13th round out of 16 in the 2005 FIA World Rally Championship, 7th round out of eight in the 2005 FIA Production Car World Rally Championship

FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP
Rally Japan
Media FIA Pre-event Press Conference
29.09.2005

Present:
Toshiya Azuma (Subaru)
Isao Torii (Mitsubishi)
Jean-Pierre Nicolas (Peugeot)

Q: Torii-san thank you for the welcome to Japan, how clever of you to organise such great weather. What does it mean for your team to have WRC come to Japan?
IT: As you may know, last year for the first WRC in Japan, Mitsubishi had several reasons they could not come and lots of Mitsubishi fans were so sad. We were sad also. This time we made it and this time we can come here and at last compete in Japan. This is our home land in Japan and we would like to show good performance to our Mitsubishi fans. We set up this event as the most important event in the year for our team and we have been preparing for this event so it’s very exciting and also Mitsubishi are very excited and we have a chance to show our performance in our homeland Japan

Q: You have entered a three car team, what do you expect from each of your drivers?
IT: Of course our target is to get on the podium. Our car is getting more reliable, faster and improved and each driver is getting stable and confident in the car. Harri and Gilles and Gigi show their best performance and hopefully Sunday evening we will be smiling.

Q: How much interest at Mitsubishi the company is there in the team?
IT: In the case of Japan and Mitsubishi given that Mitsubishi are now facing difficult times, because of the problems last year and past, such as Ricoh and so on, so Mitsubishi are facing financial problems as well. We have to revitalise ourselves and also catch up to our good way. This is very important to us to show our appeal to the customers and ask Mitsubishi customers and fans to come back to our dealership so they realise Mitsubishi are still vital and we have to revitalise Mitsubishi

Q: Toshi you treated Subaru and STI to a very successful first rally in Japan. Can you repeat it?
TA: Yes. We are not satisfied with the results after New Zealand and I believe this is our turn. The preparation is perfect so we don’t need second or third.

Q: Toshi, how popular is WRC in Japan?
TA:Last year even I was surprised that so many people came to Hokkaido! I think that a lot of people support WRC but it’s still not enough. I think that it is difficult to understand. I think that the ones that do understand WRC are much deeper fans than circuit racing. So I would like to know how to improve the value of WRC. There is a lot to do still.

Q: At Shakedown, I found people still talking about Sunday in Wales, a tragic end to the weekend. Has it caused you to make a greater effort to make sure your driver and co-driver are safe when they compete?
TA: Of course. First of all I am very sad of the accident because ‘Beef’ used to be a team member. We should not repeat this. The most important aim is not just performance, safety is the most important thing to demonstrate. We should try to work very hard to improve the safety as much as we can. Of course we work hard with FIA to improve the safety features. Not only this, but we are willing to support everybody, work with the organisers - everything to improve safety, we support.

Q: Torii-san, may be we take safety for granted, we like the glamour, the show. Do you think safety has drifted away from the agenda?
IT: As a manufacturer, we have to concentrate on safety issues as well. We can’t forget this issue. We will accelerate to improve safety issues working together with FIA and other manufacturer’s and study how we can improve furthermore. We cannot stop and go behind. We will always go forward.

Q: Jean-Pierre Nicolas, it’s been a difficult two weeks. How is the team, what’s in their minds and what are they thinking?
JPN: As you may understand it’s difficult to take the decision to come to Japan. Not for Japan because it’s fantastic; it’s a fantastic idea to have a world rally championship in Japan. But after the tragic accident everyone in Peugeot and everyone in the world rally business is very sad and very shocked and until I have seen the widow of Michael, I was very uncertain of coming. And when I spoke to Marie and when I have seen her I have seen a very strong woman, who had already decided that most important was Michael’s memory and for that we must do Japan. If you had asked me last Sunday the same question, I would have told you we will not go, but after today we have recovered a little bit and each day more and more and now we are sure we had to come. We have to be sure that Marcus was ready because all the team was very shocked and that Timo was ready to come. They said they were (ready) on Tuesday evening and then Markko after speaking with him was not able to come mentally and physicality and we decided at the time to call Daniel Carlsson to ask him to come. I want to take the opportunity because most of the world rally journalists are present here, to thank everybody all over the world because we have received a lot of messages for Michael, for Peugeot, for Michael’s family to see how much he has been appreciated all over the world. Thank you everybody, especially the messages coming from very far.

Q: Did you had considered pulling out?
JPN: Now we have decided to continue okay. The decision of the marshall in GB was a bit difficult to understand. Okay it was their decision. There was a proposal from the manufacturer’s to stop the rally after the stage 15, after the accident. This could have permitted to have Marcus in the points because everybody can understand it was impossible to continue the rally in these conditions. The right decision would have been to finish the rally after stage 15. It has not been taken and now we are 20 points behind Citroen and only four rallies, with 2 asphalt rallies. I think it will be unbelievable to beat them. We will do our best on each rally. We cannot ask Daniel who has done only one rally for us this season, which was Sweden and after that he has not driven a Peugeot , he has done 4-5 events with a Subaru. We can’t ask him to go as fast as Markko is going, but I am still sure he will do his best in this situation and Marcus will do his best in this situation. Marcus is still in shock and I know he will do his best and is getting better. He will do his best in Michael’s memory.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR:

(Japanese journalist)
Q: Torii-san,Last year you did not participate in this rally. What would be the negative impact of that on this rally?
IT: Our first nominated driver Harri Rovanpera has experience with the Peugeot team last year so I don’t think it’s a negative. I think it’s positive. I think he is in the same position as other competitors. However Gilles and Gigi have no experience in this rally but it’s the same as Ford and other teams. I don’t think it’s a big disadvantage. The most important things is that this is our home land and there are lots of Mitsubishi red fans. That gives a lot of power for the drivers and then I think the drivers do a good job.

