The Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart crew of Tommi Makinen and Risto Mannisenmaki finished the 31st Rally New Zealand eighth overall, maintaining an equal lead in the FIA World Rally Championship. Team-mates Freddy Loix/Sven Smeets finished 11th with Toni Gardemeister/Paavo Lukander in 15th position.
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart
T. Makinen / R. Mannisenmaki
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Mitsubishi Motors drivers achieved a new landmark on Rally New by winning the Group N production car class for the 25th consecutive time. 2000 World Group N Champion Manfred Stohl brought off this exceptional feat in his Mitsubishi Carisma GT, with 2001 series leader Gabriel Pozzo second in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. It is almost two years since Mitsubishi’s winning run began and, once again, Mitsubishi drivers took all the points-scoring places in the category.
England’s Richard Burns won for Subaru after a last day battle with Ford’s Colin McRae, the rivals split by just 14 seconds until the Scotsman lost time with a spin in the penultimate stage of the 382 competitive kilometre event. In doing so, Burns notches up his tenth career victory and first win since the 2000 Rally of Great Britain. In the FIA World Rally Championship, McRae’s six points move him up the leaderboard, equal first with Tommi Makinen, while Ford takes the lead in the Manufacturers’ Championship by 10 points over Mitsubishi in second.
Mitsubishi Carisma GT
Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart
F. Loix / S. Smeets
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The 2001 Rally New Zealand has been a curious event, the results very much dictated by road position and tactical manoeuvres. As leader of the series, Tommi Makinen was the most severely hampered on the opening leg, the Finn sweeping the roads clean of dry loose gravel for those behind. As a consequence, the Lancer Evolution driver effectively lost all hopes of challenging for victory by virtue of leading the Championship. While today’s final leg was the shortest, there was no respite for the 54 remaining crews, the 89 competitive kilometre route run mainly through the Maramarua forest covering eight stages with six run together in quick succession. Conditions and temperatures remained stable and the thousands of spectators who flocked into the forests were treated to a fascinating battle by the world’s finest rally drivers. However, at the end, Makinen was simply unable to improve on his position, having lost so much time on the first day.
"Clearly the nature of the event has changed and being first on the road on leg one was a big disadvantage - for me this is where we lost it all", said a disappointed Tommi. "But, with Colin and I now equal at the top, things are not as bad as they could have been. I’m now really looking forward to the new car and our first outing in Sanremo; our car was good in Catalunya (the last asphalt event) and the World Rally Car should be even more competitive which should keep our Championship hopes really alive".
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart
T. Gardemeister / P. Lukander
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Team-mates Freddy Loix and Sven Smeets brought their Carisma GT back to Auckland in 11th position. The Belgians have not been entirely happy with the settings throughout the event but maintained top times today during an event where no manufacturer cars retired for the first time in living memory. "Our problems really started yesterday morning with the diff settings and it disturbed the whole day", said Freddy. "Today has been better but we were unable to do much about our position".
Registered team-mates Toni Gardemeister and Paavo Lukander brought their Lancer Evolution home in 15th position. "I am happy with our times from today, but these stages are not my favourite because there are so many ruts on the forest roads", said Toni. "I think it would have been difficult to get points here, but I’m glad to have kept a reasonable speed and built the pace up".
Manfred Stohl had built up a useful Group N lead in the second leg and the experienced Austrian had no intention of relinquishing it. A flawless performance in his Carisma GT earned him his first category win of the season.
Mitsubishi Carisma GT Gr.N
M. Stohl / P. Muller
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"It is nice to be back in a Mitsubishi and to be driving in New Zealand. These stages suit the car very well and I have really enjoyed this week", Stohl remarked.
Second place has increased Gabriel Pozzo’s Group N World Championship lead and the Argentine star, driving his Lancer Evolution, was delighted to add yet more points to his tally.
"Finishing was the most important thing for us here and I am very happy with this result. There was a lot of opposition and I don’t think we could expect to do any better", Pozzo said.
Japan’s Fumio Nutahara was a fine third in his brand new Lancer Evolution VII, with Swedish veteran Stig Blomqvist fourth in a Carisma GT, and New Zealanders ’Stumpy’ Holmes and Reece Jones completed the top six finishers in their Lancer Evolutions.
"The new car is very good and I am very proud to have taken this result. This gives me great confidence for the future", Nutahara said.
The FIA World Rally Championship now returns to Europe for round 11 of the series, Rallye Sanremo (2-4 October). Tommi Makinen won in Italy in the Lancer Evolution in 1998 and 1999 and team-mate Freddy Loix has also had some top results in previous years. More significantly however, the Lancer Evolution World Rally Car will be making its competitive debut, and Mitsubishi will be looking for promising results to secure its top positions in the FIA World Rally Championship.
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