SAFARI RALLY KENYA (25-28 February)
1999 FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 3

MITSUBISHI READY FOR SAFARI RALLY SUCCESS WITH
LANCER EVOLUTION AND CARISMA GT

Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart is aiming for an extraordinary record on the Safari Rally, the third round of the 1999 FIA World Rally Championship. Victory for either Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution driver Tommi Makinen or Mitsubishi Carisma GT pilot Freddy Loix would give Mitsubishi its seventh consecutive World Rally Championship victory.

There is no harder rally on which to break any kind of record, even for a team such as Mitsubishi, with four previous Safari wins to its credit. The Safari is the longest and roughest event in the World Rally Championship, the only round in Africa, covering some 2,650 kilometres with individual sections of up to 129 kilometres – three times as long as any European special stage. It is an institution: Kenya’s biggest sporting event, it is a draw for spectators in their thousands and this year’s rally promises to be exceptionally competitive. It has been dry and hot for months, which means that the roads are rough and exceptionally rocky.

World Rally Championship leader Tommi Mäkinen and fellow Finn Risto Mannisenmäki are delighted with their Lancer Evolution’s performance in testing.

"We haven’t had even one little technical problem in the recce, but for sure it’s going to be tough for the tyres – even for our Michelins – because it has been dry for a long time and there are a hell of a lot of rocks," said Mäkinen.

Belgians Freddy Loix and Sven Smeets are contesting their first Safari, although both have attended the rally in the past and have practised carefully.

"The roads are not easy here. On a rally like this, you need some luck. You cannot say where you will finish, but I know our car is one of the strongest. We’ve been pushing hard in the recce to see where the limit is," Loix said.

"Conditions are quite difficult, because of the lack of rain and the amount of rocks in the road. Punctures could play a part," predicted Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart team manager Phil Short. "Naturally we’ve strengthened the car for this event, because it’s rough and cooling is always a potential snag. Leg two looks the hardest, but if the drivers are on the attack, the first leg could pose problems."

Mitsubishi also has high hopes in the Group N production car class, with the top three seeds all using Lancer Evolutions or Carisma GTs. They are led by talented Oman driver Hamed Al Wahaibi, who is contesting his first Safari, but is well used to the conditions. However, he faces a stern challenge from 1998 Safari Group N winner Luis Climent of Spain and Austrian Manfred Stohl.

The rally begins on February 25 with a super special at Jamhuri Park in Nairobi.

MICHELIN - MITSUBISHI OIL - ENKEI - NGK - OHLINS - OMP PIAA - PELTOR - BELLEROSE - SABELT