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56th Network Q Rally of Great Britain
http://www.nq-rally-gb.co.uk/
Round 14 (Final) of the FIA World Rally Championship
23-26th November 2000
Burns win rally - Gronholm wins Championship!
End of Rally
Sunday, 26th November 2000
Extract from Official FIA Press Release
Richard Burns won his third successive Rally GB but it was not enough to stop Marcus Gronholm becoming this year's FIA World Rally Champion, adding the drivers' crown to the manufacturers' title secured by Peugeot in Australia. Burns had to win this event to have any chance of snatching the title but Gronholm was strong enough not to crack. He needed only to finish in the top five to take the title but second place served to underline his astonishing rise throughout 2000 from a driver with no WRC wins and not even a full programme of events to a convincing and popular FIA World Champion.
Subaru
Richard Burns has done everything he needed to win the FIA World Championship but, as Marcus Gronholm finished in the points it was not enough to steal the crown. Nevertheless, Burns joins the great Erik Carlsson and Timo Makinen as only the third driver to take a hat-trick of wins on this event. Before the start Burns admitted, ã If I can't win the World Championship then joining that famous club is the next best thing.ä Of the stages themselves today, Burns said, You have to stay right in the middle of the road. It's not the best line but there's a thin film of mud on the surface that means it's so hard to find any grip at all.ä Team mate Petter Solberg retired from the rally after he hit a tree 300 metres from the end of SS16, resulting in an engine fire.
Peugeot
Marcus Gronholm seemed remarkably relaxed this morning, putting to the back of his mind the fact that he needed only to stay on the road to win the FIA World Championship. He was in the tense situation of only being able to lose the series, rather than having any specific task to achieve in order to win it. ãI'm taking no risks,ä he said. ã It's far too slippery for risks!ä He was able to pace himself superbly during the day and second place was enough to bring an emotional title for a driver who refused to even think about the championship until after the final stage!
Mitsubishi
Tommi Makinen got off to a slow start this morning and, briefly, looked to be threatened by Juha Kankkunen for fourth place. "We were trying to be fast and safe at the same time but we didn't find the right speed,ä he admitted. However he then went fastest on the next stage to put distance between himself and Kankkunen while passing Carlos Sainz for third with fastest times on the final two stages.
Ford
Carlos Sainz declared this morning's first stage to have been the most slippery of the entire event. After his public demise at Margam two years ago he was best equipped to know what was going on in Gronholm's car. ãThere's a fine balance between driving quickly enough to set good times and driving to quickly and going off the road. It will be an interesting final stage!ä Tapio Laukkanen's rally came to an end in Trawscoed. Just 1km into the test the Finn slid into a ditch, one of the few where there were no spectators to help, and he had to abandon the rally.
SEAT
It was a sad moment for SEAT as the curtain came down on this event for the fun-loving Spanish team is withdrawing from the FIA World Championship. Didier Auriol's engine was sounding rough last night but the Frenchman kept it going today. He did however, have a big moment on SS15. ãWe hit the brakes on a patch of mud and slid for nearly 60 metres with the engine stalled. I was fighting the car to keep it on the road,ä admitted a very relieved Auriol. Team director Vicente Aguilera said, ãTaking part in the WRC has helped to improve our brand image around the world and we are very proud of this within SEAT Sport. We are sad to close this period in our history but at the same time we start a new one which is just as exciting and important with new projects and a fresh motivation.ä
Hyundai
Alister McRae admitted that this has not been his best Rally GB but was confident of making the finish to round off Hyundai's first season with the Accent WRC. He was just denied a spot in the top 10 but there is little doubt that the car has shown considerable promise this year. An announcement about the team's 2001 line-up is expected shortly.
Skoda
After two days of rain, Armin Schwarz was complaining about the sun this morning! ãIt's very low and dangerous,ä he said. ãStill, it's nice to see it for the first time this event!ä Schwarz went into the final stage lying 13th, two places and almost five minutes clear of team mate Luis Climent who loses his place in the team for 2001 to Bruno Thiry who was fourth on this event last year. Climent was slightly lucky to even make the finish as his Octavia completed the final stage with only three-wheel drive.
Other teams
Manfred Stohl secured the FIA Production Cup with a start to finish victory in Group N. His only rival for the title, Gustavo Trelles, was already well behind before he suffered two punctures on a stage yesterday. It netted a huge time loss, made worse by the rule that Group N cars are not allowed the anti-deflation inserts that are de rigeur on the Group A cars. Mark Higgins won Formula 2 from Sebastien Loeb with Olivier Marty third.
Tyre facts:
Michelin: S
econd place for Marcus Gronholm clinched the 2000 championship for Marcus Gronholm, two weeks after Peugeot secured the manufacturers championship in Australia. The Rally GB result takes Michelin's score to a record 30 world crowns (15 drivers' and 15 manufacturers' in the past 10 years), a clear pointer to the team's commitment at the sport's highest level.
Pirelli:
Once again Pirelli crews chose the KM6 pattern tyre that has been the sole choice for the conditions on this event. Throughout the rally Pirelli claimed 8 stage wins en route to its 117th World Championship rally victory.