JPN added:
JPN: I am sure that Jacques Berger from FIA with all the safety commission they will improve the safety, however our chief engineer is in this commission and already before this rally they were working very hard to improve the safety of the car and I am sure this terrible accident will help all the teams to find better solutions on side shocks which is the most terrible today in rallies.

Q: Nicky Grist said that you would have to build a rally car like a tank to protect the car in that sort of situation. Do you believe that?
JPN: Since many years we have had a lot of accidents, very hard crashes and we have all seen the cars were very strong but only is very difficult when you have a side shock. Okay we will improve but not at any speed. There will always be a limit of the speed when you have a lateral shock. You cannot make a tank. This is impossible. You can have space in between driver and the side of car like F1. You can have the driver in the front and the co driver in the back but this is impossible. We have to drive with normal cars and try one more time to try and improve a little bit more the safety on the side of the car.

Present:
Gigi Galli (Mitsubishi)
Mikko Hirvonen (Skoda)

(Galli arrives showing the word GIGI emblazoned on the seat of his driving overalls
Q: Why do you have your name behind you?
GG: You know Italians! It’s some Italian fashion.

Q: Gigi, you have a big following here in Japan. You’ve met some of your fans - tell me about them.
GG: Three weeks ago we came to Yokohama and we did one rally meeting and it was a lot of fun with Mitsubishi for the rally. There were 3000 people more or less and it was one very exciting meeting because for one of the first times I feel a lot of support from the people. I never felt something like that.

Q: Were you surprised for the level of enthusiasm for the sport and the brand?
GG: Not surprised. I can say happy. I think it’s something that we need. For me it’s like some fuel.

Q: You are not nominated for points does that disappoint you?
GG: No, the reason for that is that Mitsubishi decided to show all three drivers for this event. I asked them to give me the chance to have number 25 because it’s my favourite number, like in a race, my team asked and they kindly gave us the chance to have this number.

Q: Why this number?
GG: It’s a number that I used in my first world rally event I did in Monte Carlo in 2000 and I have a good memory for that. It was a good performance and after that I did a lot of promotions for my fans and I used it for many things. That is the first time I had the chance to use it in WRC.

Q: Mikko, this is a terrific opportunity, back in a works team…
MH: Yeah, again I’m back in a new team and like always it’s really nice to be behind the wheel again and back in a works car and one chance for me again to show what I can do.

Q: How did the opportunity come around?
MH:I knew Skoda wanted a driver in Japan who had been here before. I had the chance to drive this rally last year and got some experience. I am lucky they contacted me and here I am.

Q: You are the most experienced guy in the team as far as Japan is concerned.
MH: I agree. I don’t know if it’s good or bad.

Q: What did you tell them?
MH: I said enjoy your time. I really like the country and the food here; there is nothing to be scared of. Just enjoy the time and we will have a good weekend.

Q: What did you tell them about the stages and how to be successful?
MH: That’s one thing we should ask Petter. He was quite successful last year, I am sure he knows the trick. One thing is that they are really fast and tricky. You have to be careful with your pacenotes. You have to be careful. There is no room for any mistakes like any rally but the roads here are so narrow.

Q: Your aim is obviously another full time drive. Have you talked this through with Skoda?
MH: We will see. It’s still too early for that. Definitely, okay I am in a team now and behind a world rally car again now.

Q: You must have thought that if you do well it will help?
MH: Sure it will if it goes like that.

Q: Is that the aim? You are in the shop window again. Is the aim to produce a good result to try and get a drive.
MH: For me it’s always been like that this year. Every rally I try to go as fast as I can and try to do a good result. I go one rally at a time. We will see what the future holds.

Q: Are you into Italian fashion like Gigi?
MH: Not yet, but it looked quite good. I have to think about it!

Present:
Sebastien Loeb (Citroen)
Peter Solberg (Subaru)

Q: Petter, you won here last year. What does it take to win in Japan?
PS: Obviously we have some new things for the car, for the rally. I am much more confident now than I have been the whole year so hopefully everything will work out perfectly and we can do a little bit better than we did on shakedown today. I think we have a chance to do it hopefully.

Q: What are your memories from last year?
PS: My memories for last year are incredible. It was the best memory from the whole year. The atmosphere, the show, the stages, it was really good fun to do and to get that feeling again. It was a long time ago. Hopefully we can give Sebastien a fight for this rally because obviously he needs it.

Q: Seb, he wants to give you a fight, no doubt you are ready for it?
SL: Yes I am ready. For the moment everything is going well. Everything with the car is good. I remember last year it was a fight with Petter and he was a bit faster, so I think we have improved this year with the car and the tyres. I am sure we can fight with him. For me it’s another challenge here because if I finish third I will be the champion and that’s important.

