The Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart crew of François Delecour and Daniel Grataloup finished the 49th Acropolis Rally in 11th position in their Lancer Evolution WRC. Team-mates Alister McRae and David Senior registered a disappointing retirement in the opening stage today, the British pair forced out with broken steering.

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

Colin McRae clinched a hat-trick of Acropolis Rally victories with Ford, ten points elevating the Scotsman from seventh in the Championship to joint third. He now equals team-mate Carlos Sainz and Tommi Makinen on the record 24 World Championship rally wins. Marcus Gronholm, second overall for Peugeot, nevertheless retains the lead at this half-way point in the series. In the Manufacturers’ Championship, Peugeot holds onto its advantage, picking up points with both Gronholm and Harri Rovanpera, but Ford has closed the gap on the French manufacturer with additional points from Sainz.

The Acropolis Rally has bitten back and, of the 84 original starters, just 44 left Parc Ferme at Lilea-Parnassos this morning for the final day of competition. The route, again to the north and northeast of Itea, was the shortest of the three legs but no less demanding, and the crews faced four stages and 96.39 competitive kilometres before returning for the finish on Itea’s seafront. Searing temperatures in the high 30’s and soaring humidity have sapped energy and underlined the importance of fitness, however drivers have claimed the roads to be smoother and less demanding that previous years. Even so, few could undermine the challenge posed by one of the hottest events in the Championship.

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

The Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart crew of François Delecour and Daniel Grataloup have been pushing hard and held 10th until the final stage, when they were overhauled by Toni Gardemeister in the Skoda.

"At least we had a clean rally with no technical problems and to do that in Greece is very good", said François. "Our road position on the second and third legs was not good and obviously affected our times, but this is the first year I’ve seen the speeds so high and the conditions so smooth. Everyone was driving flat-out, as you’ve not really been able to do here before, and you would have expected more retirements".

Team-mate Alister McRae was forced out of the event with damaged steering. The Scot stopped in stage 13 and while he and co-driver David Senior worked furiously to repair the damage, their efforts reaped little reward. "We were cutting a corner, the suspension was fully extended and as the wheel came back down on full lock, the inside caught the edge of the road and the steering broke. It’s a frustrating way to go out of the event, especially so close to the finish, but the car has been reliable throughout the rally. We’ve still got some speed to find, but that will come with the new car. Overall, I’m pleased the car has run reliably on this event, which is one of the toughest in the Championship".

Summing up the team’s result in Greece, Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart team director John Easton said: "We came to Greece with one aim and that was to make sure the car was reliable. We’ve achieved that and it stands us in good stead for the Safari, the toughest event of the year. We’ve won the event twice in the last six years and it’s one we’re now looking forward to".

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Gr.N D. Nassoulas / A. Lithoxopoulos