Outright
1 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 3:43:01,9
2 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 3:44:07,5
3 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer 3:44:16,9
4 Sainz Ford Focus WRC 3:44:35,4
5 Kankkunen Subaru Impreza WRC 3:44:48,8
6 Delecour Peugeot 206 WRC 3:44:50,4
7 Martin Toyota Corolla WRC 3:46:26,3
8 Panizzi Peugeot 206 WRC 3:46:37,5
9 Auriol Seat Cordoba E3 WRC 3:47:29,4
10 Rovanpera Seat Cordoba E3 WRC 3:48:12,0
Group N
1 Stohl Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4:07:45,3
2 Backlund Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4:09:30,8
3 Harkki Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4:13:11,3
15 P Walfridsson Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4:30:19.9
Formula 2
1 Higgins Vauxhall Astra Kit Car 4:27:08,0
2 Loeb Citroen Saxo 4:31:25,1
3 Marty Peugeot 106 S16 4:33:25.1
Teams Cup
1 Al-Wahaibi Subaru Impreza WRC 3:59:57,3 Arab World Rally Team
2 Dor Subaru Impreza 2000 WRC 4:21:41,6 F Dor Rally Team
Provisional Final Championship Pointscores
FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers:
Gronholm (FIN) 65
Burns (GB) 60
Sainz (E) 46
McRae (GB) 43
Makinen (FIN) 36
Delecour (F) 24
Panizzi (F) 21
Kankkunen (FIN) 20
Rovanpera (FIN) 7
Solberg (N) 6
FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers:
Peugeot 111
Ford 91
Subaru 88
Mitsubishi 43
SEAT 11
Hyundai 8
Skoda 8
FIA World Cup for Drivers of Production Cars:
Stohl (A) 75
Trelles (ROU) 64
Pozzo (RA) 22
FIA Teams Cup:
Spike Subaru Team 42
Toyota Team Saudi Arabia 38
Team Atakan 33
Stage Winners
SS15 - Burns, SS16 - Makinen, SS17 - Makinen
Leading Retirements
SS16 P.Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC Accident
SS16 Laukkanen Ford Focus WRC Accident
SS13 Arai Subaru Impreza WRC Fire
SS12 C.McRae Ford Focus WRC Accident
SS9 Evans Seat Cordoba E3 WRC Mechanical
SS4 Eriksson Hyundai Accent WRC Engine
SS3 Tuohino Toyota Corolla WRC Electrical
SS2 Loix Mitsubishi Carisma GT Accident
SS 15, Brechfa 29.80 km 1st Car: 08:40
1 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 17:32,7
2 Delecour Peugeot 206 WRC 17:33,5
3 P.Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 17:36,3
4 Sainz Ford Focus WRC 17:40,4
5 Kankkunen Subaru Impreza WRC 17:41,5
SS 16, Trawscoed 26.26 km 1st Car: 09:28
1 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer 16:17,8
2 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 16:26,0
3 Delecour Peugeot 206 WRC 16:28,3
4 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 16:32,2
5 Sainz Ford Focus WRC 16:34,1
SS 17, Margam 2 28.13 km 1st Car: 13:40
1 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer 16:57,7
2 Martin Toyota Corolla WRC 17:03,9
3 Kankkunen Subaru Impreza WRC 17:11,2
4 Sainz Ford Focus WRC 17:15,0
5 Delecour Peugeot 206 WRC 17:15,2
End of Leg 2
Saturday, 25th November 2000
Extract from Official FIA Press Release
Today's second leg of the Network Q Rally GB may only have had six stages but five of them were long, including the longest of the event. Conditions remained tricky and saw the battle for supremacy move into top gear with Colin McRae the first to crack, rolling his Ford Focus on SS12 and being unable to continue, leaving Marcus Gronholm and Richard Burns locked in an intense battle. Burns took the lead on SS13 but with Gronholm currently second, championship victory is still looking the Peugeot driver's way.
Subaru
Richard Burns launched a furious attack on the leaderboard today in a bid to close on that vital top spot. At the finish of today's first stage he said, ãIf that wasn't good enough to get us the fastest time then I might as well give up now!ä He says he's driving at 120% but believed that the long Resolfen stage was the one where this rally would ultimately be decided. "It's the biggest chance for us to get the time back,ä he said. ãI've got enough time to reel in everyone except Colin,ä he admitted. ãHowever, if I drive any faster than this I'm risking going off the road.ä In the end it was McRae that went off, leaving Burns just three seconds behind Gronholm after SS12. The Margam Park fans went crazy as Burns scorched into the lead with just tonight's superspecial stage in Cardiff to go before the night halt. Team mate Juha Kankkunen has seen his fair share of wet Rally Great Britain and is not surprised at how difficult it is. ãThe pace at the front is just like last year,ä he said. The only way it could be more difficult is if it was snowing!ä The third car, driven by Petter Solberg, suffered an intercom failure. Petter is running one place adrift of his brother, Henning, who is waiting at stage finishes to check that his brother is OK.
