Safari Rally 2000
Wednesday 23 February
COMMUNIQUE 1

MITSUBISHI LOOKS IN GOOD SHAPE FOR SAFARI RALLY

Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart has an excellent chance of winning Kenya’s Safari Rally, the third round of the 2000 FIA World Rally Championship, according to World Championship leader Tommi Makinen, who is delighted with his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. He has good support as well in Belgian team-mate Freddy Loix in a Mitsubishi Carisma GT, while Mitsubishi is also strongly represented in the Group N production class.

The Safari provides the most dramatic contrast imaginable to the Swedish Rally. In little more than two weeks, competitors sample the coldest and the hottest events in the Championship. The Safari route is hot, dry and rough, and the six competing manufacturers spent today making their final preparations at the official shakedown test south of Nairobi. Searing temperatures typified the conditions expected during the event, although a stiff breeze kept the dust down. The last major rally run on open roads, it remains a daunting challenge: the roads ruthlessly expose any mechanical weakness and yet the rally is also three times as long as any other event in the series.

World Champions Tommi Makinen and Risto Mannisenmaki are full of confidence, believing that recent testing has made the Michelin-equipped Lancer Evolution still more competitive.

"I have to say the road conditions are much better this year - there are not so many rocks. It’s definitely going to be faster, but we have more grip, the suspension is better in the rough places and the engine is very good. The car feels better than last year", Makinen stated.

The Safari Rally provides yet another challenge for the tyre manufacturers, however Michelin’s extensive test work, including development of a new wider and stronger tyre, should hold Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart in good stead. "Because of the heat and the high speeds, the tyre temperatures are very high", explained team manager Phil Short. "Using anti-deflation mousse is not always the best option because in certain conditions it would either self-activate or disintegrate, so we tend to only use it on sections that are slower, twistier and not so long. Michelin’s new tyre may suit certain stages with a very abrasive surface because the wider tyres last longer’, he added.

Belgians Freddy Loix and Sven Smeets also expect to be in the running in their Carisma GT, making up for their high-speed accident last year.

"I think the roads are a lot less rough than last year. We have a good chance I think, but of course anything can happen on this rally and you cannot really make predictions", Loix said.

The Lancer Evolution’s strength and speed have given Mitsubishi an unrivalled record in Group N and Mitsubishi drivers will be very much in contention for the prestigious production award once again. The favourite is experienced Austrian Manfred Stohl, who first contested the event in 1992. In contrast, Argentine drivers Claudio Menzi and Roberto Sanchez, who also use Lancer Evolutions, are tackling the classic African rally for the first time.

"All the sections feel rough in a Group N car, even the good ones. You just have to remember to drive a bit slower than you would in Europe. The speeds are still very high, but it is important to save the car in the bad places", Stohl commented.

The first leg, which begins on Friday, is fought out on the plains south and west of Nairobi. It includes four competitive sections, totaling 350 kilometres.