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49th Safari Rally Kenya
Official Site: www.safarirally.co.ke/
Round 8 of the 2001 FIA World Rally Championship
19-22rd July 2001
Official FIA Press Release
www.fia.com
Sunday 22nd July
[WRC] Safari Rally Kenya: Makinen Wins!
Tommi Mäkinen has scored a dominant victory on the eighth round of the FIA World Rally Championship, the Safari Rally, which finished in Nairobi this afternoon. The Finn and navigator Risto Mannisenmaki finished nearly thirtheen minutes clear of their nearest rival after three days and well over a thousand kilometres of competition on the notoriously rough and punishing Kenyan plains.
Today's final leg claimed more of the top crews. Petter Solberg had to retire because of wheel bearing problems on the first section, and Bruno Thiry crashed out of sixth place on the last test. Several others suffered late scares, too - second-placed Harri Rovanperä had to limp back to final service with damaged suspension before he could relax, while Francois Delecour had to cope with gearbox problems on the last section before he could claim fourth. By the finish, just five factory-entered cars had survived the world championship's toughest challenge.
MITSUBISHI
Technical: Tommi Mäkinen's Mitsubishi mechanics changed his Lancer's turbo at first service this morning after it had given the Finn a scare on the road section back to Nairobi last night. Thereafter, his only problem was slightly bent front-right suspension after he clouted a rock on today's third section. Freddy Loix lost turbo boost barely two kilometres into today's opening 117km test, and the Belgian had to struggle through at 60-70kph before he could return to service and allow his mechanics to change the offending unit.
Sporting: Tommi Mäkinen controlled his pace again today to stay at the head of the leaderboard and score his second victory on the Safari Rally. The Finn's success lifts him ten points clear of Colin McRae in the drivers' championship, and moves him alongside the Scot, Carlos Sainz and Juha Kankkunen on the record for the greatest number of WRC rally wins (23). Team-mate Freddy Loix soldiered through today's opening section with a lack of turbo boost to earn himself two points after a difficult event. His efforts were also enough to score three manufacturers' points for Mitsubishi.
Quotes: Tommi Makinen said: ìI can't say this win was easy but it felt like it was under control all the time. We knew before the start that our car felt good, and the only real question mark was the tyres that gave us problems last year. But as soon as we tested the new tyres we knew we had a strong package and that made us more confident. A lot of others have had problems but we have been able to drive at the same speed throughout. It's too early to talk about the championship but of course, ten points is a big help when Colin and Carlos haven't scored here. I'm happy to be on the 23 wins but I'd like to make it 24 and get the record for myself. The next round is my home event so it would be nice to do it there.î
Freddy Loix said: ìI'm really pleased to get some points - not just for myself, but for my mechanics. They've had to do so much for me during this event, including changing the cylinder head yesterday - and I really wanted to give them something in return. I've never had a rally with so many problems but that's the Safari.î
Mitsubishi Ralliart Chairman Andrew Cowan said: ìThis is the rally win that we prize the most. No other event in the entire championship requires as much teamwork as here. Any manufacturer that wins the Safari gets a special buzz, and that's what we're feeling at the moment.î
PEUGEOT
Technical: The sole remaining 206 WRC of Harri Rovanperä was reliable until today's final section, when it broke two driveshafts and had to limp to the last service. Sporting: Harri Rovanperä started today's four competitive sections determined to hold on to his second position and give Peugeot a morale boosting finish after some difficult events. In the end, delays meant that one section was scrapped so he only had to tackle three, but he still suffered a late scare when two driveshafts broke on the final competitive section. Rovanperä survived, though, bringing the 206 back to Nairobi to score his second podium finish of the season.
Quotes: Harri Rovanpera said: ìI'm so glad to get this finish for me and the whole team. We did a lot of testing here before this event and we had problems, but we've had pretty good reliability on the rally, where it matters. Our tactics worked well, because as others retired we were able to continue. It's Finland next and I hope we can fight for a victory on my home event.
Rovanperä's navigator Risto Pietilainen said: ì On the last section we broke two driveshafts, and the car was very difficult for Harri to drive. There were a number of times when we wondered if we'd actually make it to the end of the section. It would have been very bad to retire so late in the rally, so we were very pleased to get back to service.
Corrado Provera said: ìThis second place is like a victory for us. The car showed the level of performance and reliability that our technicians and engineers have worked so hard to supply. And we greatly appreciate the hard work from Harri and Risto - they have been superbly professional and they are taking a bigger and bigger place in our hearts with each rally.
SKODA
Technical: The Skoda Octavia WRC of Armin Schwarz completed today's closing competitive sections without major dramas. Schwarz damaged his car's rear suspension on the first section after its shock absorbers got too soft and ripped the thread from its tyres. Team-mate Bruno Thiry was less fortunate, meanwhile. The Belgian had to complete more than 70km of the penultimate section with no power steering. He had to receive medical attention at the following service area, but he continued, only to roll out on the final section.
Sporting: Armin Schwarz scored Skoda's best ever result at world championship level by finishing third. The German concentrated on maintaining a steady pace today, fending off a hard-charging FranÁois Delecour this morning before the Frenchman hit trouble. His result also pleased Michelin, since it meant that the French tyre manufacturer claimed all three podium positions on an event where it struggled last year. Schwarz's team-mate Bruno Thiry had to receive medical treatment prior to the final section after he'd had to drive 70km with no power steering. Thiry then rolled out of the rally on the last section. Navigator Stephane Prevot was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure.