Peugeot
Marcus Gronholm was delighted to complete SS10. ãI was frightened of that stage because that's where I crashed last year,ä he said. ã If Richard catches me then he can go past. He still has to beat Colin and I've no reason to fight either of them.ä Gronholm and team mate Gilles Panizzi were among several crews fined for speeding last night. Although the offence carried only a GB£100 fine, a second infringement would bring a 5 minute penalty and Gronholm could ill-afford that in this crucial championship showdown. On the long stage he admitted to braking far too early. ãThe brakes were going soft in the middle of the stage so that didn't help my confidence,ä he said. ã We're driving steadily and I'm still not thinking about the championship. Panizzi abandoned his pace notes for the stage as they were too slow. ã We had to ignore them and just drive faster,ä he explained. British 206 WRC prize winner Mark Fisher retired on SS10.
Ford
Rally leader Colin McRae extended that advantage over the opening stages today as Marcus Gronholm took a more cautious approach. ãWe decided to start quickly this morning and measure our pace against our rivals,ä said McRae, known for being quick out of the blocks each day. ãWe're now in a comfortable position and can watch what goes on behind us and adjust our pace accordingly, ã he added. ãThe conditions couldn't be much worse and because this morning's first stage had been used yesterday, it was full of rocks, ruts and big holes. We hit a big puddle on SS11 and the windscreen steamed up for a while. I'm actually enjoying this. I've still got a bit in reserve but that wee bit is kept for special occasions!ä He acknowledged that Gronholm was going carefully but warned that you need to drive at a certain speed to maintain concentration. Unfortunately it all came back to haunt him on SS12 when he hit a rut and flipped the car off the road, damaging the radiator and ultimately was forced to retire from the rally on the same stage. Team mate Carlos Sainz was adjusting his car's suspension to adapt to the tougher conditions today while Tapio Laukkanen spent over 30 minutes in a mud-filled ditch after sliding off the road in Rhondda. ãAll the time we're fighting to keep the car on the road,ä said Sainz. ãWe can't match Colin's pace but he's on home ground and it's his rally.ä
Mitsubishi
Tommi Makinen lost fourth place to Carlos Sainz this morning when the Finn slid off the road and hit a tree. A fuse box had come loose in the car and, although hanging by a wire, managed to get lodged by the brake pedal and caused him some worrying moments in the stage He tried to push a bit harder on the long stage but spun off. ãIt was the first tight right hander after the start,ä he explained. ãWe went off there and later I had a spin.ä
SEAT
The SEAT drivers had mixed fortunes in the forests today. Gwyndaf Evans had to retire from the event after clutch failure in the opening stage. ãIt started to slip two kilometres into the stage but then it seemed to clear before getting worse again,ä he said. ãAfter 16kms it was impossible to continue.ä The only person happy about the retirement was co-driver Howard Davies who has a ticket for tomorrow's rugby international between Wales and South Africa! Toni Gardemeister lost time on the next stage because of a silly mistake. He had stopped to adjust the suspension before the stage but failed to close the bonnet properly. It flew open, smashing the windscreen, and forcing him to drive most of the 31.47km stage with almost no visibility and no windscreen wipers. Didier Auriol began the day at the same pace as yesterday but just two kilometres into the longest stage of the event the Cordoba dropped onto two cylinders.
Hyundai
Kenneth Eriksson's co-driver Staffan Parmander had to sacrifice a T-shirt to plug a holed sump in Australia. This time it was Alister McRae's pace note man who has had to brave the chilly weather to stop the leak after the long stage and hope that the problem can be fixed at service. The Accent lost oil pressure halfway through the stage and was found to be leaking badly.
Skoda
Luis Climent finally beat his team mate on the first stage of today, despite reporting steering problems. The car completed the stage with a rear tyre hanging off the rim and he said the problem had been like that for 30% of the stage. Schwarz's time loss was caused by the windscreen wipers locking together. ãThey broke right at the start of the stage and so I could hardly see. I'm really angry,ä he said.
Other teams
Manfred Stohl continued to dominate the Group N contest today with Gustavo Trelles seemingly unable to do anything about the Austrian who started this event with a one point Championship lead. ãI can't relax yet,ä he said after SS10. ãI'm leading by 40s but that could all change with a puncture.ä However the title race was effectively laid to rest on the next stage when Trelles lost a huge amount of time with two front punctures and fell to over 14 minutes behind the Austrian. F2 leader Mark Higgins' £800 jack broke when he was trying to change wheels before SS10 and so he had to run on shot tyres. Neil Wearden has been able to close the gap despite soaring water temperature and took the lead when Higgins slipped into a ditch on Margam.
Tyre Facts
Michelin:
The slightly warmer conditions (up to 11°C) have had no significant effect on the second day as far as tyre choice is concerned. Michelin's WRC partners have continued to use either the Michelin ZA or the narrower, more open-patterned Michelin ZE16 (developed essentially for optimising grip in muddy conditions). Ford's pair stayed with the latter choice throughout the day, while all the teams switched to this option for the final group of stages (SS12 & 13) which has been described as the muddiest of the event.
