The inaugural World Championship round of the Rally of Cyprus has already taken its toll on many of the front-running teams, however the Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart crews of Tommi Makinen/Risto Mannisenmaki and Freddy Loix/Sven Smeets are still pushing hard and consequently in the fight. They hold 7th and 11th positions respectively at the conclusion of a day that has demonstrated how any manner of problem can turn the leaderboard on its head.

Mitsubishi Motors’ drivers however hold all the leading positions in the Group N production car class. Four-times Group N World Champion Gustavo Trelles has set the pace in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, with Argentina’s Gabriel Pozzo, also driving a Lancer Evolution, and 2000 World Championship leader Manfred Stohl, driving a Mitsubishi Carisma GT, in hot pursuit.

Scorching temperatures and rough, twisty roads in the Troodos mountains have led to no fewer than four leading retirements, and many of the other FIA World Rally Championship contenders have experienced problems, underlining the prediction that this was likely to be a rally of attrition. With cockpit temperatures reported to be hitting 60 degrees, there has been little respite for either the crews or the cars, and tomorrow’s second leg, while shorter, is likely to be equally as tough.

Mitsubishi’s four-times World Rally Champion Tommi Makinen was running well until he lost front-wheel drive on his Lancer Evolution, dropping nearly 90 seconds in one stage alone (SS8). He retained his fifth position but, without the opportunity for service, the Finn was forced to drive through stage 9 with the same problem, losing not only more time but also two positions.

"We had no problem until stage 8 when we broke the front drive-shaft after spinning on a corner about seven kilometres before the finish", commented a disappointed Tommi. "For stage 9 we just went as fast as we could, but we’ve lost quite a bit of time now. Of course the team can change the gearbox at the service tonight and there is still a long way to go. Many people have had problems, but obviously I am not so happy and it seems that we just haven’t had the luck".

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

Mitsubishi Carisma GT team-mate Freddy Loix holds 11th, a position that does little to reflect his competitive performance in Cyprus. The Belgian, co-driven by Sven Smeets, set third fastest time on stage 6 to maintain 6th position, demonstrating that when he has the same level of experience as his rivals, he is a strong contender. However, the pairing dropped down the order in stage 8 when the throttle jammed open and they rolled.

"The accelerator was stuck when we came to a left corner and we went off the road and rolled for 20 metres", said Freddy. "The car landed on its wheels and we managed to get it back on the road, but we also broke one of the drive-shafts. The mechanics have a lot of work to do tonight at the service, but we will try hard again tomorrow knowing that we have been going well until this problem. The rhythm has felt good and I feel I am driving confidently".

The battle for honours in the 2000 World Rally Championship took another turn when series leader Marcus Gronholm was forced into retirement when the exhaust broke and the heat expelled burned out the Peugeot’s electrics. Didier Auriol, 1994 World Champion, joined him on the sidelines with a broken wheel bearing on the SEAT, and Armin Schwarz and Luis Climent, both Skoda, crashed and retired with a lack of oil in the engine respectively.

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