Quotes: Armin Schwarz said: ìWe knew from the start what speed the car was capable of staying reliable at, and we stuck to that. It was getting very hard to drive today, because we'd run out of new shock absorbers and we were having to use rebuilt ones that didn't last as well, but in the end the result is fantastic for everyone in the team. The only downside is Bruno's accident when he had a chance of points too and had driven without the power steering.
FORD
Technical: The sole remaining Ford Focus RS WRC01 of FranÁois Delecour has had several mechanical problems today. The Frenchman suffered from a seized centre bearing in his propshaft, which eventually broke the housing and damaged the transmission tunnel. The Ford team changed the gearbox and propshaft at the next service, but they incurred road penalties because extra time was needed to weld up the tunnel. Delecour then suffered numerous gearbox glitches in the last stage.
Sporting: FranÁois Delecour started this morning's opening section with hopes of catching Armin Schwarz for third, but those plans came to nothing when he encountered propshaft problems. However, the Frenchman was still able to bring his Focus home in fourth, on his first ever attempt at the Safari. His efforts don't earn Ford any manufacturers' points, however, because he was not nominated for that series.
Quotes: FranÁois Delecour said: ìI'm very pleased to finish this difficult rally at the first attempt. Malcolm (Wilson, Ford team boss) told me to keep a steady pace and just get to the end, but with so many people retiring it shows how much of a challenge the Kenyan stages can be. We've had some problems but so has virtually everyone else
SUBARU
Technical: The sole remaining Impreza WRC2001 of Petter Solberg had to retire on today's opening competitive section after a broken right front wheel bearing. The young Norwegian eventually lost his wheel and with more than 35km of section remaining, the team elected to retire him on the spot instead of trying to reach service and damaging the car beyond repair.
Sporting: Petter Solberg had to retire on today's first section with a broken wheel bearing. He and navigator Phil Mills tried a number of possible fixes to the problem, guided both by engineers on radio and Richard Burns, who was spotting in the helicopter overhead. Mills even climbed onto the boot in an attempt to take weight off the damaged corner, but the pair eventually had to retire when it became clear that they would have damaged the car beyond repair merely by reaching service.
Quotes: Petter Solberg said: ìIt's very bad luck. On the way to the section we heard the wheel bearing and then about 60km in we started to feel it more and more. I backed off as much as I could but then we saw the wheel coming out beside us and that was it. We tried everything Phil even got up on the boot - but the team told us not to try anything stupid. I'm so disappointed - I'd a really good rhythm here and I think my psychology was good. All we can do now is look forward to Finland.
Richard Burns said: ìIt's bad luck for Petter. He hadn't hit anything and I'd been calling out the worst rocks to him anyway. It just shows how the Safari can bite back at any time.
OTHER TEAMS
Argentine driver Gabriel Pozzo scored a comfortable victory in the Group N category for more standard cars to extend his lead in the category world championship. Despite struggling when his Mitsubishi's suspension went soft on this morning's first section, he eventually finished more than a minute clear of Marcos Ligato. Local driver Azar Anwar finished third in the category in his Mitsubishi.
UNOFFICIAL FINAL RESULTS
OUTRIGHT
1 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8:58:37,0
2 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 9:11:14,0
3 Schwarz Skoda Octavia WRC 9:16:12,0
4 Delecour Ford Focus WRC 9:19:13,0
5 Loix Mitsubishi Carisma GT 10:42:39,0
6 Pozzo Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 11:05:23,0
7 Ligato Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 11:06:47,0
8 Green Subaru Impreza WRC 11:54:33,0
9 Anwar Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 12:12:30,0
10 Stohl Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 13:39:40,0
GROUP N
1 Pozzo Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 11:05:23,0
2 Ligato Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 11:06:47,0
3 Anwar Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 12:12:30,0
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers: (after 8 of 14 rounds)
Mäkinen (FIN) 40
McRae (GB) 30
Sainz (E) 26
Rovanperä (FIN) 20
Burns (GB) 15
Delecour (F) 14
Auriol (F) 10
Solberg (N) 9
Loix (B) 9
Schwarz (D) 7
FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers: (after 8 of 14 rounds)
Mitsubishi 66
Ford 60
Subaru 28
Peugeot 26
Skoda 15
Hyundai 10
FIA World Cup for Drivers of Production Cars: (after 8 of 14 rounds)
Pozzo (RA) 47
Trelles (ROU) 26
Stohl (A) 12
Gillet (CH) 10
Walfridsson (S) 10
Da Silva 10
Blomqvist (S) 8
FIA Teams Cup: (after 4 of 6 rounds)
Hagstrom (FIN) 20
Lundgaard (DK) 20
Bakhashab (SA) 13
Papadimitriou (GR) 8
Barratt (GB) 7
Blomqvist (GB) 6
Al Wahaibi (OM) 6
COMPETITIVE STAGE WINNERS
CS10 - Makinen, CS11 - cancelled, CS12 - Delecour, CS13 - Delecour
LEADING RETIREMENTS
CS13 Thiry Skoda Octavia WRC Accident
CS10 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC Wheel bearing
CS5 Sainz Ford Focus WRC Engine
CS4 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC Suspension
CS4 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC Accident/Fire
CS4 Arai Subaru Impreza WRC Suspension
CS3 McRae Ford Focus WRC Clutch
CS3 Kresta Skoda Octavia WRC Broken wheel
CS1 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC Suspension
STAGE RESULTS
CS 10, Oltepesi - Olepolos 117.46km 1st Car: 06:40
1 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 1:01:02,0
2 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 1:01:27,0
3 Delecour Ford Focus WRC 1:01:41,0
4 Schwarz Skoda Octavia WRC 1:02:09,0
5 Thiry Skoda Octavia WRC 1:08:14,0
CS 11, Kajiado - Olooloitikosh 49.95km
Stage Cancelled
CS 12, Orien - Isinya 112.52km 1st Car: 10:43
1 Delecour Ford Focus WRC 50:09,0
2 Schwarz Skoda Octavia WRC 51:06,0
3 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 51:36,0
4 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 53:02,0
5 Loix Mitsubishi Carisma GT 54:08,0
CS 13, Maili Tisa - Olorian 71.83km 1st Car: 12:48
1 Delecour Ford Focus WRC 38:08,0
2 Schwarz Skoda Octavia WRC 38:33,0
3 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 38:53,0
4 Loix Mitsubishi Carisma GT 39:38,0
5 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 43:25,0
End of Leg 2
Saturday, 21 July 2001
Tommi Mäkinen has a solid grip on the eighth round of the FIA World Rally Championship, the Safari Rally, which continued in Kenya today. The four-times world champion's overnight advantage was boosted on today's first section by the retirement of Carlos Sainz, and he has consistently matched the pace of rivals Harri Rovanperä and Petter Solberg to consolidate his lead.