Pirelli:
Once again the Pirelli crews have relied completely on various evolutions of the KM6 tyre. Richard Burns has taken three fastest times on the five stages held so far today (one stage remains tonight) to take the rally lead. The KM tyre has been chosen for its wide ranging performance and is ideally suited to dealing with the slippery mud on top of a harder base layer as well as badly damaged stages being used for the second time.
Outright
1 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 2:51:46,0
2 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 2:52:05,9
3 Sainz Ford Focus WRC 2:53:05,9
4 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer 2:53:06,2
5 Kankkunen Subaru Impreza WRC 2:53:20,7
6 Delecour Peugeot 206 WRC 2:53:33,4
7 Panizzi Peugeot 206 WRC 2:54:05,7
8 Martin Toyota Corolla WRC 2:54:32,5
9 Auriol Seat Cordoba E3 WRC 2:55:07,7
10 Rovanpera Seat Cordoba E3 WRC 2:55:52,9
Group N
1 Stohl Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3:09:26,0
2 Backlund Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3:12:13,7
3 Harkki Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3:14:46,7
17 16 P Walfridsson Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3.33.05.3
Formula 2
1 Higgins Vauxhall Astra Kit Car 3:15:36,9
2 Loeb Citroen Saxo 3:29:32,8
3 Marty Peugeot 106 S16 3:31:21,7
Teams Cup
1 Al-Wahaibi Subaru Impreza WRC 3:05:05,3 Arab World Rally Team
2 Dor Subaru Impreza 2000 WRC 3:22:50,9 F Dor Rally Team
Stage Winners
SS9 - Burns, SS10 - McRae, SS11 - McRae, SS12 - Burns, SS13 - Burns, SS14 - P.Solberg
Leading Retirements
SS13 Arai Subaru Impreza WRC Fire
SS12 C.McRae Ford Focus WRC Accident
SS9 Evans Seat Cordoba E3 WRC Mechanical
SS4 Eriksson Hyundai Accent WRC Engine
SS3 Tuohino Toyota Corolla WRC Electrical
SS2 Loix Mitsubishi Carisma GT Accident
SS 9, Rhondda 2 26.47 km 1st Car: 07:56
1 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 14:36,1
2 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 14:38,0
3 C.McRae Ford Focus WRC 14:39,5
4 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer 14:46,9
5 Auriol Seat Cordoba E3 WRC 14:47,8
SS 10, Rheola 1 31.47 km 1st Car: 08:57
1 C.McRae Ford Focus WRC 17:50,7
2 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 17:50,8
3 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 17:05,0
4 Panizzi Peugeot 206 WRC 18:05,2
5 Kankkunen Subaru Impreza WRC 18:07,1
SS 11, Resolfen 46.45 km 1st Car: 10:56
1 C.McRae Ford Focus WRC 25:15,7
2 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 25:16,9
3 Delecour Peugeot 206 WRC 25:27,0
4 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 25:28,4
5 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer 25:30,0
SS 12, Rheola 2 31.47 km 1st Car: 13:42
1 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 17:51,3
2 P.Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 17:53,5
3 Kankkunen Subaru Impreza WRC 17:59,0
4 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 17:59,3
5 Delecour Peugeot 206 WRC 18:01,1
SS 13, Margam 1 28.13 km 1st Car: 15:00
1 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 17:10,0
2 Sainz Ford Focus WRC 17:17,4
3 Kankkunen Subaru Impreza WRC 17:18,7
4 P.Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 17:21,1
5 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 17:23,8
SS 14, Cardiff 2 2.43 km 1st Car: 17:58
1 P.Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 2:18,5
2 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 2:22,6
3 Kankkunen Subaru Impreza WRC 2:23,0
4 Laukkanen Ford Focus WRC 2:23,6
5 Schwarz Skoda Octavia WRC 2:23,8
End of Leg 1
Friday, 24th November 2000
Extract from Official FIA Press Release
After last night's superspecial the real rally action got underway in freezing conditions in the South Wales forests. While FIA World Championship leader Marcus Gronholm as enjoyed a trouble-free day, his arch-rival Richard Burns hit trouble straight away but has been charging back up the leaderboard ever since. The first few cars started Hafren Sweet Lamb in dusk but soon it turned to darkness and that has affected the times of later cars. The party atmosphere was in full swing, however and when the fans' hero Colin McRae set fastest time the sky was lit up with a spectacular firework display!
Peugeot
FIA World Championship leader Marcus Gronholm said this morning, ã I've not got a feeling for these stages yet. They're very slippery but I'm getting more used to it. I'm trying to drive at the same speed all the time. I'm certainly not planning to push any harder.ä As the day progressed, and other drivers spun in the slippery conditions, Gronholm moved into the rally lead. By contrast team mate Gilles Panizzi, not a driver expected to set the pace on slippery gravel, posted some sensational times this morning. ãI made a good tyre choice and my times are much better,ä he enthused. ãI was not fast in Australia but I didn't know that event. I've been here before and so it is easier. Also it is important that I prove to people that I can drive quickly on gravel,ä he admitted.