PS: Have you decided which rally you want to win the championship? Will you wait till Corsica?!
SL: I prefer to win the championship here than the rally. It’s difficult to think like this. And to decide I will not take too much risk to fight for the victory. We will see tomorrow and if I can fight for victory and I will do it.

Q: What would it mean to you and Citroen to win here where Mitsubishi and Subaru are so big?
SL: For me to win here it’s not the most important thing. The most important is to be the champion and now we have four rallies to go and we are close to winning the title and it’s not over till the end so at the moment I think if I could be champion here I could very happy because it’s also a lot of pressure when you are close and you are not at the moment. I will do my best. If I can fight for the victory I will try and fight.

Q: You could have won in Britain but it wasn’t to be because of the decision…
PS interjected:
That decision was wrong in England. They should have cancelled the rally after the stage when everybody came back to service, then Marcus would have got his points. There would not have been anything at all. It would have been the most fair thing because of Marcus and the Peugeot team. All the teams and drivers would agree that we should have left it as it was.
SL: The best way to make it simple and fair and logic for me was that the rally should have been stopped at the last stage that every driver has drove through. Marcus was third, I completely understand his decision to retire and not to go to check in at service. What does it change in a situation like this. We didn’t do anymore stages so why not stop the rally on the last stage.

Q: It could have been argued this was unprecedented; we were in a place we had not been in before or for a long time so clear decisions were difficult to come by.
PS: No not really; we should think of what happened and forget everything else and think logic about it and just leave it, calm down and finish. Instead of doing everything else we did. If not, if we pulled out all the driver, if we pulled out of the whole rally we would have pulled out.

Q: Have we learned anything for the future if anything was to happen again?
PS: We won’t think about it happening again
SL: No for sure. In the rally we were not happy with the decision but it’s like this, you take your own decision after that. I didn’t want to win the championship in these conditions. It’s not fair. Marcus decided not to check in at the service for that we checked in a bit earlier. But we don’t want to speak anymore about this… I hope it never happens again such an accident.

Q: A lot of Japanese fans are looking forward to you two fighting to the win. I wonder how that will be affected by the longest stage for the rally - an enormous stage for 50 kms and a rally with 26 stages. How is the rhythm for a stage like that?
PS: The stages last year were much better. The stages this year are too fast compared to last year. The long stage that is going to be crucial for us, because it’s very hard base and it’ will be tricky for us. You need a lot of power you need to take the throttle down and take some risks, like a lot of other stages. We have talked about it also the rally is too fast.

SL: Sure it’s very fast and very narrow. Also it’s not an easy rally. For me the long stage will be very difficult with the tyre because now with the new regulations it’s very hard to choose the tyre one month before but this will be difficult for everybody. Some of the stages are not as nice as last year because they put a lot of gravel on the road. We have soft roads like this after the recce and it can be dangerous because you really have to stay in the lines. If you go off the line you can have trouble.

Q: Do you think you should have input into the stages you drive on or just accept what you get?
SL: It’s not easy because we are not allowed to see the stages before - that’s normal. We cannot say one driver can go and see the stages; it’s not fair, so it’s difficult. Perhaps the organisers here do not have a lot of experience here of World Championship rallies and probably good intention to put some fresh gravel on the stages and make it clean but with the car like we have some big ruts and after it’s not so nice. I think like Petter said the stages are very fast. it s not the only rally there is a lot like this especially with our car which as a lot of grip and the car is very easy to drive. If some stages could be more twisty it would be better for everyone.

Q: Petter what do you think?
PS: We can cope with everything, it’s no problem. But like it is now it’s so fast, you put it in sixth gear and have to just hold it. First of all we should go to pure logic again. When the guy who is in charge of stages and goes through them and decides which one we should use, they should drive through every single one and think things like “this is too fast, the whole stage has a big drop on the left hand side, maybe it’s a stupid idea”. We want more technical, more difficult stages, more driving so we can see more differences between the drivers. Because everyone can put in sixth gear and leave it there. But for example when it’s very muddy and rainy and difficult, that’s where you see the driveability and the driver’s performance. That’s for safety and also for driving and performance.

FIA Production Cars World Rally Championship
Pre-event Press Conference
29 September 2005

Present:
Toshi Arai, Subaru
Natalie Barratt, Mitsubishi
Marcos Ligato, Subaru
Fumio Nutahara, Mitsubishi

Welcome to the PWRC press conference. First of all a word of introduction about the PWRC. Essentially a championship for cars that look like world rally cars but in a lower state of tune so you could call it a division two championship. Here in Japan there has been a tremendous interest in the championship mostly because its two biggest Japanese manufacturers are most represented on it. A particularly close championship fight to this year. The top three drivers are covered by three points. Nasser Al-Attiyah currently leads the championship as the regulations mean you have to miss one rally so the championship will be fought by Toshi Arai from Subaru and Marcos Ligato, another Subaru driver.

Q: Toshi, this is the first time the PWRC has come to Japan. How popular is it here?
TA: It’s now the second Rally Japan so everybody knows everything well so with the Production Car being just Subaru and Mitsubishi, they are quite famous in Japan.

Q: And is there a particular interest in the Production Cup category.
TA: Yes last year no one came in the Group N Championship and this year quite many Production Car people come here. And also Japanese competitors are very excited.