Today's five sections (including the longest test in the WRC, at 124.48km) were generally drier than yesterday's stages, although that opening section did feature some mud-holes.
MITSUBISHI
Technical: Tommi Mäkinen's Mitsubishi Lancer enjoyed a relatively troublefree day. The Finn's only real concern came during the day's fourth test, when he damaged his propshaft after a heavy landing. Team-mate Freddy Loix wasn't so fortunate. The Belgian's Lancer started to misfire badly on today's opening stage and the Belgian lost nearly 20 minutes as he limped to the finish on three cylinders. The team subsequently considered a cylinder head change at third service, after Loix coped with the same problem in CS6, but that operation would have taken too long so Loix had to soldier on in his down-on-power machine for the rest of the day.
Sporting: Tommi Mäkinen's overnight advantage was bolstered further by the retirement of Carlos Sainz on today's opening section, and the Finn matched the pace of both Harri Rovanperä and Petter Solberg to keep his lead at well over five minutes. Freddy Loix was badly hampered by an engine misfire for much of the morning, though, and the Belgian dropped down the leaderboard as a result. Mitsubishi elected to keep him running, though, in the hope that he might finish and score manufacturers' points.
Quotes: Tommi Makinen said: ăOf course it's going very well now. I feel a bit sorry for the others who've had problems but this is rallying, and this is the Safari! With a lead like this there's always the question of concentration and I'm trying to maintain that. But it's a lot better to drive here this year than it was last time. Our tyres are much stronger, we can drive without being worried about punctures too much and the new rear suspension on the Lancer makes it much easier to drive in the rough sections. I'm hopeful we can win this rally tomorrow but in Kenya you can never celebrate until the finish. The problem with the propshaft proved that - it was a hell of a vibration and was quite worrying.
Freddy Loix said: ăI'm not sure what caused the engine to misfire so badly. There was a lot of water at the start of the first section but it seemed to me that we'd got through it okay. Then on a straight it started to go bad and we stopped to see if there was water in the plugs. There wasn't, although there was quite a lot inside the car itself, so maybe it's got something to do with the ignition. I had big problems on the same section last year, so it's obviously not my favourite bit of road.
PEUGEOT
Technical: Harri Rovanperä's 206 WRC has been generally reliable today. The Finn's only drama was a small glitch in his car's gearbox in CS6.
Sporting: Sole remaining Peugeot driver Harri Rovanperä has concentrated on maintaining the pace that moved him into third overall yesterday. He was promoted to second when Carlos Sainz retired on this morning's first section, but Rovanperä has already declared that he will not increase his pace to pursue leader Tommi Mäkinen.
Quotes: Harri Rovanpera said: ăMaybe in a few places I'm pushing a little harder than yesterday but generally it's the same speed. It would be easy to think I can chase after Tommi now but to be honest, we seem to have found a reasonable speed where the car can cope with conditions and I think it would be silly to try for more than that. I intend to keep this pace to the finish - our plan was always to do that and it seems to be working.
SUBARU
Technical: The sole remaining Impreza WRC2001 of Petter Solberg needed major work after today's second section. The young Norwegian's car suffered a rear driveshaft failure, and the Subaru team elected to change the rear differential and gearbox as a precautionary measure in case any damage had been inflicted. They also replaced all four corners of its suspension, and Solberg picked up 10 seconds of road penalty as the work took slightly longer than the 20 minutes allocated to service.
Sporting: Petter Solberg started today's second leg in fourth, but Carlos Sainz's retirement promoted him to third. He also looked likely to home in on second-placed Harri Rovanperä after setting fastest time on that opening section, but subsequent transmission problems dropped him back into a more lonely third position.
Quotes: Petter Solberg said: ăThe transmission problem was worrying, because I heard a big bang, felt the car judder and I thought it might be the propshaft. And if that starts flying around it could hit the fuel tank, and we know what could happen then. So I decided just to drive ever so slowly to make sure I got back to service. I'm picking up experience on different roads and conditions on virtually every section here, and it's all very important for me. Of course I'd like to be closer to Harri in second but I'm driving for a finish now, learning more and making changes to my pacenotes for next year. We'll stick to our pace like we've done all along and see what happens, but there's a long way to go yet
FORD
Technical: Carlos Sainz's Ford Focus RS WRC01 retired on today's opening competitive section. The Spaniard had completed around 35km of the test before a piston failure caused his engine to stop. François Delecour's Focus was hampered by a lack of water in the windscreen washers, and he also picked up road penalties when his Ford team decided to change the gearbox late in second service. During the resulting frantic work by mechanics, a lead from the starter motor became damaged and Delecour lapsed into lateness as the unit was replaced. He then suffered from broken power steering in the next test.