Ford
Colin McRae explained the road conditions this morning. ãThe roads have got a hard base underneath but on top it's very wet and muddy. If you stay on the right line there's plenty of grip but if you slide off the line it's very slippery indeed.ä The Scot would love to win his home event but he's not pushing flat out. ãWinning would be nice but there's no point in taking risks with no World Championship to worry about. I'm thinking more about next season,ä he added. A misheard pace note cost Carlos Sainz some time after he slid off on SS4 but apart from a cracked windscreen the Ford Focus was undamaged. Co-driver Luis Moya warned, however, that today's first four stages were nothing compared to the final two. ãSweet Lamb and Myherin will be much slippier and being run at night will make them really hard. There's a lot worse to come on this event.ä Tapio Laukkanen slipped down the order after suffering problems with first and second gear, resolved with a gearbox change at first service while Stephen Finlay hit a tree and careered into a ravine on SS6.
Subaru
Richard Burns' FIA World Championship aspirations hit trouble immediately this morning when he hit a pile of logs and damaged the rear suspension on the Subaru. Burns was able to make a temporary repair at the roadside after the stage that enabled him to complete SS3 and SS4 but the British driver nearly a minute to his title rival before the first service park at Builth Wells. ãI made a mistake when I was trying to drive quickly,ä he said. ãI didn't think anything of it at first but on the next straight it was clear we had a big problem. My first thought was how disappointed everyone was going to be and I couldn't imagine how sick I was going to feel if we didn't get the car through the three stages to service. It was a huge relief to reach Builth Wells. Anything can happen on this event, as I've discovered, but we've still got two and a half days to get the time back and I'm not going to try and do it on the next stage. Tomorrow is a big day.ä Juha Kankkunen's shared overnight lead disappeared during the morning as he was one of several drivers who reported brushes with logs among the slippery stages. Francois Delecour and Carlos Sainz each reported near misses at the same spot. Petter Solberg took a brief lead of the event after setting fastest time on SS2 but lost it when he spun on the next stage and spent nearly four minutes regaining the road.
Hyundai
Kenneth Eriksson retired from the rally on today's third stage after an engine problem. A new engine was fitted to the car after it suffered head gasket failure during the shakedown but just after the start of SS4 the new unit lost its fluids. With the help of spectators Eriksson topped up the engine and was able to get most of the way through the stage before the problem reappeared and he was forced to retire. Team mate Alister McRae lost the anti-lag system to his engine early today and also reported a potential gearbox problem after the Accent started jumping out of gear.
Mitsubishi
The luckless Freddy Loix became the event's first major retirement today when he crashed out of the rally near the end of the first special stage. ãWe were on the wrong line into a fast right hand corner,ä he said. ãThe car flipped and rolled twice, stopping just before we went into the trees.ä This is now the third time in the past four events that the Belgian has failed to complete the first 'proper' test of the event (he retired on the second forest stage in Australia). Team mate Tommi Makinen said that the stages were incredibly slippery today and admits to being lucky to reach service. We had two lucky escapes on SS4 after going wide on one corner and then overshooting a junction.ä Strangely, Makinen says he's missing the traditional 'Mickey Mouse' spectator stages that used to be a traditional opening day on this event.ä They gave us a chance to see how slippery the conditions were before we got into the forests and had to drive quickly.ä
SEAT
Didier Auriol may not be a fan of the Rally GB but the Frenchman set a fast pace over the early stages and lay fifth at the first visit to Builth Wells. He achieved this despite a couple of punctures on SS3 and SS4 in conditions that he described as being more slippery than he'd expected. ãI've been pushing very hard all season but now I think it could be because it's so slippery that it's finally working well. We're at maximum attack with maximum risk,ä he said as he moved into third place after SS6. ãThe mechanics have worked very hard for me this year and so I am pushing to get a good result for them. äToni Gardemeister suffered failure of his turbo anti-lag system and went off the road trying to compensate for the time he was losing. Welshman Gwyndaf Evans has not rallied a WRC since last year's Rally GB and admitted to feeling a bit rusty. ãIt's quite a shock to the system after so long,ä he said. ãWe spun on a right hander after a crest and lost about 15 seconds,ä he said. The local hero lost time in Crychan when an intercooler pipe came off and the engine lost full power but he carried on through that stage and the next before the team was able to fix it.
Skoda
A front diff oil leak cost Armin Schwarz a lot of time this morning before the team could effect its first gearbox change under pressure. In these conditions you need all the traction you can get,ä said Schwarz. ãUnfortunately we had to do two stages with only rear wheel drive and so we paid a heavy penalty for that. I'm not going to push too hard - I'll be letting the others do that - as we want to make sure we are at the finish.ä Another driver not pushing too hard was team mate Luis Climent who has been a model of consistency this year. Apart from a slightly sticky gearbox, the Spaniard has not stressed the car and has suffered no major problem.
