Mitsubishi Motors drivers Tommi Makinen and Freddy Loix will be among the favourites for Rally Australia, the 13th round of the 2000 FIA World Rally Championship, which starts on Thursday. Makinen, driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, has two previous Australian victories to his credit, while Loix, who will drive a Mitsubishi Carisma GT, has improved on every visit. Mitsubishi Motors drivers will also be fighting hard to clinch the Group N World Cup. After a season in which Lancer Evolutions and Carisma GTs have been unbeatable, only Mitsubishi drivers stand a chance of winning the production car title, and a spectacular duel should be waged between Austria’s Manfred Stohl and Uruguayan Gustavo Trelles.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart T. Makinen / R. Mannisenmaki

Superb organisation and a warm welcome have made Australia’s round of the World Championship one of the most popular events on the calendar, but ferocious competition and intense pressure seem likely to be the outstanding features this year. Five drivers have a chance of winning the World Championship and none of them have any margin for error. The rally will test them to the limit, for the gravel-covered forest roads of Western Australia are very fast, slippery and often narrow. Almost any mistake is likely to be severely punished, but every point will be hard earned, as no fewer than six factory teams are taking part. After intermittent rain in the last couple of days, conditions during today’s final shakedown test to the south of Perth remained dry for the leading contenders, however the threat of rain was present and if it persists, could well see a change in tactics for the Championship challengers.

World Champion Tommi Makinen and fellow Finn Risto Mannisenmaki are one of the five crews in the running for the world title in their Lancer Evolution and Makinen - the rally victor in 1996 and 1998 - is quietly confident that he can make the most of the car’s potential after recent testing in Australia.

"I have a good feeling with the car at the moment," said Tommi after today’s shakedown test. "We have good grip at the rear and it’s turning in well, but tactics will be very important here, because the roads are so slippery when it is dry. You can be one minute behind before the last day and still come first. If you can make a good lead on the second day, that is the most important thing."

Mitsubishi Carisma GT Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart F. Loix / S. Smeets

Belgians Freddy Loix and Sven Smeets are hoping to finish in the points in their Carisma GT, exploiting the car’s reliability and building on their strong finishing record on this highly specialised event.

"I did one and a half days of testing here and it went well. It’s always a help to be back in the car to re-adapt after a couple of tarmac rallies. We’ve changed quite a lot since the Cyprus Rally and the car feels quite good. Two years ago I was quite quick here but the result was not so good. Last year I was not so quick but the result was good, so this year I hope to be quick and also have a good result! But it will be difficult. These roads can be very tricky and you have to concentrate all the time", Loix stated.

Manfred Stohl has led the Group N World Championship all season in his Carisma GT and goes into Rally Australia with a seven-point lead over arch-rival Trelles. However, although he has scored three Group N wins this year to Trelles’s two, he knows that the Uruguayan is a tough man to beat and that he faces serious Subaru opposition on this occasion as well.

"I would like to win of course, but the most important thing is to beat Gustavo. Our Carisma has been very reliable all year, so I feel quite confident, but we also have a lot of good drivers here so it will not be easy", Stohl commented.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Gr.N G. Trelles / J. del Buono