PIRELLI SCORPION TYRES SURVIVE THE EXTREMES OF JORDAN RALLY

The Ford Focus WRC of Hirvonen-Lehtinen won the Jordan Rally - a new appointment on the FIA World Rally Championship this year - after a demanding rally characterised by the extreme terrain of the route. Even in extremely harsh conditions, the hard-compound Scorpion tyres demonstrated both strength and efficiency.

After a rally punctuated by dramas that shook up the leaderboard several times, Mikko Hirvonen finally won the Jordan Rally at the wheel of his Pirelli-equipped factory Ford Focus WRC and reclaimed the lead of the drivers' World Championship. As expected, the fifth round of this season's World Rally Championship in Jordan was extremely tough, thanks to very high temperatures and a route that took its toll on both men and machines.

Faced with this awesome challenge, the hard-compound Pirelli Scorpion tyres used by both the regular WRC field and the Junior World Rally Championship runners, once more demonstrated the qualities that had marked them out in Mexico: namely strength, traction and reliability.

Despite an abrasive and lacerating surface - due to the several rocks and sharp stones that litter the stages - there were only an extremely limited number of punctures amongst the frontrunners, under the harsh circumstances. Nonetheless, there was even some rain to make the conditions even more difficult. As Mikko Hirvonen explained: "On the last day, the rain that had fallen in the morning made the surface extremely slippery in several places, which made driving conditions even more demanding." Even under these unaccustomed conditions, the Scorpion rubber did its job extremely well."

Pirelli's Rally Manager Mario Isola, commented: "The Rally Jordan's gravel proved to be hard and challenging for the tyres, as we expected. Despite being damaged in various ways by the sharp stones and rocks of the landscape, the Scorpion tyres passed this severe test with flying colours - exhibiting no particular problems. In some cases the tyres only displayed an increase in wear because of the punishment meted out by this ravaging surface."