Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart concluded its final preparations for the Rallye de France - Tour de Corse today, regular team drivers François Delecour/Daniel Grataloup and Alister McRae/David Senior shaking down the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution WRCs before the start of one of the most physically demanding and treacherous rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship.

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

Having moved its date to earlier in the season, conditions for the Tour de Corse are more of an unknown factor than in the past, making the team’s test sessions all the more important. However, despite torrential rain and a lightening storm on Tuesday evening, dry conditions greeted the crews at the final shakedown test 30 kilometres to the north of Ajaccio. It was nevertheless a cold start, temperatures hovering around three degrees in the shadow of distant snow-capped mountains, before the sun broke out and teams basked under blue skies in 18 degree spring weather. Stage conditions were however changeable, moisture and dirt on the roads resulting in treacherously slippy asphalt and no fewer than three crews went off in the shakedown stage alone.

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

For the all French crew of François Delecour and Daniel Grataloup, the shakedown served merely to confirm their preferred specification for the Lancer Evolution WRC. Having undertaken the majority of testing for Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart throughout the month, Delecour is happy with the progress made on their asphalt set-up.

"We have definitely made some steps forward", he said. "I think it might still be difficult to fight for victory but what we have done has made a difference and we still have more to come before Spain. I know the weather conditions here very well and I think things should stay like they are now. My target is to finish in the top six and I think if we can get a few points here, that would be fantastic".

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

Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart chief engineer Bernard Lindauer added: "We had an extensive test earlier in the month but both drivers have now had another couple of days last weekend to try some different options. We completed another 650 kilometres and as we learn more we continue to make progress, especially with the suspension".

Team-mates Alister McRae and David Senior are also confident that progress has been made since Monte Carlo, the Britons hoping weather conditions remain as they are with most of the testing having been completed in dry conditions.

"There’s a definite improvement since Monte Carlo, but it’s obviously difficult to know where we are in relation to anyone else", said Alister. "There’s room for more improvement before Catalunya and I don’t think we’ll be the quickest, but it would be great to build on the points we got in Sweden. That is obviously our target".

The first leg of the Rallye de France-Tour de Corse starts tomorrow and will be fought out east and south of Ajaccio and while it includes just five stages, they cover 95 kilometres, including the longest stage of the rally at 36 kilometres.

Mitsubishi Motors drivers are hotly tipped for success on the second round of the Production Car World Rally Championship, the Tour de Corse. All the leading runners have chosen Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions or Mitsubishi Carisma GTs, and with drivers of the calibre of Uruguay’s Gustavo Trelles and Corsican star Jean-Marie Santoni, Mitsubishi stands every chance of prolonging its phenomenal winning record.

Gustavo Trelles is certainly one of the favourites in his Lancer Evolution. A former winner of the production class in Corsica, Trelles knows exactly what to expect.

"The route is nearly the same as last year, but we don’t know what the weather can do. This is always a very difficult rally and after Sweden, I would like to score some points", Trelles stated.

His fellow South American Ramon Ferreyros will also be a man to watch, the Peruvian also driving a Lancer Evolution.

"I don’t know this rally so well, but I have done rallies that are a bit the same style and I hope we can get a good result, but it is hard to know, because there is so much opposition this year", Ferreyros said.

Finland’s Kristian Sohlberg took maximum points from the first round of the World Championship in Sweden, but admits that he is less familiar with Corsica’s tarmac than the snow of northern Europe.

"This will be quite new for us and I don’t know what to expect. We will try our best and hope to keep our Championship lead", he said.

A host of Mitsubishi drivers will be aiming to challenge him, including Italy’s Giovanni Manfrinato and Luca Baldini, Britain’s Martin Rowe and Omani driver Hamed al Wahaibi who has swapped from a Subaru to the all conquering Mitsubishi. They have an additional incentive: the Mitsubishi Trophy will offer generous cash prizes to the best Mitsubishi drivers at the end of the season, redoubling competition.