Atkinson moves into WRC contention

QUEENSLANDER Chris Atkinson has charged back into contention for the World Rally Championship after clinching third place in the Rally of Finland. The Subaru driver produced a cool-headed drive under extreme pressure to claim his fifth podium from the first nine events of the series. French star Sebastien Loeb won the event by nine seconds from Mikko Hirvonen but remains second in the series to the Finn. However Hirvonen's lead has been reduced to the slimmest margin - he leads Loeb by just one point on the standings. Atkinson gathered six more points for his third place, lifting his tally to 37, two clear of the man who was his major threat, Spain's Daniel Sordo. "To finish on the podium in Finland is fantastic, it's one of those rallies that you really, really want to do well on and it's great to add it to the CV," Atkinson... [read full story]