Other teams
Toshihiro Arai has clinched the FIA Teams Cup for the Spike Subaru team. The Japanese driver only had to cross last night's start line to take the victory because, while he had a large enough points lead over his rivals, he still needed to start this event to comply with the regulation demanding a minimum number of event starts. Manfred Stohl has dominated the Group N contest and is currently well on course to claim this year's FIA Group N Championship. Gustavo Trelles, his only rival, has never finished this event and that may account for his slower pace today. The Vauxhall team is unchallenged in F2 with Mark Higgins leading team mate Neil Wearden. Third is held by Niall McShea who has just won the inaugural £50,000 cash prize in memory of the late Roger Clark who was the British rally fans' favourite long before the arrival of Colin McRae and Richard Burns. Clark's son, Oliver, is competing on this event. Overnight leader (shared with Juha Kankkunen) Janne Tuohino was sidelined with electrical failure after today's first stage while Markko Martin said of his first few stages, ãI've been driving like I was at a rally school - braking too soon!ä Mark Fisher's prize drive in a Peugeot 206WRC hit trouble with a broken front suspension bolt that left a wheel flapping for three stages this morning.
Tyre Facts
Michelin:
The opening day of Rally Great Britain has seen Michelin's WRC partners use the full range of gravel patterns available for this event (Michelin Z, ZA and ZE) according to their respective choices registered with the FIA. The hard base of the majority of today's stages has been covered with a slippery top layer, with patches of deeper mud occasionally changing the amount of grip available, notably in SS7 and SS8. In the typical Rally GB conditions, Michelin drivers took 5 fastest times of today's 7 stages.
Pirelli:
The Pirelli-equipped teams have relied completely on the KM pattern tyres today, usually in compound 6 but in various evolution specifications and sometimes with extra cuts. Juha Kankkunen set equal fastest time on last night's superspecial and Richard Burns joined him on SS6 once his suspension problems had been resolved. Petter Solberg scored a scratch time on SS2. Didier Auriol set fifth fastest time on both SS3 and SS4 after successful deployment of the EMI anti-deflation system that preserves the tyres' integrity after a puncture.
Outright
1 C.McRae Ford Focus WRC 1:15:40,0
2 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 1:15:59,7
3 Sainz Ford Focus WRC 1:16:31,3
4 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer 1:16:32,6
5 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 1:16:38,3
6 Auriol Seat Cordoba E3 WRC 1:16:40,8
7 Kankkunen Subaru Impreza WRC 1:17:04,4
8 Delecour Peugeot 206 WRC 1:17:12,2
9 Panizzi Peugeot 206 WRC 1:17:24,4
10 Martin Toyota Corolla WRC 1:17:24,5
35 A Grundström Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 1.31.13.9
Group N
1 Stohl Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 1:23:12,6
2 Trelles Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 1:24:35,0
3 K Bäcklund Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 1.24.53.9
8. S Blomqvist Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 1.28.31.0
16 T Granlöf Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 1.32.10.9
26 M Jansson Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 1.36.57.1
40 P Walfridsson Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 1.46.11.7
Formula 2
1 Higgins Vauxhall Astra Kit Car 1:23:55,4
2 Wearden Vauxhall Astra Kit Car 1:24:41,6
Teams Cup
1 Arai Toyota Corolla WRC 1:22:58,8 Spike Subaru Team
2 Al-Wahaibi Subaru Impreza WRC 1:22:59,0 Arab World Rally Team
3 Dor Subaru Impreza 2000 WRC 1:29:20,3 F Dor Rally Team
Stage Winners
SS2 - P.Solberg, SS3 - Gronholm, SS4 - Gronholm, SS5 - Gronholm, SS6 - Burns, SS7 - McRae, SS8 - McRae
Leading Retirements
SS4 Eriksson Hyundai Accent WRC Engine
SS3 Tuohino Toyota Corolla WRC Electrical
SS2 Loix Mitsubishi Carisma GT Accident
SS 2, St. Gwynno 13.67 km 1st Car: 07:34
1 P.Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 6:46,3
2 Panizzi Peugeot 206 WRC 6:49,1
3 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer 6:49,5
3 C.McRae Ford Focus WRC 6:49,5
5 Sainz Ford Focus WRC 6:50,4
SS 3, Tyle 10.58 km 1st Car: 08:01
1 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 5:48,2
2 C.McRae Ford Focus WRC 5:49,5
3 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 5:51,8
4 Sainz Ford Focus WRC 5:52,2
5 Auriol Seat Cordoba E3 WRC 5:53,9
SS 4, Rhondda 1 26.47 km 1st Car:08:37
1 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 14:26,5
2 C.McRae Ford Focus WRC 14:29,9
3 Martin Toyota Corolla WRC 14:40,8
4 Panizzi Peugeot 206 WRC 14:42,3
5 Auriol Seat Cordoba E3 WRC 14:42,5
SS 5, Crychan 15.57 km 1st Car: 11:58
1 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 9:09,4
2 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer 9:09,8
3 Auriol Seat Cordoba E3 WRC 9:14,9
4 Kankkunen Subaru Impreza WRC 9:15,1
5 Martin Toyota Corolla WRC 9:15,7
SS 6, Halfway 17.45 km 1st Car: 12:29
1 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 10:09,8
2 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 10:11,8
3 Delecour Peugeot 206 WRC 10:12,9
4 Auriol Seat Cordoba E3 WRC 10:15,0
5 Panizzi Peugeot 206 WRC 10:19,2
SS 7, Hafren Sweet Lamb 27.23 km 1st Car: 16:00
1 C.McRae Ford Focus WRC 16:36,9
2 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 16:41,0
3 Sainz Ford Focus WRC 16:47,2
4 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer 16:54,3
5 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 16:57,6
SS 8, Myherin 16.79 km 1st Car: 16:42
1 C.McRae Ford Focus WRC 9:54,8
2 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC 9:59,6
3 Sainz Ford Focus WRC 10:01,8
4 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC 10:09,3
5 Auriol Seat Cordoba E3 WRC 10:11,0
A wet & soggy start to the Network Q Rally of Great Britain with Juha Kankkunen and Janne Tuohino taking equal honours at the Cardiff super special stage - a 2.5km twin track stage for spectators. Richard Burns and Marcus Gronholm set an equal time of 2:21,5 in 13th position.
