World Rally News

Colin McRae became the most successful rally driver in WRC history by winning the Safari Rally for the third time, leading home just eleven finishers from the 48 cars that began the event on Friday.

Stage times and overall standings after SS12. Top ten stage times for SS12:

Ford Rallye Sport pairing Colin McRae and Nicky Grist won Kenya's Safari Rally, the toughest event in the FIA World Rally Championship calendar, giving the Scottish driver a second consecutive WRC win and his 25th in all, moving him to the top of the all-time winners' list.

Stage times and overall standings after SS5. Top ten stage times for SS5:

Peugeot suffered mixed fortunes as the eighth round of the FIA World Rally Championship - the Safari Rally - continued into a second gruelling day in Kenya.

Markko Martin's hopes of a possible podium finish were hit by the assessment of a massive time penalty when his Ford Focus WRC refused to refire at the final service halt.

The Citroen Xsara WRCs of Thomas R?dstr?m/Denis Giraudet and S?bastien Loeb/Daniel Elena returned to Nairobi tonight in fourth and fifth positions respectively, after the French cars demonstrated high performance by setting two fastest times during the day.

Following the retirement of more than a third of the field yesterday, just 29 of the original 48 starters left the Nairobi parc ferme today to begin the second leg of the 2002 Safari Rally.

The Safari Rally is the eighth round out of 14 in the 2002 FIA World Rally Championship, and the fifth round out of eight in the 2002 FIA Production Car World Rally Championship.

Extreme conditions and searing temperatures combine to make the eighth round of the World Rally Championship a true endurance test of driver and car. But the rough tracks of Africa have always emphasised the Skoda Octavia WRC's strength and reliability, finishing on the podium last year.

Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart today released a statement saying it "deeply regrets an incident that occurred today (Sunday 7 July) in Kenya, between its test car and a local man". The statement went on to say:

Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart works driver Francois Delecour and Team Manager Derek Dauncey took time out from their busy Safari Rally schedule to visit the capital of Lebanon, Beirut, to view preparations for the 26th Marlboro Rally of Lebanon.

Colin McRae could be on his way back to the Prodrive-run Subaru team, if media speculation is to be believed.

Skoda Motorsport's crew Roman Kresta/Jan Tomanek, in a factory Octavia WRC, have exploited to its maximum one of the rare starts apart from their world rally programme and the opportunity to cheer their local fans.

Ford Rallye Sport's rising stars, Belgium's Francois Duval and Jean-Marc Fortin will take a well deserved break from their demanding Junior World Rally and World Rally Championship programme this weekend - but rather than enjoy a weekend off, the madcap duo's idea of relaxation is competing in th

Subaru's Phil Mills, co-driver to Petter Solberg reflects on the Acropolis Rally, frustration on the first stage and a storming recovery drive to finish fifth overall.

Tarmac-specialist Gilles Panizzi will be looking to exorcise his Safari Rally demons when the 2002 Inmarsat-backed event gets underway on July 11th. He will drive one of four Peugeot 206 World Rally Cars tended by the giant French manufacturer.

Finn Janne Tuohino and Italian Andrea Dallavilla presented the Citro?n Saxo, last year's Super 1600 Championship winning car, with a consecutive one-two victory today.

SS7 - Bauxites 1 (23.45 kms): Solberg fastest through SS7; Colin McRae second; Burns third; Martin fourth; Gronholm fifth; Rovanpera sixth; Duval leads the JWRC; Martin leads overall rally by 50.9 secs. Stage times and overall standings after SS7.

Ford driver Colin McRae holds the overnight lead on the seventh round of the FIA World Rally Championship, the Acropolis Rally, which continued today.

The cruel nature of the Acropolis Rally was made crystal clear on today's second stage when FIA Junior World Rally Championship leaders Francois Duval and Jean-Marc Fortin were forced to withdraw from the event.

Organisers of the Acropolis Rally, Greece have been forced to cancel Special Stage 10 - Mendenitsa (17.34 kms) - due to safety concerns.

Colin McRae and Nicky Grist are the new leaders of this seventh round of the FIA World Rally Championship after Ford Rallye Sport team-mates Markko M?rtin and Michael Park had to stop and change a tyre during the longest stage of the rally.

Searing heat and car-breaking rock-strewn roads are a tough enough challenge for the World Rally Championship contenders but, without the benefit of four-wheel drive, the crews in the FIA Junior World Rally Championship faced an even tougher Acropolis Rally than their 'senior' rivals.