Hirvonen is confident of blowing away arch-rival Sebastian Loeb's title chances in the three remaining races.
While holiday in Australia this week I caught up with the Ford rally guys and V8 Sensation Steve Richards to have an exclusive chat and watch some Aussie Rules footy.
"The plan is to win of course." Said Hirvonen who joined me to watch the football at the impressive Sydney cricket ground ahead of next weekend's round down-under.
With just three points between the talented duo the friendly Finn thinks it will be a close call: "It is going to be a close fight. It is all in my hands, with just three races to go, if everything goes right we can definitely take the title."
"It will go all the way to the last rally - I don't mind it makes it more exciting. I and like fast stages and rally in Great Britain is like that. Normally it is foggy and muddy and raining - and that is good!"
Hirvonen - who is a Liverpool FC fan - says he has no interest to moving over to F1 like fellow WRC star Loeb, who has been strongly linked to an F1 drive with Torro Rosso later this year.
"I would like a go in one of the cars - but not full time. For me I love rallying and as I will continue to do compete as long as I enjoy it."
Speaking on the rumours of fellow Finn Kimi Raikkonen the 29-year-old's co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen thinks it would be great if he joins
Lehtinen said: "I don't know if he has signed or not but I hear he has. I think it would be great for the sport if he comes here. Obviously the rumours are that he will come with Fiat, and bringing more manufacturers to the sport can only be a good thing
"I would love Loeb to stay in the sport because I think it gives us a good measure of how competitive we are. If we win while fighting against Loeb it shows how good we are."
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SCHWANTZ SLAMS STONER
FORMER BIKE Champ Kevin Schwantz has slammed MotoGP star Caser Stoner for abandoning his team due to ill health.
Schwantz, who this week criticised Stoner saying the Aussie should put his troubles aside and fulfill his contract, also hinted at infighting in the Ducati camp.
Schwantz said: "As a rider, my gut feeling is Casey needs to be out there competing. For me, to have signed a contract ¿ you're signing a contract to compete unless something is medically wrong with you.
"I'm out there doing the best I can. Whether I can give 100 per cent every weekend or not is kind of the question.
"But for me it's a real disappointment, and I think Casey is a great competitor, and I think maybe a little bit more of this has to do with something behind the scenes that maybe none of us quite yet know about.
"Maybe that's just some Stoner hard feelings towards Ducati or towards the series¿ but to just decide you're going to skip three races and see if you feel any better at the end of it, to me, is a little bit out of the norm.
"What I have heard and what I have seen is that Casey has been struggling with some type of an illness, whether it was a stomach bug or whatever, at a bunch of the earlier grand prixs I went to.
"In the Czech Republic, he wasn't there, and still with no form of illness that has been diagnosed by doctors, that I've heard, any way."
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TOYOTA'S TRULLI SEEKS RIDE
RINGMASTER Bernie Ecclestone may be on the on the verge on another crisis after motorsport insiders say ANOTHER manufacturer is to sensationally quit the sport.
It was widely believed that after Honda's shock exit from the sport Toyota was certain to follow - and now the Japanese carmaker looks certain to quit after Jarno Trulli admitted he is hunting for an alternative drive.
Adding fuel to the fire chiefs of the Cologne-based squad have refused to sign off the budget for next season after spending billions and failing to win a single race in its six-year foray.
"I hope I can stay in F1, In this economic crisis nothing is for sure - if you look back over the last year it's a disaster. Honda has pulled out, BMW has pulled out, and probably they will not be the only ones." Truilli said.
Toyota boss John Howett revealed: "We're in negotiation with Jarno and we haven't reached an agreement but there is a possibility that we won't close the gap,"
Speaking on the budget Howett said: "They haven't submitted the budget and because of the economic situation, the Toyota group wants to wait for the full half year of the current financial year before signing it off," Howett admitted. "I am honestly expecting severe pressure on budget..."
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AUSSIE GP UNDER THREAT
THE AUSTRALIAN GP may lose its place as the opening event as top dog Bernie Ecclestone lobbies to bring forward the Bahrain race to early March.
Albert Park's status as a twilight event has forced organisers to delay the race until the start of the daylight savings period - which would pushed back the entire F1 schedule by nearly a month.
Ecclestone has considered converting the Bahrain GP into the opening race of the season as Melbourne's late March date leaves a month-long void in the calendar.
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