Sporting: Carlos Sainz didn't get a chance to push Tommi Mäkinen on this morning's long stage, as engine failure brought the Spaniard's rally to a premature halt. François Delecour dropped out of the top four when his windscreen washers ran out of water in the first section. With poor visibility, the Frenchman clipped a bridge and then had to stop and change the resulting puncture. A failed wheel nut gun cost him more time there, although he still occupied a points-scoring position.
Quotes: Carlos Sainz said: ăI don't seem to be having much luck at the moment. It looks like a piston has failed - there was certainly no warning before the engine stopped. This is yet another Safari Rally that's turning into a battle of who can finish but that's nothing new - I've seen plenty of rallies here in the past like this. It looks easier for Tommi now but anything can really happen.
François Delecour said: ăMalcolm (Wilson, Ford team boss) instructed me from the start to finish this rally and that's what I'm working towards. I'm still trying to find a comfortable pace but the main thing is for me not to make a mistake. The problem with the windscreen washers was really bad, though - I could see nothing!
SKODA
Technical: Both Skoda Octavia WRCs, driven by Bruno Thiry and Armin Schwarz, hit transmission trouble this morning. Schwarz's car lost centre and front differential pressure in the day's opening section, making it hard for the German to retain control of the car during some of the long water-splashes and mud-holes. The team wasn't able to correct the problem at the following service, though, so the former European champion had to tackle CS6 with the same difficulties. The problem was rectified for CS7, although he felt that the differential mapping needed further work, and he then hit suspension problems in CS8. Thiry's car completed the first test without major dramas, but then hit intermittent power steering glitches and also lost differential pressure in CS6.
Sporting: Armin Schwarz has managed to maintain a steady yet respectable pace throughout this event and the German inched closer to a podium placing today. He started from fifth, but moved up to fourth when Carlos Sainz retired and then eased ahead of François Delecour when the Ford driver had to stop and change a puncture. Schwarz's times have been even more impressive, given that he had to complete the morning's sections with little or no differential pressure.
Quotes: Armin Schwarz said: ăOn the wet roads, the lack of differential pressure meant that it was hard to stop the car from going sideways in the watersplashes. Then on the drier roads of CS6, the same problem had a different effect - it wasn't so much about sheer traction but about the car's behaviour under braking. It was very unpredictable. Of course I'm still relatively pleased with progress because we're moving up the leaderboard, but this is such a long event that anything can happen.
Bruno Thiry said: ăThe hardest thing for me here is to know what speed to choose, how hard to push. The more experienced drivers here know where they can get away with more attack and where they can't, but because I've never got too far on the Safari I don't have that advantage. All we can do is keep this current speed and see what the rest do, but it's encouraging that both Skodas are still going okay.
OTHER TEAMS
Gabriel Pozzo continues to lead the Group N category for more standard cars, ahead of Marcos Ligato. But there was bad luck for FIA Teams Cup regular Frederic Dor - the Frenchman (a Safari regular) retired with suspension damage in CS6.
END OF LEG 2 RESULTS
OUTRIGHT
1 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6:27:06,0
2 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 6:33:20,0
3 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 6:37:30,0
4 Schwarz Skoda Octavia WRC 6:44:14,0
5 Delecour Ford Focus WRC 6:49:15,0
6 Thiry Skoda Octavia WRC 7:03:37,0
7 Loix Mitsubishi Carisma GT 7:28:07,0
8 Pozzo Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7:57:16,0
9 Ligato Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7:58:38,0
10 Green Subaru Impreza WRC 8:41:00,0
GROUP N
1 Pozzo Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7:57:16,0
2 Ligato Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7:58:38,0
3 Green Subaru Impreza WRC 8:41:00,0
COMPETITIVE STAGE WINNERS
CS5 - Solberg, CS6 - Makinen, CS7 - Solberg, CS8 - Solberg, CS9 - Makinen
LEADING RETIREMENTS
CS5 Sainz Ford Focus WRC Engine
CS4 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC Suspension
CS4 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC Accident/Fire
CS4 Arai Subaru Impreza WRC Suspension
CS3 McRae Ford Focus WRC Clutch
CS3 Kresta Skoda Octavia WRC Broken wheel
CS1 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC Suspension
STAGE RESULTS
CS 5, Marigat - Gari Ya Moshi 123.88km 1st Car: 07:00
1 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 1:00:05,0
2 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 1:00:31,0
3 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 1:00:37,0
4 Schwarz Skoda Octavia WRC 1:00:55,0
5 Thiry Skoda Octavia WRC 1:03:03,0
CS 6, Mbaruk - Elmenteita 84.58km 1st Car: 09:14
1 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 46:23,0
2 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 46:52,0
3 Schwarz Skoda Octavia WRC 46:56,0
4 Delecour Ford Focus WRC 47:43,0
5 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 48:58,0
CS 7, Nyaru - Kimngorom 72.37km 1st Car: 11:54
1 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 41:16,0
2 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 41:21,0
3 Delecour Ford Focus WRC 41:55,0
4 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 42:04,0
5 Schwarz Skoda Octavia WRC 42:34,0
CS 8, Marigat - Mogotio 59.92km 1st Car: 14:40
1 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 27:27,0
2 Delecour Ford Focus WRC 27:29,0
3 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 27:38,0
4 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 27:43,0
5 Schwarz Skoda Octavia WRC 27:45,0
CS 9, Mbaruk - Elmenteita 84.58km 1st Car: 16:31
1 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 45:40,0
2 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 46:53,0
3 Schwarz Skoda Octavia WRC 47:10,0
4 Loix Mitsubishi Carisma GT 47:42,0
5 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 47:45,0
End of Leg 1
Friday, 20 July 2001
Slippery conditions and rocky tracks have taken their toll on the world's top rally stars on the opening day of the eighth round of the FIA World Rally Championship, the Safari Rally. Pre-event rain turned much of the African plains into mudbaths, although rocks and gulleys lay underneath the slime to catch out the unwary. Finland's Tommi Mäkinen has mastered the roads to best effect, and the Mitsubishi driver holds the overnight lead, but title rivals Colin McRae and Richard Burns both retired with mechanical problems ending McRae's hopes of a record-breaking 24th world rally victory. They weren't the only works crews to hit trouble - Peugeot lost both Didier Auriol and Marcus Grönholm, while Subaru also lost Toshihiro Arai.
