NETWORK Q RALLY OF GREAT BRITAIN
(21-24 NOVEMBER)
1998 WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 13

MITSUBISHI SETS THE PACE
ON 1998 RALLY OF GREAT BRITAIN

Team Mitsubishi Ralliart is well on course to win the Rally of Great Britain, the 13th and final round of the 1998 World Rally Championship, thanks to a superb performance from British driver Richard Burns in his Mitsubishi Carisma GT. Victory for Burns tomorrow will guarantee Mitsubishi the World Rally Championship for Manufacturers for the first time.

Huge crowds have taken advantage of dry, mild weather to throng the forests of mid-Wales, trudging miles through muddy fields to catch a glimpse of their heroes as they grapple with fast, treacherously muddy stages. A day of attrition knocked Colin McRae's Subaru and Didier Auriol's Toyota out of the running, while Carlos Sainz dropped back after skidding off the road. Sainz needs to finish at least in fourth place – his current position – to deny Tommi Makinen the World Championship for Drivers for a record-breaking third year in a row.

Burns carried the attack to overnight leader Colin McRae from the outset. Making full use of the Carisma GT's awesome performance and a shrewd choice of Michelin tyres, he set fastest times on the first three stages in the forests to grab the lead. Although McRae fought back, an all-British battle for the rally was decided when the Subaru's engine failed, handing Burns a useful lead.

"I've been trying as hard as I can. Obviously I'm under pressure on home ground and there's a long way to go, but today has gone really well and I hope we can still give Mitsubishi the World Championship for Manufacturers ", Burns declared.

"It's been a very dramatic afternoon, which has evened things up a little bit. Richard has driven exceptionally well and has a good, but not secure lead on a difficult rally such as this. Winning the manufacturers' championship is a real possibility and as tomorrow's stages are more familiar, I hope they will prove less difficult than today's", stated Mitsubishi Ralliart Team Manager Phil Short.

Mitsubishi is well placed in the Group N production class, the hardest test of near-showroom machinery. Austria's Manfred Stohl has an impressive lead in his Mitsubishi Carisma GT chased by MItsubishi Lancer driver Hamed Al Wahaibi from Oman.

The last leg of the rally is the longest and potentially the toughest. It includes the longest stage of the rally at 44 kilometres and a total of 165 kilometres of stages in south Wales around Swansea and Merthyr Tydfil.

Leg 2 - Monday 23 November

Leg 2 - Monday 23 November
Special Stages 14 to 21

SS 21 MYHERIN 2 - 16.86 km

Note: Didier Auriol retired (clutch failure)

updated at 7.15 pm local time

SS 20 SWEET LAMB - 25.70 km - Monday 23 November

Note: Colin McRae retired after SS 19 (engine failure)

updated at 7:00 pm local time

SS 19 CEFN - 9.15 km - Monday 23 November

updated at 3:45 pm local time

SS 18 CRYCHAN - 21.99 km - Monday 23 November

updated at 2:55 pm local time

SS 17 ESGAIR DAFYDD - 8.70 km - Monday 23 November

updated at 2:05 pm local time

SS 16 TYWI - 19.88 km - Monday 23 November

updated at 11:45 am local time

SS 15 Myherin 1- 16.86 km - Monday 23 November

updated at 11:25 am local time

SS 14 RADNOR - 23.85 km - Monday 23 November

updated at 8:45 am local time