Rallye de Portugal 1999
Tuesday 23 March
COMMUNIQUE 4

MITSUBISHI LANCER AND TOMMI MAKINEN
STAR ON RALLY OF PORTUGAL

Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart driver Tommi Makinen, driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, has climbed to fifth place on the Rally of Portugal and is set to increase his lead in the 1999 FIA World Rally Championship. Mitsubishi is also dominating the Group N production class, holding the top two places.

Hot sunshine and cloudless skies drew spectators in their hundreds of thousands to the second leg of the rally, which took competitors to some of the longest and roughest stages of the event, including the famous Arganil stages. Dry, dusty conditions tested the cars to the limit and there were plenty of retirements, including Subaru driver Juha Kankkunen, who hit engine trouble and both the Seat drivers, Harri Rovanpera and Piero Liatti, who crashed.

Tommi Makinen and fellow Finn Risto Mannisenmaki judged their pace superbly to slice their way past slower cars, shooting up from ninth place to fifth after an aggressive performance in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. Making full use of their Michelin tyres, they were on the pace all day and are on course to extend their World Championship points lead. Although it will be harder to catch the drivers ahead with the final two stages of the day being cancelled due to the vast numbers of spectators.

"It’s been hard work today in such hot weather. This rally is hard on the car, but we have been fast all day and you never know what can happen tomorrow," said Makinen.

Fellow Finns Marcus Gronholm and Timo Rautiainen were out of luck, retiring with a clutch problem on stage 16 after a strong showing on their first rally in a Mitsubishi Carisma GT. They had been in the top five consistently.

"I don’t seem to have much luck on this rally, but it has been a nice opportunity to try this car. I can see why Mitsubishis win rallies," Gronholm declared.

"Tommi has driven very well and worked his way up the order. We’ve been very much on the pace, but it will be difficult to improve in the third leg unless we have a bit of luck. Obviously we’re disappointed to have lost Marcus after such a good performance. We were most impressed with him and he did a great job", said Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart team manager Phil Short.

Rising Portuguese star Miguel Campos has made full use of his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution to put Mitsubishi in control of the Group N production class, the hardest test of a showroom specification rally car. His nearest rival is another Mitsubishi driver, Uruguay’s triple World Champion Gustavo Trelles.

The third and final leg is the shortest, with four stages totalling 60 kilometres before Wednesday afternoon’s finish in Porto.