| Cyprus
Rally
2002,
FIA
World
Rally
Championship,
round
5
For
immediate
release
Sunday,
April
21st,
2001
FORD'S
MCRAE
UNDER
PRESSURE
FROM
GRONHOLM
IN
CYPRUS
RALLY
Alister
McRae
rolls;
Parsonen
crashes
out
LIMASSOL
(Cyprus):
Ford
and
Peugeot
continued
to
dominate
the
Cyprus
Rally,
the
fifth
round
of
the
2002
FIA
World
Rally
Championship,
after
nine
special
stages
on
Saturday.
Ford's
overnight
leader
Colin
McRae
saw
his
slender
lead
reduced
to
a
mere
1.9s
by
second-placed
Finn
Marcus
Gronholm
in
the
Peugeot
206,
as
the
crews
set
out
from
Limassol
on
the
day's
remaining
six
special
stages.
Damp
and
slippery
conditions
prevailed
over
the
day's
opening
stage,
but
the
sun
soon
began
to
dry
the
tracks
as
the
47
surviving
cars
set
out
into
the
day's
remaining
timed
tests.
McRae
and
Gronholm
were
embroiled
in
a
fierce
battle,
with
Carlos
Sainz
and
Petter
Solberg
back
on
the
pace
after
yesterday's
mechanical
problems.
"It
is
developing
into
a
good
rally
for
Ford
and
myself,"
admitted
McRae.
"Marcus
is
pushing
hard,
but
we
are
in
a
good
position."
Ford
has
not
been
beaten
on
the
previous
two
runnings
of
a
WRC
event
in
Cyprus:
Sainz
was
victorious
in
2000
and
McRae
took
the
win
last
year.
Four-times
World
Champion
Tommi
Makinen
held
a
solid
third
place
in
a
Subaru
Impreza,
albeit
26
seconds
adrift
of
the
leading
Ford,
while
Ford's
Markku
Martin
and
the
Peugeots
of
Harri
Rovanpera
and
defending
World
Champion
Richard
Burns
completed
the
top
six.
The
first
casualties
of
the
second
day
were
Mitsubishi's
Jani
Parsonen
and
Finnish
co-driver
Arto
Kapanen.
They
clipped
a
rock
mid-way
through
the
first
stage
and
damaged
the
Mitsubishi's
steering.
Ralliart
team
mate
Alister
McRae
survived
an
eighth-stage
roll
and
Francois
Duval's
brave
drive
came
to
an
end
in
the
ninth
stage,
when
his
Ford
Focus
was
sidelined
with
engine
problems.
The
FIA
Production
Car
Championship
category
was
developing
into
a
Mitsubishi
benefit,
with
Malaysian
Karamjit
Singh
leading
the
section
after
eight
stages.
Former
World
Group
N
champion
Gustavo
Trelles,
from
Uruguay,
held
fourth
place,
as
early
leader
Ramon
Ferreyros
crashed
out
on
the
last
stage
on
Friday.
Sunday's
final
day
timetable
offers
two
loops
of
three
special
stages
and
81
competitive
kilometres,
before
the
winning
teams
are
due
back
into
Limassol
for
the
ceremonial
finish
around
4.30pm.
Positions
after
SS9
(top
6
only):
1.
Colin
McRae/Nicky
Grist
(Ford
Focus
RS
WRC
02)
2h
13m
23.6s
2.
Marcus
Gronholm/Timo
Rautianen
(Peugeot
206
WRC)
2h
13m
25.5s
3.
Tommi
Makinen/Kaj
Lindstrom
(Subaru
Impreza
WRC
2002)
2h
13m
50.0s
4.
Markku
Martin/Michael
Park
(Ford
Focus
RS
WRC
02)
2h
14m
12.9s
5.
Harri
Rovanpera/Risto
Pietilainen
(Peugeot
206
WRC)
2h
14m
28.3s
6.
Richard
Burns/Robert
Reid
(Peugeot
206
WRC)
2h
14m
38.9s
Ends
For
further
media
information:
Cyprus
Rally
2002
Media
Office,
Media
Centre,
Limassol
(Tel:
+
357
2576
2067,
Fax:
+
357
2576
2070)
|
.jpg)
