AUSTRALIA SUPER 1/MITSUBISHI MOTORS/2001 WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

Communique 3 - Super Special Stage 1
Thursday 1 November 2001

CROWDS THRILLED IN AUSTRALIAN OPENER

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution WRC
Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart
T. Makinen / T. Hantunen

Rally Australia, the penultimate round of the FIA World Rally Championship, got underway this evening amid a blaze of entertainment for the capacity crowd of 20,000 at the famous Langley Park super special stage on the banks of the Swan River. Fire-eaters, fire-breathers, drummers, spectacular aerobatics and a four-plane fly-by lit up the City of Perth skyline, marking the opening of one of the most impressive events in the 14 round series.

The Langley Park super special stage surpasses all others in the series, even winning acclaim from the drivers, who enjoy the spectacle and craftsmanship of the man-made stage in the centre of Western Australia’s capital city. While the action was confined to just one run at the 2.2 kilometre dual-lane loose surface track, the spectators were nevertheless treated to more than three hours of non-stop entertainment as they marvelled at the skill of the 75 competing crews as they powered machinery round long drifting corners, fast straights, over a breath-taking jump and through a tight tunnel.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution WRC
Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart
T. Makinen / T. Hantunen

Just prior to the leading cars contesting the stage, the action stopped and all manufacturer entered crews attended a press conference to announce their start positions. Unlike all other World Championship events, the organisers of Rally Australia have authorisation from the sport’s governing body (the FIA) to allow the top drivers to chose their start positions for each leg, being that the cleaning effect on the gravel roads in Western Australia is so extreme. Of the 14 available positions, the highest placed drivers in the Championship got to chose first, resulting in Ford driver Colin McRae starting 14th and Tommi Makinen 13th, which should prove highly beneficial for the main series’ rivals.

Joint World Championship leader Tommi Makinen was paired with Carlos Sainz on the stage, and the Lancer Evolution WRC and Ford Focus drivers brought the crowds to their feet as they scrabbled for precious tenths of a second that could easily prove critical at the end of the event. "I think our running position (13th) will make a big difference, this is good for us", commented Tommi. "The loose gravel on the top of the roads cleans a lot and I think we have the best chance for cleaner and faster conditions. Hopefully 13 will prove to be our lucky number here!"

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution WRC
Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart
F. Loix / S. Smeets

Team-mate Freddy Loix was pitted against French Peugeot driver Didier Auriol, the rivals also split by mere seconds as they powered over the finish line on the long straight. "This is a very good stage for the spectators and great fun for us", commented Freddy, who will run fourth on the road tomorrow. "But we must remember that you can only lose a rally on these type of stages".

The real action starts on Friday morning at 08:50 hrs (local) when the crews head east for the day’s eight stages based around Mundaring. With 30 degree temperatures today, and a warm pleasant evening, conditions look set to remain stable for the first full day of competition.

OVERALL CLASSIFICATION AFTER SS 1
=1	C.SAINZ / L.MOYA	E	FORD FOCUS	1.30.7
=1	D.AURIOL / D.GIRAUDET	F	PEUGEOT 206	1.30.7	+0.0
3	F.DELECOUR / D.GRATALOUP	F	FORD FOCUS	1.31.3	+0.6
4	P.HAGSTROM / T.GARDEMEISTER	FIN	TOYOTA COROLLA	1.31.5	+0.8
5	H.ROVANPERA / R.PIETILAINEN	FIN	PEUGEOT 206	1.31.7	+1.0
6	M.GRONHOLM / T.RAUTIAINEN	FIN	PEUGEOT 206	1.31.8	+1.1
=7	P.BOURNE / M.STACEY	NZ/AUS	SUBARU IMPREZA	1.31.9	+1.2
=7	N.BATES / C.TAYLOR	AUS	TOYOTA COROLLA	1.31.9	+1.2
=7	G.PANIZZI / H.PANIZZI	F	PEUGEOT 206	1.31.9	+1.2
10	P.SOLBERG / P.MILLS	N/GB	SUBARU IMPREZA	1.32.0	+1.3
11	A.BAKHASHAB / B.WILLIS	SA/GB	TOYOTA COROLLA	1.32.1	+1.4
=12	H.LUNDGAARD / J.C.ANKER	DK	TOYOTA COROLLA	1.32.4	+1.7
=12	A.McRAE / D.SENIOR	GB	HYUNDAI ACCENT	1.32.4	+1.7
14	C.McRAE / N.GRIST	GB	FORD FOCUS	1.32.5	+1.8
15	F.LOIX / S.SMEETS	B	MITSUBISHI LANCER	1.32.6	+1.9
16	K.ERIKSSON / S.PARMANDER	S	HYUNDAI ACCENT	1.32.7	+2.0
17	T.MAKINEN / T.HANTUNEN	FIN	MITSUBISHI LANCER	1.33.0	+2.3
18	T.ARAI / G.MACNEALL	J/AUS	SUBARU IMPREZA	1.33.2	+2.5
19	H.AL-WAHAIBI / T.SIRCOMBE	OM/NZ	SUBARU IMPREZA	1.33.3	+2.6
20	R.BURNS / R.REID	GB	SUBARU IMPREZA	1.33.4	+2.7
21	A.MORTL / S.EICHHORNER	A	SUBARU IMPREZA	1.33.9	+3.2
22	M.STOHL / P.MULLER	A	MITSUBISHI CARISMA GT Gr.N	1.35.8	+5.1
23	G.POZZO / D.STILLO	RA	MITSUBISHI LANCER Gr.N	1.36.3	+5.6
24	J.KANGAS / M.OVASKAINEN	FIN	MITSUBISHI CARISMA GT Gr.N	1.36.6	+5.9
25	S.EVANS / S.EVANS	AUS	SUBARU IMPREZA Gr.N	1.37.2	+6.5
26	S.BLOMQVIST / A.GONI	S/YV	MITSUBISHI CARISMA GT Gr.N	1.37.6	+6.9
=27	S.WARREN / M.HYNES	NZ/AUS	MITSUBISHI LANCER	1.37.7	+7.0
=27	C.CROCKER / G.FOLETTA	AUS	SUBARU IMPREZA Gr.N	1.37.7	+7.0
=29	E.ORDYNSKI / I.STEWART	AUS	MITSUBISHI LANCER Gr.N	1.37.9	+7.2
=29	M.IPATTI / K.MARTILLA	FIN	SUBARU IMPREZA Gr.N	1.37.9	+7.2
=31	F.NUTAHARA / S.HAYASHI	J	MITSUBISHI LANCER Gr.N	1.38.1	+7.4
=31	M.LIGATO / R.GARCIA	RA	MITSUBISHI LANCER Gr.N	1.38.1	+7.4
33	M.THOMPSON / D.BODDY	AUS	MITSUBISHI LANCER Gr.N	1.38.4	+7.7
34	F.DUVAL / J.M.FORTIN	B	MITSUBISHI CARISMA GT Gr.N	1.39.0	+8.3
35	S.LOWNDES / C.RANDELL	AUS	MITSUBISHI LANCER Gr.N	1.39.2	+8.5

Nationalities:
A=Austria/ AUS=Australia/ B=Belgium/ DK=Denmark/ E=Spain/ F=France/ FIN=Finland/ GB=Great Britain/ J=Japan/ N=Norway/ NZ=New Zealand/ OM=Oman/ RA=Argentina/ S=Sweden/ SA=Saudi Arabia/ YV=Venezuela/