The fifth round of the 2000 FIA World Rally Championship - the Rallye Catalunya-Costa Brava - got underway early this morning when the 91 starters left the coastal resort of Lloret de Mar for the opening day of competition. And, at the conclusion of today’s six stages, Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart driver Tommi Makinen holds a fighting fourth position in his Lancer Evolution, while team-mate Freddy Loix, driving the Mitsubishi Carisma GT, is 12th. Mitsubishi Carisma GTs and Lancer Evolutions are again dominating the Group N production class. Germany’s Uwe Nittel leads this hotly-contested category in his Carisma GT with Mitsubishi’s four-times World Champion Gustavo Trelles just 13 seconds behind in second position.

Held three weeks earlier than last year, weather conditions for the 2000 Rallye Catalunya-Costa Brava are notably different; while the snow experienced during the practice has effectively disappeared, torrential rain greeted the crews making tyre decisions critical. Run for the first time over a weekend as well, the 383 competitive kilometre route is even more compact and comprises just eight different special stages, with all but one section run twice, providing unrivalled action for the thousands of fanatical Spanish supporters who flock to the mountains stages.

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

Early morning rain ensured the asphalt roads of the opening 12.88 kilometre stage were streaming and, although conditions on the proceeding two stages were better, the combination guaranteed a tough tyre choice. Running the same three stages this afternoon however, the roads were not only drier, but also considerably dirtier after the whole field of contenders had been through them, cutting corners and dragging mud and gravel onto the smooth, slippery roads.

After today’s 91 competitive kilometres Tommi Makinen, co-driven by Risto Mannisenmaki, is a mere five-tenths of a second adrift of third-placed Ford Focus rival Carlos Sainz, and indeed only 24 seconds adrift of overnight leader Richard Burns, who is driving the Subaru Impreza WRC2000 in its first asphalt rally. With the exception of the opening stage, Mitsubishi’s four-times World Champion was never outside the top four over today’s stages and only conceded quickest time on SS5 when Armin Schwarz posted Skoda’s first-ever fastest stage time on a World Rally Championship event.

"I am happy with the way things are at the moment", commented Tommi. "We had a small problem with the rear diff this morning, but since then, nothing at all and we have made maximum use of Michelin’s tyres this afternoon to set some good times. Stage 4 was very slippery after so much mud and gravel had been pulled onto the surface from this morning - the car is brown, like it is on a gravel rally! The last two stages were fine, no problems and we will continue to push hard tomorrow".

Team-mates Freddy Loix and Sven Smeets dropped down the order this afternoon, a last-minute change in tyre choice losing them precious time. "We were completely set-up to go out on slick tyres and then at the very last moment changed to intermediates", said Freddy. "Basically I couldn’t get them up to temperature, couldn’t brake late and lost time. Other than that, the car has been working really well".

Mitsubishi Carisma GT Gr.N U. Nittel / D. Ruf