Ford's Petter Solberg has expressed his frustration following the disapp🐠🏅ointment on Rally Italia Sardegna.

Solberg was running second overall, 23.4 🧔seconds behind eventual winner, Mikko Hirvonen, when he hit a rock 1.4 kilometres from the end of the penultimate stage on Friday.🦋 The impact damaged the car's front left suspension, breaking a cross-member, and thereby ending any hopes he had of challenging for the victory.

The Norwegian wa🌃s devastated and revealed that it had only happened because he was trying to take it carefully.

"I was happy with second and Chris [Patterson - my co-driver] and I decided we wouldn't push, so I changed my driving style accordingly," Solberg explained. "[But] in a slow left corner the front wheel hit a rock on the inside. It was quite a shock because thꦓe rock wasn't marked in my pace notes. The impact broke the cross-member and there was nothing more I could do.

"I 🐈was driving neatly so as not to take risks and to look after my tyres. Ironically if I had been driving faster then the car would have beeﷺn more sideways going into the corner, and I probably wouldn't have hit the rock," he added.

Solberg re-joined the fold on Saturday under the Rally 2 regulations, eventually securing ninth place overall, and taking the maximum three bonu🌌s points in the event ending Power Stage.

"After retiring on Friday, there was only one thing on my mind and that was winning the Power Stage," Solberg continued. "On Saturday I drove carefully beca🎉use I had nothing to gain, but on Sunday I was determined to take maximum points in the Power Stage.

"I knew it would be tight between myself and Jari-Matti [Latvala - my team-mate] because he also wanted to win, and I'm happy to take something away from this weekend.

"It was possible to win this rally but I made a mistake on Friday and that was disappoinওting f📖or me and the team.

"I'm sad for Malcolm [Wilson] and Ford. I failed🐈 and that's the hard part. I always want to do my best and this time I got it wroཧng, which is quite frustrating. It's time to forget this rally now and think about the final round in Spain. I want to go there and win for the team."