Typically, the WRC's most unpredictable event threw up a few surprises. Armin Schwarz brought joy to Skoda by leading after the first competitive section - it was the first time that the Czech manufacturer had ever led a world championship event. He dropped further down the order with punctures later in the afternoon, but with heavy rain still soaking the region conditions are likely to be treacherous on tomorrow's long second leg.
MITSUBISHI
Technical: Tommi Mäkinen smashed his windscreen on today's opening stage when he clouted a bird, and he'd two punctures on the second section, but the Finn's Lancer Evolution has performed without major mechanical problems. Freddy Loix enjoyed a troublefree day in his example until the third section, when he had to stop to repair damaged front suspension after a puncture.
Sporting: Tommi Mäkinen suffered a scare when a bird smashed the top-left corner of his windscreen this morning. The Finn had to drive 15km with badly impaired vision before he could cruise to service. Even though he'd two punctures in CS2, the four-times world champion grabbed the lead from Armin Schwarz by lunchtime service. Freddy Loix has maintained a cautious approach, but the Belgian still held a top ten position although he had to stop to fix his suspension.
Quotes: Tommi Makinen said: "It was scary when we hit the bird, because the windscreen got a massive smash and bits of glass were even coming into the cabin. I don't know what kind of bird it was but it was bloody big. Otherwise it's going well - the new tyres from Michelin are working very well and they're allowing us to get the full performance from our car. We're using mousse and even when we had punctures in the second section, it didn't slow us down very much at all. I feel confident.
FORD
Technical: The Focus RS WRC01s of Carlos Sainz and François Delecour have been reliable today, although the pair have struggled with punctures - Sainz suffered from one apiece in the first and second sections, while Delecour punctured in the second section. Colin McRae's car was reliable until he had to stop in CS3 to repair a steering problem. He then slid off the road shortly afterwards, and sustained terminal clutch damage getting back onto the road.
Sporting: Colin McRae believed that he was driving with even more in hand than the cautious approach which brought him victory two years ago. But the Scot still posted top three times this morning to hold third position by lunchtime service. However, subsequent steering problems caused him to slide off the road and he damaged his clutch beyond repair shortly afterwards. Carlos Sainz lost time with punctures but the Spaniard still occupied second, while François Delecour was very cautious on his first attempt at the Safari and lay on the fringes of the top ten accordingly.
Quotes: Colin McRae said: "It's annoying because I hadn't been pushing any harder than before. The steering arm came out at the end and I managed to get it back in, but it had damaged the splines at the end and it wasn't in properly. Then we went off a few hundred metres from the finish, through a fence. We tried to get back on and made it to the end of the stage, but doing even that distance with the wheel jammed had burned out the clutch..
Carlos Sainz said: "I'm a bit worried about the punctures but otherwise it has been going okay. The roads have been quite slippery but it's the same for everybody.
PEUGEOT
Technical: Both Didier Auriol and Harri Rovanperä hit problems in this morning's first section. Auriol broke a front driveshaft, then had to stop to put out a small fire caused by two damaged pipes. He also lost his power steering as a result. Rovanperä damaged a rear suspension arm, allowing his rear wheels an extra 10cm of lateral movement. Auriol retired on today's final stage when he rolled and his car caught fire, while Grönholm suffered suspension damage and joined his team-mate on the early flight home.
Sporting: All three Peugeot drivers have adopted cautious approaches today and despite early mechanical problems, Harri Rovanperä had moved into third overall by late afternoon. Didier Auriol and Marcus Grönholm both occupied points-scoring positions too, but Auriol lost his when he rolled in today's final section and his car caught fire. He retired on the spot. Grönholm in particular felt that he'd been too steady, while Rovanperä believes his car is too lowly-geared on the high-speed sections.
Quotes: Harri Rovanpera said: "We were actually lucky on the first section because the suspension arm damage could have been worse. Our aim was to keep a steady speed and that's what we're doing.
Didier Auriol said: "It was raining very hard so I wound down the window to demist the windscreen. The wind was coming in, Denis (Giraudet) called a note but I didn't hear it because of the wind noise. The car went end over end in fifth gear, maybe two or three times, then rolled and landed on my side. There was a fire immediately and I had to wait for Denis to get out. I'm glad to get out okay because it was a big accident.
SUBARU
Technical: Richard Burns was the first major retirement on the Safari, after he damaged a left-front damper 50km into today's opening competitive section. His car continued for another 10km before a part in the strut snapped and left him stranded. With 60km remaining, it would have been impossible for him to drag the front of the car on the road without causing terminal damage to the engine and transmission anyway. Petter Solberg's car suffered a broken damper in the third section, while Toshihiro Arai's Impreza has performed without problems until today's final stage, when a puncture caused suspension damage and forced him to retire.