Q: It’s very exciting for you because you can fight for the championship. With only two points in it how are you feeling?
TA: I am not too bad because we have Japan and Australia - so two rallies more so it’s not so bad for me. We try hard to win this rally.

Q: For the last two years you have been second in the Championship. Is this the one where it’s finally going to be your year?
TA: We have to win this rally and this year. STI said many times to me “you have to win”.

Q: Do you have a lot of support from the local fans?
TA: Yes quite many people come here and are excited.

Q: Fumio, you come from Hokkaido, do you feel you have a local advantage?
FN: Yes, I live in Sapporo and it’s only three hours from here. I don’t really know the course too much but it’s on the same island so perhaps I do have a home advantage.

Q: You won the last round of the Japanese championship. It must give you a lot of confidence?
FN: In July there was Rally Hokkaido in the same area and unfortunately I could not win the Japanese Championship but I could get good expereince for this rally. I have prepared myself very well.

Q: What is the main difference between Subaru and Mitsubishi.
FN: You want me to explain the difference between Mitsubishi and Subaru! Well they are both 2 litre turbos! The biggest difference is the engine, the form, the Subaru has a horizontal opposing engine and that’s the biggest diference I guess. Both are very good cars, high performance.

Q: You are the only driver in the Championship using Yokohama tyres. Do you think they will be an advantage for you?
FN: Yes I do. I am the only one and I have been using these tyres for two years and participating in the WRC in this form as a Japanese manufacturer is rare. In the past two years, Yokohama has collected a lot of data. We have been putting focus on this event. Obviously as a Japanese manufacturer they would like to have a win in a Japanese event. They have been very well prepared for this event.

Q: Natalie,this is your first time in Japan, what do you think of it?
NB: Japan is different to what I expected. The roads are narrow and fast with a lot of gravel. Some places remind me of how it is in England in Kielder and Scotland so it should be interesting.

Q: You are the only girl in the championship. How difficult does it make it for you?
NB: It doesn’t make it difficult. It makes it easier because sometimes you can get a helping hand. It’s fine, the guys are really nice, they are really good fun to work with. They are really nice people, it’s a nice championship to be with.

Q: You have Kaj Linstrom sitting with you on this and the last event. He is one of the most experienced co-drivers. How is he able to help you? What input does he have?

NB: A lot of input. He has been a really big help. This morning when we did shakedown, we were back in a Mitsubishi and I had driven a Subaru for the last three rallies. It was a different driving style and he sat in the car this morning and he helped me set it up. That’s why we’re late, we did an extra two runs. We changed small things, my pace notes. Before we did Rally GB we changed my pace notes from descriptive to numbers. We are just perfecting those at the moment, it’s a big big help.

Q: What sort of objectives are realistic for this event, as it’s your first time here?
NB: I would like to get my times better than GB basically and at the end of the rally be closer to the guys at the front than I am at the moment. That’s the big objective.

Q: Toshi, what does it take to doing well in Rally Japan?
TA: I think it’s quite difficult because the road is quite difficult in parts so you must drive precise. There is a lot of grass and underneath there are big stones under the grass.

Q: What do you expect from the weather conditions?
TA: I think fine days but I want rain because after rain it’s quite difficult especially day three it’s quite difficult so after rain it’s much better for me.

Q: Natalie, you’ve driven both a Subaru and Mitsubishi. What are they key differences?
NB: I think in the Mitsubishi sometimes the engine is a little stronger and maybe more stable but for me the Subaru tends to be nimbler through the corners and drives a little differently. I find the difference quite reasonable.

Q: Marcos welcome. Fumio was saying he is local. You come from literally the other side of the world, Argentina.
ML: I was here three years ago and I remember Fumio was very fast here and I know Toshi was the same, they are from Japan. I think we will have a very good race with both local drivers.

Q: How difficult will it be for you to beat them on home territory?
ML: It will be very difficult. They know very well the roads. I have been here three years ago but it was a different race.There are too many new stages for me. I know about 20 per centre of the race and the rest is new to me. I have a very good feeling. We have a very good car. We are doing world championship events and taking good points. On the fourth event we finished on the podium. I will try and do the same here.

Q: This event has mixed weather and loose gravel. Are they similar to Argentina?
ML: No. We made the last two stages recce yesterday and they were very difficult, very slippery and it was not raining but in the middle of trees. It was very difficult to see. With the sun you cannot see the corner. It’s very difficult. If you have good notes here you can be at good advantage.

Q: What is your strategy? This is a crucial event for you.
ML: It’s difficult to take a strategy here because we are in the same points. I think Toshi is very fast here but maybe we can finish close to him, more or less the same points, and we can go to the last event. You must not think of anything but the World Championship. In the last event you can go flat out but not here.

Rally Preview

Rally Japan, the thirteenth round of the 2005 FIA World Rally Championship, starts next week on 30 September. Coming just two weeks after Wales Rally GB and the tragic accident that claimed the life of Peugeot co-driver Michael Park, preparations for Japan's usually colourful and vibrant rally have been made in a more sombre and subdued atmosphere than normal.

