Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart drivers François Delecour and co-driver Daniel Grataloup scored their first points with Mitsubishi today when they brought their Lancer Evolution WRC to the finish of the Rallye de France - Tour de Corse in seventh position. Team-mates Alister McRae and David Senior finished tenth.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution WRC Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart F. Delecour / D. Grataloup

Peugeot claimed an emphatic one-two-three, asphalt expert Gilles Panizzi leading the trio of 206 WRCs back to Ajaccio ahead of team-mates Marcus Gronholm and Richard Burns. As a consequence, Gronholm takes the lead in the Drivers’ Championship ahead of Tommi Makinen and Gilles Panizzi both equal second, despite Makinen failing to finish. In the Manufacturers’ Championship, maximum points for Peugeot for the second time this season gives it an impressive 16 point advantage over nearest rivals Ford.

In contrast to yesterday’s wet weather, the third and final leg of the Rallye de France - Tour de Corse dawned bright and sunny, warm weather and drier roads greeting the crews as they left Ajaccio. Forty-three of the original 61 crews remained and while today’s route to the south-east covered just four stages, the 112 competitive kilometres took their toll and saw the retirement of no fewer than three of the leading crews.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution WRC Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart F. Delecour / D. Grataloup

François Delecour and Daniel Grataloup maintained their overnight 8th position after the first group of two stages, the French crew comfortably ahead of their nearest rival, despite a puncture in stage 13. However, following the retirement of Ford’s Colin McRae in stage 15, the duo moved up into seventh position, fifth of the registered crews.

"The conditions this morning were very slippery and we got a puncture in the first stage, although the ATS mousse worked well", said François. "The tyres we chose were not Michelin’s latest construction but despite the puncture, this tyre combined with our suspension worked well. Progress has been made since Monte Carlo but it’s not been an easy rally. It’s obviously good to get to the end and get points for Mitsubishi, but a shame to be so close in the drivers and not get a point".

Team-mates Alister McRae and David Senior also sustained a puncture on the Lancer Evolution WRC in stage 13 but moved up the leaderboard to 11th after François Duval retired his Focus. Benefiting from his brother’s retirement in SS15, Alister then slipped into the top ten, despite dropping time when the anti-deflation tyre mousse broke up in stage 16.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution WRC Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart A. McRae / D. Senior

"We had a bad vibration on the front of the car in the last 10 kilometres of the stage which was making the car understeer and difficult to drive in the twisty stuff", he said. "Overall we’ve been trying hard throughout the event and have made progress, but there’s more to come for the future. It’s good to make it to the finish and, apart from the brake problems in the first leg, we’ve pretty much had a clean run".

Adding to their comments, Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart team manager Derek Dauncey said: "It’s good to get points, which is what we came here for. We’ve got more experience of the car in changeable conditions and are now looking to use that knowledge to make further improvements for Spain. What is also very heartening is to maintain our one hundred percent finishing record this year".

Meanwhile...

It may have only covered four stages, but today’s leg saw more action and leading retirements than any day of the rally. Colin McRae (Ford) was the biggest name on the list, the Scot hitting a patch of mud in stage 15 that resulted in him going off the road and into a tree. But for the strength of the Focus it could have been a lot worse, but even so, McRae was jammed in the car before being airlifted to hospital in Ajaccio. He is reported to have sustained a broken finger and concussion during his second big accident on the Mediterranean island. Ford’s woes were compounded when François Duval went off when a tyre exploded, and Kenneth Eriksson (Skoda) also retired before the start of stage 14 with differential problems.

In contrast to Ford’s misfortune, Peugeot brought all three of its 206 WRCs to the finish and took a clean-sweep of the podium. Asphalt expert Gilles Panizzi claimed ten points for victory, with 2000 World Champion Marcus Gronholm second and Richard Burns third. Philippe Bugalski snatched fourth position following McRae’s retirement, a fine result for the Frenchman in the privately-run Xsara WRC. Petter Solberg (Subaru) got ahead of Carlos Sainz (Ford), the Spaniard claiming the final point in sixth position.

Coming next...

There’s little respite for the FIA World Rally Championship contenders. The fourth round of the series, Rallye Catalunya - Costa Brava, starts in less than two weeks time (22-24 March) and is another fast asphalt rally, the stages twisting their way through the mountains around Girona, Barcelona and Tarragona in north-east Spain. It is also a round of the FIA Junior World Rally Championship.

Mitsubishi Motors driver Ramon Ferreyros was a clear winner on the second round of the 2002 FIA Production Car World Rally Championship, the Tour de Corse, driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. Mitsubishi drivers were in a league of their own, leading the production category from start to finish and taking a clean sweep of the points positions.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Gr.N R. Ferreyros / D. Vallejo

Ramon Ferreyros was under no great pressure and guided his Lancer Evolution to a flawless victory and a share of the World Championship lead, but the Peruvian admitted that his second production class win at World Championship level hadn’t been easy. "We were trying to drive quite gently today, but it was very difficult in these conditions and I got a few big frights. I’m very happy with the result. I have been second a few times and that makes winning even better", Ferreyros said.

Promising Bulgarian Dimitar Iliev finished an impressive second in his Lancer Evolution on his first attempt at this notoriously demanding rally. "I am so happy. This is a dream result for our first time here. The car and the team have been fantastic, but I think there will be a lot of difficult rallies this season", Iliev commented.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Gr.N D. Iliev / P. Sivov

Local school teacher Jean-Marie Santoni claimed third in another Lancer Evolution on his first rally since last year’s Tour de Corse, fighting back strongly after a steady start. "We lost a bit too much time adjusting the car to my style at first, but it’s gone very well and I’m happy with our result", Santoni stated.

British driver Martin Rowe was fourth in a Carisma GT, with four-times World Champion Gustavo Trelles fifth in a Lancer Evolution and rising Austrian Beppo Harrach sixth in a Carisma GT. Mitsubishi drivers filled nine of the top 10 places.

In the Production Car World Rally Championship, Ramon Ferryros’ victory puts him at the top of the leaderboard with Kristian Sohlberg, another Mitsubishi driver. And, with all crews registered in the Championship also eligible for points in the Mitsubishi Trophy, both Ferryros and Sohlberg lead the series with Dimitar Iliev third.

The Production Car World Rally Championship resumes in five weeks time in a very different setting, on the rough dirt tracks of the Cyprus Rally.

Mitsubishi also scored victory ’down under’ today when Ralliart Australia driver Ed Ordynski took victory on the opening round of the Australian Rally Championship. The Adelaide driver also gave the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII its maiden victory. Further information can be found at www.ralliart.com/02topics/topics4/index.html.