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FIA RALLY: Telstra Rally Australia, End of Leg 2 Report

11 November 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

After a day of frantic action that saw Richard Burns capitalise on his overnight fourth place (and fifth on the road starting position) to race into a comfortable lead of Telstra Rally Australia, tactics again came to the fore on the final forest stage. Once again drivers adjusted their pace to try and determine their start slots for tomorrow's third and final leg. The Sotico plantation (formerly known as Bunnings) is where the cleaning effect of the 'ball-bearing' road surface is at its most extreme and it is therefore crucial that drivers give themselves the best possible chance to win the event, even from a seemingly low starting position. Although flat-out driving is the essence of the FIA World Rally Championship, tactical decisions are as much a part of top flight motorsport and the winner of this event will be the driver who has demonstrated both skills to the best effect over the three legs.

Mitsubishi

With both Fords now out of the event, Tommi Makinen has a golden opportunity to extend his title hopes into the final event of the year. However the Finn says he's not thinking that far ahead just yet. "We're just trying to win this rally," he said. "We've got to get our tactics just right. Obviously my championship chances have improved over the past 24 hours but I still need Richard and Marcus to have problems if I'm really going to have any hope." Makinen's biggest problem was the fact that his road position today left him unable to react to other drivers' actions. "I've got to try and guess what they're going to do," he admitted. He had planned to pace himself against Juha Kankkunen but that idea was scotched when his fellow Finn crashed out of the event and left Makinen to run first tomorrow!

Peugeot

FIA World Championship leader Marcus Gronholm tried a little too hard on Wellington Dam today and overshot a junction but that was the Finn's only real mistake. "Tactics are ultimately going to decide this rally," he said. Team mate Francois Delecour was finding that running second on the road was no great advantage but was still happy with his overall performance. "A lot of these stages are ones I last drove in 1993," he said, "so I'm fairly satisfied." Team mate Gilles Panizzi is still a long way off the lead but has been getting closer to the pace all day.

Subaru

Richard Burns' juggling of positions to put himself fifth on the road today, paid off handsomely when he set fastest time on the first stage and immediately took the rally lead. However he then had to play the game for the second day in succession to ensure that he could again reap the benefit of clear roads in Sotico tomorrow, where the 'cleaning' effect will be more dramatic than on any of the days held so far. Throughout the day Burns has been trying to open up a sufficient advantage to avoid having to adopt a tactical approach on the final stage. It was believed that a minimum of two minutes' lead would be required and that was clearly out of reach as the day progressed. Overnight rally leader Juha Kankkunen crashed out of the event on the final forest stage today. He was quizzed earlier about his feelings that he may have just two more chances to add to his World Championship rally win tally before possibly retiring. In reply he said, "I'll be making a decision about my future after the Rally of Great Britain."

Ford

Late last night Ford lost the second of its registered cars when the event stewards excluded Carlos Sainz for stopping between the warning board and the flying finish at the end of SS9. The Spaniard admitted that his mistake had been embarrassing but, along with team manager Malcolm Wilson, again expressed his belief that something needs to be done about the situation that forced crews to play the tactical game so obviously. With both Martini cars out, Ford's third car, that of Tapio Laukkanen, became the focus of the team's attention. At today's first service the young Finn shook hands with all the mechanics and thanked them for coming out to help him!

SEAT

Didier Auriol attempted to solve the Cordoba's handling problems with a gearbox switch after SS12. As the centre differential is part of the package it was hoped that this would see an improvement but his time on SS13 seemed to indicate otherwise. "We're trying hard but the differential mapping problems are making the car very hard to drive," he said. By contrast Toni Gardemeister has continued to impress with some solid driving that has kept him in the top 10 throughout the day. "This morning's grip was better than we expected and we could have pushed harder. We had hoped to do that on Wellington Dam but we had a vibration from the front wheel that prevented us going flat out and we just concentrated on finishing the stage."

Hyundai

The Hyundai team has continued to enjoy one of its best events of the year with both Kenneth Eriksson and Alister McRae again setting top times that kept both in the top 10 places. Indeed, early this afternoon McRae's performance took him past five-time Australian Champion Possum Bourne. Sadly his joy was short-lived as on the next stage, Stirling West, it hit something with the Accent WRC, broke a suspension arm and was forced to retire.

Other teams

The battle for Group N supremacy has seemingly swung decisively in favour of reigning FIA Champion Gustavo Trelles over the Spike Subaru FIA Teams Cup entry for Toshihiro Arai and current championship leader Manfred Stohl. Arai (who is driving a Group N car instead of his preferred Group A example) and Stohl are locked in a close battle for second but Trelles is seemingly comfortably clear. The FIA Teams Cup competition itself is naturally favouring the Team Atakan entry of Sercan Yazici although the Turkish driver is not so far ahead of Arai.

Tyre Facts

Michelin

As the pace at the sharp end has quickened, Michelin's partners have continued to use the ZA-style pattern in either the 9 or 10 compound, according to the stage length and temperatures which peaked today at around 30degC air and 38degC ground. Scoring four additional scratch times today, Michelin has increased its stage wins to 11 from the 16 stages run so far.

Pirelli

This morning's stages were still damp after overnight rain and so a more conservative tyre choice was possible, Richard Burns taking a K-pattern cover to set fastest time on the opening stage and take the rally lead. For the second group of stages Burns took a hand cut version of the tyre and again extended his advantage. After six of today's seven stages, Pirelli had been fastest on two occasions.

Text Provided By FIA

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