Leg one takes crews close to the town of Rikubetsu and features a variety of stages, from a short 2.73km Superspecial to the longest of the entire World Championship, the marathon 50.06km stage from Kunneywa to Niueo. Leg two again returns crews to the north of Obihiro and features 12 stages, including two new speed tests. Leg three, the shortest of the event, comprises only five stages before crews head back to the service in Kita Aikoku, six kilometres from the centre of town, for the finish. A Superspecial is run on all three days of the rally through a purpose-built stage near the Satsunai river that runs past Obihiro.

Citroen

Clear leaders in the Drivers' championship with a cushion of 34 points over their closest rivals, defending champions Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena have a chance to clinch their second consecutive title in Japan. For that, all they need is to obtain six points, the equivalent of finishing in 3rd place.

Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: "My priority will be the championship. Rally Japan is not one of the events I want to win the most. That said, I won't surprise anybody if I say that I will start at a pace at which I feel comfortable. In Wales, I felt extremely confident with the car. I obviously took some risks but I don't believe they were unconsidered risks. If I feel just as confident in Obihiro, and if my natural pace enables me to challenge for victory, then I will go for it. If I see that keeping up with the leader – or leaders – means that I have to take excessive risks, then I will concentrate on the championship and try to wrap it up in Japan. It will be nice to be able to go to Corsica with a free mind. The Tour of Corsica is one of the rallies I really do want to win!"

Francois Duval/Sven Smeets: "The stages are very narrow, and the grass that masks the corners makes it very difficult to read the road. The only way to anticipate what's coming next is to drive 100% to your pacenotes. Judging by what we achieved last year in the circumstances I have just described, and also going by my recent performance with Sven on Rally GB where we set some excellent stage times without making any mistakes, I feel quite optimistic. My confidence is back and Sven and I now function perfectly together, so I think we should be able to meet the objective set by Citroën for Rally Japan…"

Subaru

The Subaru World Rally Team will enter two WRC cars in Japan driven by Petter Solberg (co-driven by Phil Mills) and Chris Atkinson (co-driven by Glenn Macneall). Stephane Sarrazin will complete the recce to gain experience of the event. Petter Solberg makes his second Rally Japan appearance after winning the event in 2004. Chris Atkinson contests Rally Japan for the third time after having competed when the event formed part of the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship. The young Australian's best result came in 2004 when he won the Super 1600 class.

Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: "First and foremost my thoughts are with Michael's family and friends. Beef was a great guy and he will be missed by the whole of the WRC. Both Phil and I knew Michael well after being team mates in 2001 and Phil in particular was very close to him. Everything else that happened at Rally GB seems insignificant next to what happened. The final leaderboard showed that I won the event, but in my mind I finished second. Sebastien deserved the win, but I can understand the reasons why he did what he did. But now we all have to keep going - it's what Beef would have wanted. Rally Japan is Subaru's home event and we have a lot of support there so it's very special for us. It's a very technical event as it can be difficult to read the roads, but we won here last year so we're looking for maximum points again."

Chris Atkinson/Glen MacNeall: "Of course Rally Japan won't be the same without Beef. He was a top guy and we'll all miss him. I think of Rally Japan as my second home event as I have a good understanding of the roads and the conditions. We've competed in the event for the past two years when the event was part of the Asia-Pacific Championship. We've had a good run here too - last year we won our class and set some fast times on most of the stages. The roads are fast and narrow and are quite similar in places to GB, except with more tree cover. Last year the route was very tricky in the damp conditions, but this year it may dry, which will change the character of the stages."

Ford

Following the tragic death of Michael 'Beef' Park last weekend, the BP-Ford World Rally Team will not issue a sporting preview for the Rally Japan as a mark of respect. Please find following the rally schedule and contact details for the BP-Ford media service in Japan. We will resume our usual comprehensive news service from the rally on Friday 30 September. 

Peugeot

Peugeot travels to the thirteenth round of the calendar in 2nd position in the Manufacturers' championship, 20 points behinds its sister marque Citroën which tops the provisional standings. With four rounds remaining, and with a one-two finish worth a total of 18 points, the contest is still far from over, although Peugeot's situation has become more difficult since Wales Rally GB. In the chase for the Drivers' title, Marcus Grönholm is currently 3rd with a score of 61 points. The Finn's objective will be to try to regain 2nd place. Following his tragic accident on the final day of the recent Wales Rally GB, Markko Märtin will not compete in next week's Rally Japan. The second 307WRC will be driven by Daniel Carlsson.

Skoda

The Skoda Motorsport World Rally Team heads to Rally Japan (September 30-October 2) Where the Fabia WRC 05 will make its first appearance amid the ancient traditions and cultures of the Far East. Armin Schwarz/ Klaus Wicha lead the team as usual while the second Fabia WRC 05 will be driven by Finland’s Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen. The Skoda Motorsport World Rally Team will enter a third Fabia WRC 05 on each of the forthcoming asphalt rallies in Corsica and Catalunya (October 21-23 and 28-30 respectively). On each occasion it will be driven by reigning Czech Rally Champions Jan Kopecký/Filip Schovánek who were lying ninth overall at one point on the final day of the recent Rallye Deutschland.

Armin Schwarz/Klaus Wicha: I will go to Japan for the first time in 2005 so I haven’t got much idea what to expect. I’m told the roads are very tricky.

Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen: I’m really looking forward to getting behind the wheel of the Fabia WRC 05. It will be interesting to see what we can achieve – Japan is a very tricky rally with stages that are fast and flowing but they also need a very precise driving style which I think should suit me. Some of the stages remind me of Finland. Japan is a very beautiful country.

Mitsubishi:

The Mitsubishi Motors Motor Sports WRC team is ready for action on home territory and its three Lancer WRC05 crews are focused on a top result in Rally Japan - its most important round of the FIA World Rally Championship. Harri Rovanperä/Risto Pietiläinen and Gilles/Hervé Panizzi are piloting the two registered Mitsubishi Lancer WRC05s, while "Gigi" Galli/Guido d’Amore are driving a third factory-supported car on the only FIA WRC event hosted in Asia. Competing for the first time in its home event, the significance of Mitsubishi’s three-car entry is enormous.

Harri Rovanpera/Risto Pietilainen: "It’s great to be in Japan; we have been waiting for the start of this rally for nine months", said Harri. "Shakedown was good for us and I really hope the feeling during the rally can be the same. I don’t feel extra pressure, even though it is the most important rally for Mitsubishi; we try our best always, but I do feel very confident we can do something good this weekend; hopefully even a podium. The car and our performance gets better and better all the time and it would be special for us to make a very good result here. Tires are going to be very important too, as maybe the conditions will become cloudier, colder and even with some rain, but I hope we can make everything work for us".

Gilles Panizzi/Herve Panizzi: Gilles Panizzi, making his first competitive return to the team since the Cyprus Rally, is back in action having undertaken test duties for the team in recent months. "For sure it is not so easy for me because I have not done this rally before and I must learn everything quickly", said Gilles. "But we really try our hardest for Mitsubishi and the fans, but I don’t think it will be possible to go maximum tomorrow. We must ease ourselves into the pace and increase our performance each day to make sure we can try and get a good result for the team. The weather could be a big factor for the tires, but the situation will be the same for everyone, so we will see".

Event Timetable

Thursday 29 September: Ceremonial start

Start Central Obihiro 19.30

Friday 30 September: Leg 1 Obihiro - Obihiro

Start Kita Aikoku 06.00
SS1 Pawse Kamuy 1 9.05km 07.33
SS2 Rikubetsu 1 2.73km 08.19
SS3 Kunneywa-Niueo 1 50.06km 08.52
SS4 Sipirkakim 1 18.74km 09.59
Serv A Kita Aikoku (30 mins) 12.09
SS5 Pawse Kamuy 2 9.05km 14.12
SS6 Rikubetsu 2 2.73km 14.58
SS7 Kunneywa-Niueo 2 50.06km 15.31
SS8 Sipirkakim 2 18.74km 16.38
SS9 Satsunai 1 2.10km 18.42
Serv B Kita Aikoku (45 mins) 19.00
Finish Kita Aikoku 19.48

Saturday 1 October: Leg 2 Obihiro - Obihiro

Serv C Kita Aikoku (10 mins) 06.30
SS10 Sinotcaki 1 6.28km 07.20
SS11 Emina 1 8.18km 08.16
SS12 Pawse Kamuy 3 9.05km 08.51
SS13 Rikubetsu 3 2.73km 09.37
SS14 Menan 1 16.25km 10.33
Serv D Kita Aikoku (30 mins) 12.05
SS15 Sinotcaki 2 6.28km 13.15
SS16 Emina 2 8.18km 14.11
SS17 Pawse Kamuy 4 9.05km 14.46
SS18 Nupri Pake 13.90km 15.21
SS19 Rikubetsu 4 2.73km 16.02
SS20 Menan 2 16.25km 16.58
SS21 Satsunai 2 2.10km 18.26
Serv E Kita Aikoku (45 mins) 18.44
Finish Kita Aikoku 19.32

Sunday 2 October: Leg 3 Obihiro - Obihiro

Serv F Kita Aikoku (10 mins) 06.30
SS22 Panke Nikorpet 1 17.04km 07.50
SS23 Penke 1 24.88km 08.26
Serv G Kita Aikoku (30 mins) 10.01
SS24 Satsunai 3 2.10km 10.45
SS25 Panke Nikorpet 2 17.04km 12.08
SS26 Penke 2 24.88km 12.44
Serv H Kita Aikoku (20 mins) 14.12
Finish Kita Aikoku 15.00

Leading positions after the first day of the rally:

1. P Solberg/P Mills Subaru Impreza 1hr 31min 20.2sec
2. S Loeb/D Elena Citroen Xsara 1hr 31min 43.1sec
3. M Grönholm/T Rautiainen Peugeot 307 1hr 31min 54.7sec
4. C Atkinson/G MacNeall Subaru Impreza 1hr 32min 56.8sec
5. H Rovanperä/R Pietilainen Mitsubishi Lancer 1hr 33min 14.4sec
6. G Galli/G D'Amore Mitsubishi Lancer 1hr 33min 30.9sec
7. F Duval/S Smeets Citroen Xsara 1hr 33min 32.1sec
8. R Kresta/J Tománek Ford Focus RS 1hr 34min 10.8sec
9. T Gardemeister/J Honkanen Ford Focus RS 1hr 34min 13.6sec
10 D Carlsson/M Andersson Peugeot 307 1hr 34min 34.6sec

