Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart drivers will be seeking a revival in their fortunes on the Tour de Corse, the 11th round of the 2000 FIA World Rally Championship, after a promising display from Finn Tommi Makinen, who drives a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, and his Mitsubishi Carisma GT-driving team-mate Freddy Loix on the recent Rally of Cyprus.
After 10 victories in 10 rallies this season, Mitsubishi Motors drivers are also the hot favourites for victory in the Group N production category. Picking a winner is no easy matter though, with World Championship leader Manfred Stohl driving a Mitsubishi Carisma GT and a host of formidable challengers that includes Uruguay’s Gustavo Trelles at the wheel of a Lancer Evolution.
Mitsubishi Carisma GT
Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart
F. Loix / S. Smeets
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Corsica is widely regarded as the world’s toughest asphalt rally. The rugged terrain of the "Isle of Beauty" ensures that the roads are exceptionally demanding, with incessant corners, bumps and changes of surface to catch the unwary. Tyres, brakes and stamina will be tested to the limit. It is one of the most specialised rallies of all and prior knowledge is definitely an advantage and only a handful of non-Frenchmen have ever won. However, with six manufacturer teams present, this year’s event will be especially closely fought and half a dozen drivers are potential winners. Conditions were hot and sunny at the shakedown test to the north of the headquarters in Ajaccio, but changeable weather is forecast for the weekend, which makes predicting a result harder still.
Tommi Makinen and co-driver Risto Mannisenmaki have regularly been amongst the pace setters in Corsica, but they have never had much luck and they are still aiming for their first win on the island. Makinen is pleased with the changes to his Lancer Evolution made since the last asphalt rally in Catalunya, but admits that he is not quite sure what to expect.
"With the changes to the suspension and transmission, it feels quite different. It is hard to say how much better it is, but certainly there is less weight on the front and the turning in is better. It is a long time since we last did a tarmac rally and it is difficult to say where we are compared to the other teams", Makinen said.
Belgians Freddy Loix and Sven Smeets are making their third visit to Corsica, but although they have some previous experience, the Carisma GT crew are pleased that only four stages are the same as last year, which will reduce the benefit of local knowledge, despite Loix being a noted asphalt driver.
Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart
Service Park
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"The car is not bad at all. We did some testing in France and then a confirmation test here. The car feels a little bit more precise and I hope we can go as fast as we did in Cyprus, but maybe without rolling first! I think Tommi is right - it is hard to know where we are. A lot of the stages are new and it is going to be an interesting week", Loix commented.
Austrian Manfred Stohl is a former winner of Group N in Corsica and the talented Carisma GT driver has every chance of repeating his success when the rally finishes on Sunday afternoon.
"It’s quite different from Cyprus of course, but it will still be a very hard event. You need to look after the car and you must be careful, because many of the roads are so narrow. If it rains, it can be very slippery as well", Stohl warned.
Gustavo Trelles has also won Group N in Corsica in the past and, as a four-times World Group N Champion, the Lancer Evolution driver knows exactly how to combine speed with consistency.
"I am feeling quite confident after winning in Cyprus, but we really need to win again if we are going to beat Manfred for the World Championship this year and we can’t afford any mistakes. I think it is going to be a difficult rally", Trelles predicted.
As usual, there is a strong South American presence, but most of the visitors, including Argentines Claudio Menzi and Gabriel Pozzo, have limited tarmac experience. The main challenge to the Championship contenders is more likely to come from promising Italian Gianluigi Galli and local drivers Jean-Marie Santoni - a previous Group N winner - and Jean-Marc Manzagol, both driving Carisma GTs.
The rally is based in Ajaccio, the island’s capital, and covers 1,117 kilometres with 18 stages. The first of the three legs starts on 29 September and is concentrated in the mountains of south-western Corsica, within easy range of Ajaccio. It includes six stages, covering 124 kilometres.
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