The real stages start early tomorrow morning in the Welsh forests with 130km of special stages.
Unofficial Results at the end of Stage 1, Leg 1
Outright
1 Kankkunen Subaru Impreza WRC 2:19,5
1 Tuohine Toyota Corolla WRC 2:19,5
3 Sainz Ford Focus WRC 2:19,8
4 Laukkanen Ford Focus WRC 2:20,0
5 P.Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 2:20,4
6 C.McRae Ford Focus WRC 2:20,5
6 H.Solberg Toyota Corolla WRC 2:20,5
8 Finlay Ford Focus WRC 2:20,6
9 Evans Seat Cordoba WRC 2:20,7
10 A.McRae Hyundai Accent WRC 2:21,1
11 K. Eriksson Hyundai Accent WRC 2:21,2
39 A. Grundström, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 2.37.4
Group N
1 Stohl Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 2:23,8
2 Backlund Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 2:25,7
3 Ferreyros Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 2:29,1
4 Blomqvist Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 2:29,3
15 P. Walfridsson Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 2.33.6
28 T. Gralöf Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 2.40.6
29 M. Jansson Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 2.41.3
Formula 2
1 Higgins Vauxhall Astra Kit Car 2:35,7
2 Wearden Vauxhall Astra Kit Car 2:36,1
Teams Cup
1 Arai Toyota Corolla WRC 2:24,0 Spike Subaru Team
2 Al-Wahaibi Subaru Impreza WRC 2:24,8 Arab World Rally Team
3 Dor Subaru Impreza 2000 WRC 2:26,5 F Dor Rally Team
Welcome to the final round of the 2000 FIA World Rally Championship, the Network Q Rally of Great Britain which gets underway this evening with a short superspecial stage in Cardiff, Wales.
Much of the attention is on Richard Burns and Marcus Gronholm, the two drivers who can win the drivers championship. Gronholm who currently leads Burns by 9 points needs to score 2 points to secure the championship which means finishing better than 6th. Burns must win the rally to earn a maximum 10 points with Gronholm finishing no better than 6th. In the case of Gronholm and Burns finishing on equal points, Burns would win based on finishing positions during the season.
In the manufacturers championship, Peugeot have already won - Ford can equal them on points, but even if that happened, Peugeot would win as they have won more rallies during the year.
Japanese rising star, Toshihiro Arai wins the Teams Cup championship when he starts this event. While he is ahead on points, drivers must compete in 7 rounds of the world championship so to secure his win, he must start, this, his 7th event.
The Group N championship will also be decided on this event. Manfred Stohl leads the series by one point from four times champion Gustavo Trelles. Who ever beats the other, will win the championship! And if Stohl or Trelles or any other of the top Group N drivers win Group N, it will mean that Mitsubishi have won every round of the championship.
Peugeot World Rally Team
While scoring only 2 points might sound a simple task for championship leader Marcus Gronholm, the reality is that it is often more difficult to drive at a safe pace to finish 5th than to focus on a win and drive flat out. "I am not really confident," said Gronholm "It is never easy and there is a lot of mud and fog and rain, so we will have to wait and see."
Subaru World Rally Team
Richard Burns has no option - he must win and then hope for the best. "We have just got to go flat out for a win. There are no opportunities on this event for tactics!" said Burns. Burns has won here in the past 2 years and with championship hopes, is favourite to win again.
Ford Racing
Colin McRae can't win the title this year, but he can still reach 2nd and he can stop his arch rival, Richard Burns from winning the championship. "I want to finish on a high note after the disappointments we have had this season," added McRae. "The only way to do that is to win this rally."
Mitsubishi Ralliart
Despite the disqualification at Rally Austalia, Tommi Makinen is looking forward to the Network Q Rally. Revised rear suspension has meant that the Lancer is once again competitive and Makinen was very positive following testing in Wales last week.
Hyundai World Rally Team
Both the Hyundais of Kenneth Eriksson and Alister McRae will be using a new engine specification. The Hyundais have been down on power all year but the Network Q is a rally that does not rely heavily on engine power and as a result they are looking to be more competitive with the view of a top 6 position and with any luck, their first podium finish of the year.
Seat Sport
In their final event, Seat Sport are going out in style and have entered four cars. The two extra cars were orginally destined for use at next yearsMonte Carlo Rally. Entered are the usual team drivers of Didier Auriol and Toni Gardemeister and also Welsh driver Gwyndaf Evans and Harri Rovanpera.
