Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart has undertaken an extensive asphalt test over the last eight days to ensure its competitiveness in the FIA World Rally Championship’s remaining two sealed surface events. Mitsubishi’s four-times World Rally Champion Tommi Makinen was joined by team-mate Freddy Loix and test driver Lasse Lampi. The trio completed more than 900 test kilometres and laid the foundations for what they hope will be a winning display on Rally Corsica (29 September-1 October) and Rally Sanremo (13-15 October).

Although both events are contested on asphalt, both have very different characteristics and the roads on the island of Corsica are much more abrasive and bumpy than the smooth mountain stages in northern Italy. Using a variety of representative stages near Nice in France, the team established the optimum settings for the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution/Carisma GT in both conditions, and is confident of recapturing its winning form as the 2000 season nears its climax.

"We did quite a lot of suspension work and it was a very positive couple of days", commented Tommi. "We know we have to work on the suspension settings for gravel, but for asphalt there is no question at all, everything is very good and it feels like quite a big step since Catalunya".

"We have another test scheduled before Sanremo, if we need it, but for the moment I feel confident. We worked a lot with the dampers and springs, and have found better grip than before. The car is now much lighter at the front and, with stronger diffs, both together makes everything much better", added the Finn, who went straight from the test to the Belgian Grand Prix as a guest of the Ferrari team.

Adding to his comments, team-mate Freddy Loix said: "On the one side we have been working very hard on the suspension and I have to say we found some very good things, and from the other side we have also been working on a tyre test. Michelin has a new tyre in the soft compound that will be very good for damp conditions on good tarmac. We also have something new in the harder compound which should work well over long periods of time, maybe 40 or 50 kilometres or for two or three stages run together. Obviously we will do a confirmation at the shakedown in Corsica, but here the tyres have been working better. For the suspension we’ve found some good settings and, although we are already working with the springs, we are able to make better things from that. I am feeling happy with everything; of course we don’t know about the other teams, but we have some improvements and that’s very important".

Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart now heads to the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus for the newest event in the FIA World Rally Championship. The Cyprus Rally (8-10 September) makes it debut in the series this year and promises another fresh challenge as searing temperatures and rough and twisty mountain stages conspire to test man and machinery to its limits.