Subaru withdraws Atkinson.

The Subaru World Rally Team has had to withdraw Chris Atkinson from the third leg of the Rally Ireland due to an internal engine problem.

Atkinson, who lost over 20 minutes on day 1, when he went off the road in SS4, finished leg 2 in 29th place overall.

"In service last night the team realised there was an internal engine problem, and after looking at the data overnight and at the engine again this morning, there's almost no possibility of the car reaching the end of the rally," explained Subaru's managing director, Richard Taylor.

"Reluctantly we've no choice but to withdraw it."

Atkinson however will still 'finish' under the SupeRally format, in order to pick up points for the team.

Those points may prove crucial come the end of the season, as the Banbury-based outfit is locked in a close battle with the Stobart M-Sport Ford Rally Team for third in the manufacturers' championship.

Speaking last night, prior to the news he would have to withdraw, Chris noted that he had been happy with his form on day two. Furthermore while he was mainly concentrating on testing and data acquisition, after any hope of a good result was wiped out on day 1, he still managed to set four top five stage times, including winning SS14.

"It's been quite a positive day," he noted. "The engineers made some set-up changes for the afternoon which gave me more front-end grip and a more solid feeling in general - especially through the bumpier sections. That gave me the confidence to drive safely but still fast - and that was quick enough to get a stage win.

"Obviously most of the other guys have backed off a bit, but at least it's something for the team and our supporters. It's basically the same plan for tomorrow [Sunday]. We're out there to gather information for the engineers and to put on a good show for the fans."