Acropolis Rally 1999
Saturday 5 June
COMMUNIQUE 1

MITSUBISHI LANCER AND CARISMA DRIVERS GEARED UP FOR ACROPOLIS RALLY SUCCESS

Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart driver Tommi Makinen and team-mate Freddy Loix are confident of success on the eighth round of the 1999 FIA World Rally Championship, the Acropolis Rally where, for the first time, the seven manufacturers involved in the championship are gathered.

The Greek round of the World Championship is notoriously demanding and this year’s looks certain to be one of the most difficult yet: many of the mountain roads north of Athens are even rougher than usual, littered with rocks that can destroy even the toughest cars. Constant dust and relentless heat will impose huge additional strains, particularly on cooling systems and tyres. Thorough preparation by Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart includes new, wide-track suspension and raised ground clearance.

World Championship leaders Tommi Makinen and Risto Mannisenmaki have never won the Acropolis and the Finnish Lancer Evolution crew are keen to add it to their long list of successes with Mitsubishi.

"Stage three is one of the worst I have ever seen, but mostly the stages are in nice condition. The car feels good and all we need is a bit of luck. Even though it is rough, if you want to win you have to be nearly flat out all the time", Makinen stated.

Belgians Freddy Loix and Sven Smeets are eagerly looking forward to one of the World Championship rallies they know best. Loix is sure that the route will suit the Michelin-equipped Carisma GT.

"I know this rally quite well and we did a good recce. I have a good feeling with the car, but some of the stages in the first and third legs are too rough", Loix said.

"It will be a hard rally. In places it’s rougher than before and stages three and eight are causing concern. It will be decided by a combination of speed and reliability. Tommi is going to suffer from being first on the road in the first leg, because he will be sweeping the gravel, but Freddy’s a lot more confident here", predicted Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart team manager Phil Short.

The Lancer Evolution and Carisma GT are near-invincible in the Group N production category and Mitsubishi has high hopes of victory. Group N promises to be one of the highlights of the rally, as Uruguay’s triple World Champion Gustavo Trelles has a real fight on his hands this season from two fellow Mitsubishi drivers, Oman’s sensational newcomer Hamed Al Wahaibi and Austrian Manfred Stohl.

The rally starts beside the Acropolis in central Athens on June 6, then heads for the Anavissos super special. The first leg of the 1400-kilometre rally continues on Monday with a further seven stages covering 138 kilometres.