Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart drivers Tommi Makinen and Freddy Loix are bidding to repeat Mitsubishi’s 1998 victory on the Rally of Great Britain, the final round of the 2000 FIA World Rally Championship. Four-times World Champion Makinen will drive a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, while Loix is at the wheel of a Mitsubishi Carisma GT.

Mitsubishi Motors drivers Manfred Stohl and Gustavo Trelles are also locked in combat in what is the closest battle in the Championship, the Group N World Cup. Four-times World Champion Trelles, driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, is bidding for a record fifth title, but has to beat the man he trails by just one point, Austrian Stohl, who drives a Mitsubishi Carisma GT.

The Rally of Great Britain could hardly provide a greater contrast to the previous round of the World Championship, the Rally Australia. Fewer than two weeks after meeting with dusty stages and warm sunshine, drivers face the northern hemisphere on the brink of winter. They have already had to cope with heavy rain and deep mud during the recce and the weather forecast for Wales, which hosts the entire rally for the first time in its 68-year history, is poor. Conditions are bound to be treacherous and fog, sleet and even snow could well play a part in settling the outcome. Many of the stages will inevitably be run in darkness at this time of year and, as some of them are over 40 kilometres long, the retirement rate is bound to be high.

Finns Tommi Makinen and Risto Mannisenmaki are eager to win one of the few World Championship rallies that still eludes them, and Makinen is convinced that the latest version of the Lancer Evolution will be ideal after thorough testing in Wales.

"The car is improved a lot, everything is better. For sure it is not easy to win against people like Richard Burns, but I have a really good feeling this year and I like the stages, so I hope it will be good for us. This is normally a good rally for Finns!" Makinen stated.

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

Freddy Loix and fellow Belgian Sven Smeets have high hopes of finishing in the points on this exceptionally demanding rally, having taken a fine fifth place last year, but Loix knows that he faces plenty of strong opposition in the Michelin-equipped Carisma GT.

"The stages look much better than everybody was expecting. They have left out the worst pieces from last year and I think there is more grip at the moment, although it will be slippery, of course, This is always a difficult rally and you have to be careful", Loix commented.

In Group N, Manfred Stohl has led the World Championship all season, but although he has a good deal of experience and has contested Britain’s round of the World Championship more often than Trelles recently, the Carisma GT driver is under intense pressure.

"Now there is no chance for tactics any more. It is quite simple: we have to beat Gustavo to win the Championship. I don’t think experience makes so much difference - just the faster driver will win", Stohl said.

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