Sporting: Richard Burns retired from the Safari Rally after just 50km, making his chase to the top position of the Championship a little more difficult. Petter Solberg and Toshihiro Arai have concentrated on making steady progress, and the young Norwegian was satisfied to hold a top six position for much of the day, despite suspension problems in the third section. Arai himself admitted that he took the day's first section too slowly, and he then suffered two punctures in the section test. He retired on today's final stage with suspension damage after a puncture.
Quotes: Richard Burns said: "I just can't believe it. I hit a bump, but it was no bigger a bump than we hit during testing. I felt the pressure in the damper dropping and then heard that corner rattling. There was no way we could have continued. I'm not sure how this leaves me in the championship - to be honest, I'm so disappointed that I haven't even thought about that.
Petter Solberg said: "I've been driving Safari-speed today. I hated the second section during the recce and it was just as bad today, but otherwise it's been going okay. I'm just trying not to make mistakes or damage the car. Richard has now offered to do spotter in the helicopter for me - I'm very grateful to him for that.
SKODA
Technical: The two Skoda Octavia WRCs of Armin Schwarz and Bruno Thiry have been pretty reliable today. Schwarz's suspension went soft towards the end of the opening section (where he was fastest) and Thiry broke a left-rear shock absorber in the same test. The Belgian also damaged the front of his car with a heavy landing in CS2. Schwarz lost a lot of time, though, when he encountered two punctures at the same time in CS3. The third Octavia of Roman Kresta lost a wheel in today's third section and had to retire.
Sporting: Armin Schwarz grabbed the lead on today's first section and made history - it was the first time that Skoda has ever led a World Championship rally. The German lost the lead to Tommi Mäkinen on the high-speed section, but he remained a threat to the leaders until he suffered two punctures in CS3. Bruno Thiry was more cautious and the Belgian was in the lower regions of the top ten as a result.
Quotes: Armin Schwarz said: "It was great to lead but I was only keeping the same pace that we had in testing. I intend to keep that speed and if the rest go quicker or slower then so be it. The punctures were really bad luck, though - to get two at the one time is really bad and then I thought we could get away with not changing the front one. Unfortunately, we had to stop again and change it too. We haven't got a gravel crew here so I'm having to talk to the helicopter a lot, because there's nothing worse than coming over a crest flat out to find that it's pure mud.
Bruno Thiry said: "I'm just pleased to have reached the end of the first stage - in three attempts on the Safari, I'd never managed that before! Now I can concentrate on just keeping a steady pace and trying to keep the car reliable. I've had a few shock absorber problems towards the end of stages, though, which makes it hard work, and I also had to stop to let Armin pass me after he'd changed his tyres in CS3.
OTHER TEAMS
Argentine driver Gabriel Pozzo has dominated the Group N category for more standard cars in his Mitsubishi Lancer. His closest rivals, Stig Blomqvist and Marcos Ligato, have both suffered badly from punctures, with former world champion Blomqvist having to stop twice to change wheels.
END OF LEG 1 RESULTS
OUTRIGHT
1 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 2:44:34,0
2 Sainz Ford Focus WRC 2:46:06,0
3 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 2:50:00,0
4 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 2:51:49,0
5 Delecour Ford Focus WRC 2:53:44,0
6 Schwarz Skoda Octavia WRC 2:58:54,0
7 Thiry Skoda Octavia WRC 3:04:17,0
8 Loix Mitsubishi Carisma GT 3:11:58,0
9 Pozzo Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3:28:57,0
10 Cavenagh Subaru Impreza WRX 3:32:37,0
GROUP N
1 Pozzo Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3:28:57,0
2 Cavenagh Subaru Impreza WRX 3:32:37,0
3 Ligato Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3:35:32,0
COMPETITIVE STAGE WINNERS
CS1 - Schwarz, CS2 - Makinen, CS3 - Sainz, CS4 - Sainz
LEADING RETIREMENTS
CS1 Burns Subaru Impreza WRC Suspension
CS3 McRae Ford Focus WRC Clutch
CS3 Kresta Skoda Octavia WRC Broken wheel
CS4 Gronholm Peugeot 206 WRC Suspension
CS4 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC Accident/Fire
CS4 Arai Subaru Impreza WRC Suspension
STAGE RESULTS
CS 1 Oltepesi - Olepolos 117.46km 1st Car: 10:20
1 Schwarz Skoda Octavia WRC 55:05,0
2 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 55:09,0
3 McRae Ford Focus WRC 55:33,0
4 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 55:38,0
5 Sainz Ford Focus WRC 56:54,0
CS 2 Kajiado - Olooloitikosh 49.95km 1st Car: 12:24
1 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 24:06,0
2 Loix Mitusbishi Carisma GT 24:06,0
3 McRae Ford Focus WRC 24:15,0
4 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 24:24,0
5 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 24:32,0
CS 3 Orien - Isinya 112.52km 1st Car: 14:23
1 Sainz Ford Focus WRC 48:40,0
2 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 48:57,0
3 Auriol Peugeot 206 WRC 48:58,0
4 Delecour Ford Focus WRC 49:18,0
5 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 49:47,0
CS 4 Maili Tisa - Olorian 71.83km 1st Car: 16:28
1 Sainz Ford Focus WRC 35:42,0
2 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 36:22,0
3 Solberg Subaru Impreza WRC 36:39,0
4 Rovanpera Peugeot 206 WRC 37:02,0
5 Delecour Ford Focus WRC 37:46,0
Thursday 19th July
The world's top rally stars face the biggest adventure of the entire World Rally Championship this weekend, as Kenya's vast plains play host to the Safari Rally. The WRC's eighth round starts tomorrow morning, and more than half a dozen drivers will drive over the Nairobi start ramp with realistic hopes of victory. The mixture of fast, open sections, long distances and rough, rocky tracks puts car reliability and tyre strength under their greatest pressure of the season.