Skoda:
Recent development has given better driveability by taking full advantage of the new wastegate system first used in Cyprus. The team had a four-day pre-event test in Slovakia but this was held in conditions that were too dry for give a useful feedback for the Network Q! Skoda recently announced that Bruno Thiry will drive the 2nd car for next season with team mate Armin Schwarz.
Other Teams:
Markko Martin, the Estonian driver given a works Subaru for Telstra Rally Australia, reverts to his Toyota Team Sweden team for one final rally. It is in Toyota cars (firstly his own, then those run by TTS) that Markko made his mark in the sport. This is to be the final appearance in international rally sport for the present for Vauxhall, with two Astra Kit Cars for Mark Higgins and Neil Wearden. Vauxhall's sponsorship of the event (through their associated operation Network Q) is to continue, however. Twice previous RAC Rally winners and 1984 World Champion Stig Blomqvist returns to world level rallying with a Group N Mitsubishi. His last World rally outing was in 1999 with a Ford Puma Kit Car. The weather is expected to be typically Welsh weather for this time of year - cold and wet with plenty of early fog!
Stage Itinerary
Leg 1, Thursday 23rd November (2.43km)
SS 1 18:30 Cardiff SuperSpecial 2.43 km
Leg 1 cont., Friday 24th November (127.96km)
SS 2 07:34 St. Gwynno 13.67 km
SS 3 08:01 Tyle 10.58 km
SS 4 08:37 Rhondda 1 26.47 km
SS 5 11:58 Crychan 15.57 km
SS 6 12:29 Halfway 17.45 km
SS 7 16:00 Hafren Sweet Lamb 27.23 km
SS 8 16:42 Myherin 16.79 km
Leg 2, Saturday 25th November (166.42km)
SS 9 07:56 Rhondda 2 26.47 km
SS 10 08:57 Rheola 1 31.47 km
SS 11 10:56 Resolfen 46.45 km
SS 12 13:42 Rheola 2 31.47 km
SS 13 15:00 Margam 1 28.13 km
SS 14 17:58 Cardiff 2 2.43 km
Leg 3, Sunday 26th November (84.19km)
SS 15 08:40 Brechfa 29.80 km
SS 16 09:28 Trawscoed 26.26 km
SS 17 13:40 Margam 2 28.13 km
Entry List
165 entries were accepted with 150 starters. Listed below is the top 30 entrants.
1 Tommi Makinen/R.Mannisenmaki (FIN) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo A8
2 Freddy Loix/S.Smeets (B) Mitsubishi Carisma GT A8
3 Richard Burns/R.Reid (GB) Subaru Impreza WRC2000 A8
4 Juha Kankunen/J.Repo (FIN) Subaru Impreza WRC2000 A8
5 Colin McRae/N.Grist (GB) Ford Focus WRC A8
6 Carlos Sainz/L.Moya (E) Ford Focus WRC A8
7 Didier Auriol/D.Giraudet (F) Seat Cordoba WRC E3 A8
8 Toni Gardemeister/P.Lukander (FIN) Seat Cordoba WRC E3 A8
9 François Delecour/D.Gratalop (F) Peugeot 206 WRC A8
10 Marcus Gronholm/T.Rautiainen (FIN) Peugeot 206 WRC A8
11 Armin Schwarz/M.Hierner (D) Skoda Octavia WRC A8
12 Luis Climent/A.Romani (E) Skoda Octavia WRC A8
14 Kenneth Eriksson/S.Parmander (S) Hyundai Accent WRC A8
15 Alister McRae/D.Senio (GB) Hyundai Accent WRC A8
16 Petter Solberg/P.Mills (N/GB) Subaru Impreza WRC2000 A8
17 Harri Rovanpera/R.Pietilaien (FIN) Seat Cordoba WRC E3 A8
18 Tapio Laukkanen/K.Lindstrom (FIN) Ford Focus WRC A8
19 Gilles Panizzi/H.Panizzi (F) Peugeot 206 WRC A8
20 Gwyndaf Evans/H.Davies (GB) Seat Cordoba WRC E3 A8
21 Markko Martin/M.Park (EE/GB) Toyota Corolla WRC A8
22 Toshihiro Arai/R.Freeman (J/GB) Subaru Impreza WRC 99 A8
23 Janne Tuohine/P.Vihavainen (FIN) Toyota Corolla WRC A8
24 Krzysztof Holowczyc/J.Fortin (PL/B) Subaru Impreza WRC 99 A8
25 Henning Solberg/O.Floene (N/N) Toyota Corolla WRC A8
26 Andrea Navarra/S.Fedeli (I) Toyota Corolla WRC A8
27 Mark Higgins/B.Thomas (GB) Vauxhall Astra Kit Car A7
28 Gustavo Trelles/J.Del Buono (ROU/RA) Mitsubishi Carisma N4
29 Neil Wearden/T.Agnew (GB) Vauxhall Astra Kit Car A7
30 Manfred Stohl/P.Muller (A) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo N4
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