Driver's comments after Leg 1

Leg One News

Petter Solberg (Subaru) was the most consistent of the leading drivers to build an advantage of 22.9sec tonight. It was a good day for the British-based squad as team-mate Chris Atkinson took full advantage of a lower start position to win both the first and third stages to twice lead - the first time the Australian has led a world rally. Solberg was fastest on two of the nine stages to head Sebastien Loeb (Citroen), the Frenchman admitting that he was driving cautiously with an eye on the world title that he can seal this weekend. Marcus Grönholm (Peugeot) held third all day and has a comfortable advantage over Atkinson, who dropped from second three tests from the end when he was caught in Warmbold's dust. Harri Rovanperä (Mitsubishi) held a narrow advantage over team-mate Gigi Galli, the Italian dropping time with a spin on stage three. Mikko Hirvonen (Skoda) was the only major casualty. The Finn was fourth fastest on the first stage but a couple of small offs and hydraulic problems preceded a terminal accident on stage seven. The morning started overcast but cleared later in the morning, with temperatures ranging from 7°C to 19°C. The day stayed dry throughout.

Citroen

At the end of the long opening day of the 2005 Rally Japan, which lasted practically fourteen hours, Sébastien Loeb, Daniel Elena and their Xsara WRC this evening figure in 2nd position, while François Duval and Sven Smeets are in 7th place.

Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: "I am reasonably pleased with my day on the whole," continued Seb. "I pushed hard, but without taking many risks and, so far, everything is running to the plan which is to finish on the podium on Sunday afternoon. I think I will keep to the same pace tomorrow, but we will still need to be quick because we still have a fight on our hands with Petter [Solberg] and Marcus [Grönholm]…"

Francois Duval/Sven Smeets: I picked up three punctures this morning; the two front tyres and the rear right. Running on the ATS mousse, I had less grip and found it more difficult to turn it to corners. I broke my windscreen myself with stones thrown up by my front bumper, and I had trouble seeing out of the right-hand side. Second time through, I was running on a hard compound tyre and, if I could choose again, I would go for a medium compound. It was also starting to get a bit dark in the trees so I just concentrated on keeping it clean before taking things even more cautiously in the penultimate test [Sipirkakim 2] which was shrouded in fog. Tomorrow, my main objective will be to stay on the road. I haven't much experience with the Xsara in mud, so I hope the weather will stay dry as long as possible…

Subaru

Subaru's Petter Solberg dominated the action on today's first Leg of Rally Japan and holds the overnight lead by a margin of 22 seconds. Solberg, who won the rally in 2004, enjoyed a trouble free run in his Impreza WRC2005 and set the quickest time on three of the day's nine stages. Remarkably, Petter's closest competition on the first three stages was his young team-mate Chris Atkinson in the second works Impreza. Atkinson who has driven this rally twice before, but never in a four-wheel drive car, took two stage wins and even wrestled the lead of the rally from Solberg after SS3.

Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: I'm very happy to be back fighting for stage wins again! To be honest the day has gone better than even I expected, we had a few punctures in the afternoon but apart from that it has been just perfect. I love driving and when the package works as well as it has done today then there's no better feeling. Of course there's a long way still to go but I feel positive after what we've achieved today and everyone in the team is hungry to succeed.

Chris Atkinson/Glen MacNeall: The day started out very well and to lead a round of the WRC was something special but the aim this weekend is to get experience and a solid result without taking too many risks. We had a bit of bad luck this afternoon being caught in the dust behind Anthony Warmbold who had some problems in the long stage and then on the final stage we had to deal with some very foggy conditions on a road surface that I would say was one of the worst I have ever driven on. I think we could have chosen a slightly harder tyre compound for this afternoon's stages but overall it has been a very pleasing day and when you look at the fact that the only guys ahead of us are world champions we have to be happy. The aim now is to continue this pace for the remainder of the rally and gain a good result for the team.

Ford

BP-Ford World Rally Team drivers Roman Kresta and Jan Tománek and team-mates Toni Gardemeister and Jakke Honkanen endured a tough debut on the Rally Japan today. With neither pairing tackling last season's inaugural FIA World Rally Championship event here, both Ford Focus RS World Rally Car crews had much to learn on today's long opening leg. Kresta was the more consistent to hold eighth, with Gardemeister producing an improved afternoon display to lie ninth after a disappointing morning.

Roman Kresta/Jan Mozny: Kresta completed the opening loop in 11th but as he gained in confidence this afternoon, the 29-year-old Czech increased his pace to climb the order, setting fifth fastest time on the penultimate test. "It was a hard morning," he said. "They were difficult stages and as this is my first time here I made a few changes to my pace notes. I made a couple of mistakes in the last test this morning and had to stop briefly, which cost some time. "I'm pleased I improved this afternoon, especially as the conditions became worse, and some of my times were comparable with Rovanperä and Duval. But there was so much fog in the penultimate stage that it was better to switch off the lights to improve visibility. My start position for tomorrow is good, although I'm expecting another hard day," he added.