Current joint championship leader Colin McRae will start tomorrow's first leg aiming to join Salonen in WRC history as winner of four rallies in a row. If the Scot claims his third Safari win, it would also move him alongside Carlos Sainz and Juha Kankkunen on the record for WRC rally successes. McRae's task won't be made easier by a determined Sainz, however - the Spaniard came close to beating his team-mate on the last round in Greece before his engine failed on the last stage. Other threats to McRae's ambitions will come from Tommi Mäkinen - who sits alongside the Ford driver at the top of the points table - and Richard Burns, who will be hoping to repeat his win of last year and kick-start his championship hopes.
FORD (1st - 60 points)
Technical: Apart from the underbody protection added to fend off the worst of the Kenyan roads, the Ford Focus WRC01s are using revised dampers on this event. The new units each stood up to 1000km of testing in pre-event work. Ford has also incorporated the roo bar in the front bumper, in an attempt to gain a slightly higher top speed.
Sporting: Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz are nominated for manufacturers' points as usual, with François Delecour only able to score drivers' points.
Quotes: Colin McRae said: ăIt'd be nice to carry on this run of form but on this rally anything can happen. To be honest, the last few rallies have lifted a bit of the pressure so we don't necessarily have to win here. It would be nice to be on the podium, though. The car's been fantastic in testing and Pirelli's got a good reputation here so there's no reason why we shouldn't be able to fight for a good result.
Carlos Sainz said: ăThe trick here is to judge accurately when you should slow down and by how much. It can be hard to gauge that pace because the temptation is always to drive faster.
François Delecour said: ăThe car feels very strong and the tyres feel good, but the hardest thing for me will be to find a pace. Even on the shakedown I felt like I was going really fast but until the first section tomorrow, we won't know if I have good speed or not.
MITSUBISHI (2nd - 53 points)
Technical: Mitsubishi's Lancers are essentially unchanged in technical specification from the cars used in Cyprus and Greece.
Sporting: Four-time world champion and current series leader Tommi Mäkinen will be supported by Belgian Freddy Loix in the second Lancer as usual.
Quotes: Tommi Mäkinen said: ăIt's always hard to predict the Safari but I'm quite hopeful. We had a good test - the different rear suspension on our car this year makes a big difference here. The car seems better balanced and I have more grip. It all went very well at testing and Michelin has a completely new tyre for us which has been very good in our pre-event work. If it all comes together then I believe we'll have a good fight. The stages are a little bit rougher than last year, though - there is always potential to make a mistake and retire on the spot.
Freddy Loix said: ăThe hardest thing I find here is doing the recce in a standard car - in our case, a Pajero - and then having to make pacenotes that apply to the rally car, because it can cope with so much more. It's like doing recce for Corsica in a 2CV, really. But I'm still looking forward to the event - conditions are some of the roughest I've seen and it'll be tough, but I think we have a chance of a result.
SUBARU (3rd - 28 points)
Technical: Subaru sends three Impreza WRC2001s to Kenya. The technical specification is largely similar to the cars that appeared in Cyprus and Greece, although the team has tested extensively in an attempt to ensure reliability on the Safari. More than 4000km have been racked up by drivers Richard Burns, Petter Solberg and Toshihiro Arai during various tests.
Sporting: Richard Burns and Petter Solberg are nominated to score manufacturers' points for Subaru in Kenya, with Japanese driver Toshihiro Arai nominated for drivers' points only.
Quotes: Richard Burns said: ăI'm quite hopeful. The stages are a little bit rougher than we've seen them for a while, because there was quite a lot of rain around here over the winter, so it'll be hard on cars. But as far as we're concerned, everything seems pretty well under control.
Petter Solberg said: ăIt's going to be a hard one and my aim is just to reach the finish. I showed in Greece that I can do a good job in difficult conditions and I want to build on that now.
PEUGEOT (4th - 20 points)
Technical: Peugeot again sends three of the 2001-specification 206 WRCs for Marcus Grönholm, Didier Auriol and Harri Rovanperä. The team has carried out more than three weeks of testing at sites in Kenya and France, in an attempt to cement reliability in the still new evolution of the car. All three cars will use five-speed gearboxes in Kenya after the team decided it was a more reliable solution than the six-speed unit.
Sporting: Peugeot has chosen to nominate Harri Rovanperä for manufacturers' points instead of Didier Auriol. Team officials believe that the Finn's mechanical skills make him slightly more likely to bring his 206 WRC to the finish than the Frenchman. Reigning world champion Marcus Grönholm will drive the other nominated car.
Quotes: Marcus Grönholm said: ăWe can only do our best, but it's hard to predict anything here. We've had such bad luck with mechanical problems this year that it's hard to be very optimistic on such a rough rally, but my aim is just to see the finish. I think if we can do that without any big problems then anything is possible.
Harri Rovanperä said: ăThere's a little bit more pressure on me because I'm nominated for points but I'm not really thinking about that. Safari's the sort of rally where you just have to find a comfortable pace and make sure you don't push too hard. That doesn't change, whether you're nominated for manufacturers' points or not.
Team Principal Corrado Provera said: ăI can understand why Didier might not agree with this decision, but he will undoubtedly be trying very hard to prove us wrong.
