Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart suffered a disappointing opening leg of the 45th Rallye de France / Tour de Corse with four-times World Champion Tommi Makinen and co-driver Risto Mannisenmaki retiring after an accident, and team-mates Freddy Loix and Sven Smeets losing significant time having to stop and change wheels in two stages.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution WRC Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart T. Makinen / R. Mannisenmaki

Mitsubishi Motors drivers however hold all the leading positions in the Group N production category. A superb battle for victory is raging between Italy’s Giovanni Manfrinato in a Carisma GT, and local hero Jean-Marie Santoni in an Evolution. All the top six drivers are at the wheel of either Carisma GTs or Lancer Evolutions.

The Tour de Corse is, historically, one of the most unpredictable and tricky events in the FIA World Rally Championship, the weather conditions changing at the drop of a hat as the roads wind and twist their way through the rugged mountains of the Mediterranean island. While the autumnal weather has remained clear with temperatures topping 25 degrees, the asphalt roads are still treacherously slippery in the shade, under trees and where loose gravel has been dragged from the corners by passing cars, and no fewer than three of the leading crews, including Subaru’s Toshihiro Arai, Citroen driver Philippe Bugalski and Championship contender Carlos Sainz, retired within the first two stages.

Mitsubishi’s Tommi Makinen was contesting only his second rally in the Lancer Evolution WRC, both events running on asphalt and within two weeks of each other. The Finn was however honing the settings on his challenger and was holding eighth position until a frightening accident saw both him and Risto Mannisenmaki out of the event. The Finn clipped a low stone wall causing the car to flick out, tip onto it’s roof and come to rest on the edge of the road, upside down. Such is the strength of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution WRC however, Tommi was able to climb out of the car unaided and unscathed, with nothing more than aches and pains after the impact. Co-driver Risto Mannisenmaki however elected to remain in the car, awaiting assistance from the medical team before being helped from the car with back pains. He was subsequently flown to Ajaccio hospital for precautionary scans and then transfered to Marseille for further checks. The team will issue an update on his condition on Saturday morning.

"We clipped a low wall on the inside of a fast corner, took the front left corner off the car and the impact tipped us into a roll", said Tommi. "The car then hit the rock face on the other side and skidded further down the road on its roof and came to rest on the edge of the road. I wouldn’t say the stage was any more or less dangerous than anywhere else we compete, it is just one of those accidents. Risto waited for the medical crew to arrive before moving and he was taken to Ajaccio hospital for tests because he also has pains in his back. I’m just glad we both got out okay". The stage was subsequently cancelled and all times annulled.

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

Team-mates Freddy Loix and Sven Smeets had a frustrating opening stage when they lost nearly three and a half minutes having to stop and change a wheel. The same thing happened to the Belgians in the fourth stage and, with both of these problems, they’ve dropped down the order to 32nd position. "The balance on the car wasn’t so good this morning and we had problems with the rear brakes locking, but after the team had changed the diff mapping, the car felt much better at the back. We are now going to spend the rest of the event trying different set-ups in a step-by-step way to improve the handling all round".

Italian veteran and Group N challenger Giovanni Manfrinato is putting in a fine showing in the face of strong local opposition, but he leads Santoni’s similar machinery by just four seconds after 100 kilometres of flat out driving.

Mitsubishi Carisma GT Gr.N M. Stohl / P. Muller