The OMV Kronos Citroën World Rally Team has completed a very changeful 2007 FIA World Rally Championship with an eighth overall place by Manfred Stohl and Ilka Minor. Thus the pair was able to score points at the British WRC rally for the fifth time in a row.
Even though the 35-year-old Austrian had hoped for more in Wales following last year's second place, he is still glad that this season is over.
Following his last run in a World Rally Car this year, Manfred Stohl has scored points one more time. The OMV driver took eighth place at the WRC finale, the Wales Rally GB, thus finishing the season in overall ninth place with 13 points.
A result that conjures up very mixed feelings for the 35-year-old Austrian since last year's fourth place caused expectations to go up high.
"Unfortunately nothing went as we had hoped for right from the beginning," said Stohl. "During the second half of the season it was additionally very hard to motivate oneself. This season cost a lot of energy. But I still will try my all to be able to pursue my career next year, as well."
Beside all his problems Stohl had one major goal at the Wales Rally GB: to finish the rally within scoring ranks. A goal he fulfilled. Eighth place means that the OMV driver has scored points for the fifth time in a row on the isle.
"That was very important to me since I didn't want to have bad memories of my favourite rally. It was only unfortunate that we couldn't take advantage of the conditions here for whatever reasons," he related.
This year, the OMV Kronos Citroën World Rally Team was racing under the sign of OMV Move & Help. EUR 20 were donated to OMV Move & Help for each completed special stage kilometre. Over the 16 WRC runs completed in 2007, Manfred Stohl/Ilka Minor, Daniel Carlsson/Denis Giraudet and recently in Germany, Spain and Corsica also Francois Duval/Patrick Pivato, together took in 139,800 Euros overall.
Move & Help is the educational program by OMV helping over 35,000 children and youths in cooperation with SOS Children's Village, Caritas and UNICEF.
