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RALLY: Final FIA Championship Points and Wrap Up

14 October 1999

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

Finn Tommi Mkinen and co-driver Risto Mannisenmki today won the 12th round of the FIA World Rally Championship, the 41st Rallye Sanremo -Rallye d'Italia, after three days and 384.88km of competitive stages.

After two legs dominated by Peugeot, with Delecour and Panizzi exchanging fastest times and first place, Makinen snatched victory in the very last stage, in a day of high drama in the mountains above Sanremo. Rain made the stages exceptionally treacherous and, as conditions varied from hour to hour, tyre choice played a crucial part.

While one of Makinen's challenger, Franois Delecour, was sidelined by alternator failure just before the penultimate stage, the Finn's strong performance on both runs of the rally's longest, 40 kilometres stage, secured him victory by 18 seconds over the second placed Peugeot of Gilles Panizzi, with Didier Auriol of Toyota another 6.2 seconds behind. With this victory, Makinen's lead over his closest challenger in the FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers, Didier Auriol, is now six points, with two rounds remaining, while in the FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers, Toyota has extended its lead over second placed Subaru and now only need nine points to clinch its third world title.

The FIA World Rally Championship will move soon once again to the Southern hemisphere, with the penultimate round of the season, the Telstra Rally Australia (November 4 -7).

Peugeot

The team see Panizzi's podium as an encouraging pointer to the speed and progress of its new 206 WRC, as it prepares for its first full WRC campaign in the year 2000.

"The car set fastest times on 10 of the 18 stages," said Corrado Provera, Director of Peugeot Sport. "Our target was to score a top-three finish and this second place more than met our aims.

Gilles Panizzi was only slightly disappointed not to have won. "It's difficult to beat someone as fast as Tommi (Makinen)," said the Frenchman, "but we proved that we are capable of challenging for victory and it won't be long before we taste success."

After yesterday's misadventures, third team driver Marcus Gronholm decided to play it safe and make sure he finished and was rewarded by eighth place.

Skoda

Czech Emil Triner brought his Octavia WRC home in 23rd place. "It has been a good experience for Emil (Triner)," said Skoda Motorsport's Manager, Pavel Janeba "and we are pleased by the reliability our car has displayed once again."

Seat

Italian Piero Liatti retired with transmission problem on his Cordoba WRC during today's opening stage and Toni Gardemeister was sidelined when his engine refused to restart after completing SS15. The remaining Cordoba WRC of Harri Rovanpera completed the event in 16th place. "We gained a lot of experience in this event, although the final result is not as good as we had expected," said Team Director Jaime Puig. "We are now thinking about Rally Australia and the work that we have to do."

Toyota

Pushing to the limit was not enough for Didier Auriol to overhaul Gilles Panizzi. "The conditions have been pretty tricky in places," said the Frenchman. "We have pushed hard, but on intermediate tyres it was not so easy. Anyway the fight with Tommi (Makinen) is far from over and there will be a big battle in Australia."

Mitsubishi

Tommi Makinen nudged marginally into the lead for the first time at the beginning of the third leg, before finally grabbing first place in the last, 40 kilometres, mountain stage. "I did a good time on the same roads last year and I enjoy them very much," said the Finn. "I'm now very confident for the last two rallies of the season."

Freddy Loix was pleased to be back in the points after what has been a difficult period. He enjoyed a trouble-free run to score a rewarding fourth place. "It's good to be at the finish and we have learned a lot," said the Belgian. "We have tried different things on the car and I have really enjoyed driving it on asphalt in the rain for the first time."

Subaru

Thanks to his final sixth place, Juha Kankkunen moved up the championship table, to share third place with Carlos Sainz. "Today it was not bad for me, as I know I'm quick in the wet and slippery conditions and the car and tyres felt good together," said the Finn. "I'm not thinking about the championship now, we'll just have to see what happens in Australia."

Ford

"It has been a difficult few days, both getting to grips with the Focus WRC and learning about the stages," said Simon Jean-Joseph. "When we saw Franois (Delecour) stopped, we decided not to take any more risks and settle for my first world championship points for Ford." Co-driver Gallagher made his mark by becoming the first co-driver in recent history to score points with three different drivers in the same season - he has also claimed points alongside Thomas Radstrom and Petter Solberg in 1999.

Other Teams

Frenchman Philippe Bugalski crashed his Citroen Xsara Kit Car on today's last stage and retired, leaving to the Renault of Italian Piero Longhi the first place in the 2-Litre Category. With the sister car of Austrian Raphael Sperrer, Renault completed the two top places of the FIA 2-Litre World Cup standings. With this result the French manufacturer has increased to 26 points its margin over second placed, the Korean Hyundai.

Italian Gigi Galli (22nd overall) won the Group N in a Mitsubishi Carisma, while reigning champion and current leader Uruguayan Gustavo Trelles, despite retiring after an accident on stage 15, maintains the first position in the category.

Toyota Team Turkey took first place with Volkan Isik (15th overall) in the FIA Teams' Cup category. With this result, the Turkish team climbs to the top of the Cup's standing, leading by 6 points both Spanish Valencia Terra Mar Team and French F.Dor Team.

Local driver Andrea Aghini finished the rally in fifth position in his Grifone-run Corolla WRC, first of the non-works drivers.

RALLY STATISTICS

The rally covered 1384.58km, including 384.88km on 18 special stages (9 run twice, one section of road used 4 times).

All stages were on asphalt roads, closed to other traffic. Starters: 119 cars (75 Group A + 44 Group N), started the rally.

Finishers: 55 (31 Group A + 24 Group N) 

Stage winners: 
Makinen (SS10-11-13-14-15-18) 
Panizzi (SS1-3-4-5-8-17) 
Delecour (SS2-6-7-16) 
C.McRae (SS9-12) 

Rally leaders: 
SS1 Panizzi (F) 
SS2 Delecour (F) 
SS3-SS5 Panizzi (F) 
SS6-SS13 Delecour (F) 
SS14 Panizzi (F) 
SS15 Makinen (FIN) 
SS16 Delecour (F) 
SS17 Panizzi (F) 
SS18 Makinen (FIN) 



WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 
FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers 
(unofficial positions after 12 of 14 rounds): 
	Makinen (FIN) 	        58
	Auriol (F) 		52 
	Sainz (E) 		38 
	Kankkunen (FIN) 	38 
	Burns (GB) 		35 
	McRae (GB) 		23 
	Bugalski (F) 	        20 

FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers 
(unofficial positions after 12 of 14 rounds): 
	Toyota 		        103
	Subaru 		        79
	Mitsubishi 		74
	Ford 			36
	Seat 			13
	Peugeot 		9
	Skoda 		        3

FIA Cup for Drivers of Production Cars 
(unofficial positions after 12 of 14 rounds): 
	Trelles (ROU) 	        69 
	Al Wahaibi (OM) 	53 
	Stohl (A) 		27 
	Puhakka (FIN) 	        26 
	Galli (I) 		14 
	Duez (B) 		13 
	Campos (P) 		13

FIA 2-Litre World Cup for Manufacturers 
(unofficial positions after 12 of 14 rounds): 
	Renault 		101 (109) 
	Hyundai 		75 
	Volkswagen 		25 

FIA Teams' Cup 
(unofficial positions after 12 of 14 rounds): 
	Toyota Mobil Team Turkey 	46
	Valencia Terra Mar 		40
	F.Dor Rally Team                40
	Team Mitsubishi Oman 		19

NEXT EVENT 

November 4-7 : 
Telstra Rally Australia, Perth (Australia). Round 13 of the FIA World
Rally Championships. 

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