SKODA (5th - 11 points)
Technical: Skoda's two main Octavia WRCs (for Bruno Thiry and Armin Schwarz) are largely unchanged in technical specification from the models that tackled the Cyprus Rally. The Czech team's engineers have found 40mm of extra wheel travel and made further modifications to the suspension, including water cooling. A third Octavia (the car used by Luis Climent in Kenya last year) has also been entered for Czech driver Roman Kresta.
Sporting: Armin Schwarz and Bruno Thiry will drive the Czech manufacturer's two Octavia WRCs as usual, and they are both nominated for manufacturers' points. Skoda has also entered Czech driver Roman Kresta.
Quotes: Armin Schwarz said: ăI'm looking forward to this event. Our testing in Africa went very well and I think we can probably fight for some manufacturers' points.
Bruno Thiry said: ăIt's going to be a hard rally. Our recce wasn't perfect - we had a few problems that meant we didn't get quite as good a look as the stages as we might have done. But this event's all about reliability and the Octavia's generally pretty strong, so hopefully that will give us a chance. This event has been unlucky for me the past - I really want to see the finish!
HYUNDAI (6th - 10 points)
Hyundai has chosen to miss the Safari Rally, preferring instead to work on improvements to the Accent WRC2s in time for Finland, New Zealand and the asphalt rallies that follow. The team announced last week that four-times world champion Juha Kankkunen is bolstering its line-up for Rally Finland in a one-off appearance.
CITROEN
The Safari Rally is not part of Citroen's four-rally programme in 2001, although some of the French manufacturer's engineers are present to study rivals' cars and gather data on the event. Citroen recently had cause to celebrate victory on the Deutschland Rally, where Philippe Bugalski defeated both François Delecour and Marcus Grönholm. The Frenchman is also present in Kenya, and he completed he pre-event recce to increase his experience of the unique conditions.
OTHER TEAMS
The Safari Rally has attracted the World Rally Championship's smallest entry since the Ivory Coast Rally ten years ago - just 41 cars will take the start tomorrow morning. Of that entry list, all but two cars are four-wheel drive and turbocharged. The Safari is not a round of either the FIA Teams Cup or the FIA Super 1600 Cup, but some of the leading contenders in the Group N Championship for more standard cars are present. Argentina driver Gabriel Pozzo will start as favourite in h is Mitsubishi Lancer, with opposition coming from Stig Blomqvist and Marcos Ligato.
Tyre facts
Michelin's three teams have all opted for the Z and ZA tyres. The latter is a narrower tyre, designed for use in damp or wet conditions. Although their patterns have remained the same, both the Z and ZA feature completely different constructions than those supplied last year. Pirelli's teams have the K and XR at their disposal - the former is for smooth or wet surfaces, while the XR is more suited to hard and dry conditions.
STAGE ITINERARY
CS = Competitive Section
Time = GMT +3
Leg 1, Friday 20th July - 814.06km
08:00 Start from Nairobi
10:20 CS 1 Oltepesi - Olepolos 117.46km
12:24 CS 2 Kajiado - Olooloitikosh 49.95km
14:23 CS 3 Orien - Isinya 112.52km
16:28 CS 4 Maili Tisa - Olorian 71.83km
19:35 End of leg 1 in Nairobi
Leg 2, Saturday 21st July - 1327.45km
04:00 Start from Nairobi
07:00 CS 5 Marigat - Gari Ya Moshi 123.88km
09:14 CS 6 Mbaruk - Elmenteita 84.58km
11:54 CS 7 Nyaru - Kimngorom 72.37km
14:40 CS 8 Marigat - Mogotio 59.92km
16:31 CS 9 Mbaruk - Elmenteita 84.58km
20:45 End of leg 2 in Nairobi
Leg 3, Sunday 22rd July - 815.34km
04:45 Start from Nairobi
06:40 CS 10 Oltepesi - Olepolos 117.46km
08:44 CS 11 Kajiado - Olooloitikosh 49.95km
10:43 CS 12 Orien - Isinya 112.52km
12:48 CS 13 Maili Tisa - Olorian 71.83km
16:15 Finish of the rally in Nairobi
ENTRY LIST (top 20 of 41 starters)
1 C.Mcrae/Grist (GB) Ford Focus RS WRC (A8)
2 Mäkinen/Mannisenmäki (FIN) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo (A8)
3 Sainz/Moya (E) Ford Focus RS WRC (A8)
4 Burns/Reid (GB) Subaru Impreza WRC (A8)
5 Rovanperä/Pietilainen (FIN) Peugeot 206 WRC (A8)
6 Delecour/Grataloup (F) Ford Focus RS WRC 01 (A8)
7 Auriol/Giraudet (F) Peugeot 206 WRC (A8)
8 Solberg/Mills (N/GB) Subaru Impreza WRC (A8)
9 Loix/Smeets (B) Mitsubishi Carisma GT (A8)
10 Grönholm/Rautiainen (FIN) Peugeot 206 WRC (A8)
11 Schwarz/Hiemer (D) Skoda Octavia WRC A8
12 Arai/MacNeal (J/AUS) Subaru Impreza WRC (A8)
13 Thiry/Prevot (B) Skoda Octavia WRC A8
14 Dor/Breton (F) Subaru Impreza WRC (A8)
15 Kresta/Tomanek (CZ) Skoda Octavia WRC (A8)
16 Pozzo/Stillo (RA) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo (N4)
17 Ligato/Garcia (RA) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo (N4)
18 Blomqvist/Goni (S/YV) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo (N4)
19 Cavenagh/Daykin (EAK) Subaru Impreza (N4)
20 Green/Taylor (EAK) Subaru Impreza (N4)
wrc
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