Toni Gardemeister/Jakke Honkanen: "My pace notes were too fast for the long stage this morning so my speed was wrong on every corner," he said. "I just couldn't trust them and I made a lot of changes. It was much better this afternoon but my tyres were too soft for the conditions. I needed hard tyres but I didn't have them in our tyre package so I chose the hardest that were available. I went off the road briefly in the fog this evening - it's an incredibly difficult rally for someone competing here for the first time."

Peugeot

At the end of leg one of the Rally Japan, round 14 of the World Rally Championship, Marcus Gronholm is in the top three battling against his familiar rivals Petter Solberg and Sebastien Loeb. Peugeot's second driver Daniel Carlsson, who replaces Markko Martin at short notice, spent the day reacquainting himself with the Peugeot 307 WRC – which he has not driven since the Rally Sweden in February. Carlsson ends the day in 10th position.

Marcus Gronhölm/Timo Rautiainen: "I've not had a brilliant feeling today, and we lost time on the penultimate stage when the tread came off a tyre towards the start of the stage. The car was all over the place and it was very difficult to control. I'm pleased to get to the end of today and I will do my best to push some more tomorrow, although the truth is that I am not feeling very confident."

Daniel Carlsson/Mats Andersson: "Today has been good, although I struggled in the fog of the penultimate stage: it was impossible to see. We made some small changes in the afternoon that worked, adjusting the differentials so that the turn-in was better. The car has been perfectly reliable all day and I look forward to trying to improve my position tomorrow."

Skoda

Skoda Motorsport World Rally Team made a strong start to its Rally Japan debut with Mikko Hirvonen starting the rally with fourth place on the opening stage and setting three more Top 10 times. However the young Finn crashed out of ninth position near the end of the seventh stage. Armin Schwarz ended today’s opening leg in 12th place on his first visit to Japan.

Armin Schwarz/Klaus Wicha: It has been very difficult for me today. You need very precise pace notes here and there were times when mine were far too optimistic for my first visit to the rally. We had a lot of scary moments this morning.

Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen: “I had to work very hard this morning but it was good that the times were so fast from the beginning, matching and beating even Sebastien Loeb at times. On the third stage I hit a rock that must have damaged the hydraulic oil cooler and we started to lose fluid. It stopped the automatic gearshift from working and affected the diffs so we spun a couple of times, losing about 30 seconds as a result but we were still well placed. On the second runs the stages were really rough. Near the end of the long stage I punctured the front left tyre and it was impossible to stay on the road at the next corner. The car hit a rock and rolled into the forest. It was my mistake.

Mitsubishi:

The Mitsubishi Motors Motor Sports WRC team enjoyed a successful opening day in Rally Japan, the 13th round of the FIA World Rally Championship. While Harri Rovanperä/Risto Pietiläinen lead the team’s assault in fifth position and rounded the day off with a fastest time, team-mates "Gigi" Galli/Guido d’Amore are hot on their heels in sixth and also delighted the team with the Lancer WRC05s first fastest stage time on home soil (SS 5). Gilles and Hervé Panizzi continue to ease themselves into the pace and the French rallying brothers hold 13th overnight in their first competitive outing since the Cyprus Rally.

Harri Rovanpera/Risto Pietilainen: "I am happy with today’s performance, our only problem being with the brakes in stage seven", said Rovanperä. "This morning the conditions were very slippy and although the long 50 kilometer stage was a lot cleaner this afternoon, all the others were very rutted. At the moment we are making good progress for Mitsubishi and I feel very happy with our position. Today’s leg has been long and therefore made tire choices difficult; tomorrow I think will be much easier".

Gilles Panizzi/Herve Panizzi: "Today has not been easy for us and I don’t have the feeling at all", said Gilles Panizzi. "We softened the car this afternoon which helped me but not enough to make a real difference to our times. My reflexes have come back very quickly, but I am fighting with the car too much; we will have to see what changes we can make to try and improve the set-up for me".

Gigi Galli/Guido d’Amore: "Our day has gone to plan, but I must say it’s a very tricky rally with incredibly high speeds on very narrow stages", said Galli. "In the long one I was lifting off the throttle because it was just too fast; I was in fear of the speed. The rally is harder than I expected, but I’m satisfied with our position. The second pass through the stages is always easier for me and to set a fastest time for the team, while we are in Japan, was very special for everyone".

Leading positions after the second day of the rally:

1. P Solberg/P Mills Subaru Impreza 2hr 34min 23.6sec
2. M Grönholm/T Rautiainen Peugeot 307 2hr 34min 55.9sec
3. S Loeb/D Elena Citroen Xsara 2hr 35min 34.7sec
4. G Galli/G D'Amore Mitsubishi Lancer 2hr 37min 06.3sec
5. H Rovanperä/R Pietilainen Mitsubishi Lancer 2hr 37min 07.4sec
6. C Atkinson/G MacNeall Subaru Impreza 2hr 37min 17.3sec
7. F Duval/S Smeets Citroen Xsara 2hr 37min 19.2sec
8. T Gardemeister/J Honkanen Ford Focus RS 2hr 38min 28.8sec
9. R Kresta/J Tománek Ford Focus RS 2hr 38min 45.5sec
10. D Carlsson/M Andersson Peugeot 307 2hr 39min 59.8sec

Driver's comments after Leg 2

Leg Two News

A tense daylong battle between overnight leader Petter Solberg (Subaru) and Marcus Grönholm (Peugeot) ended pretty much as it started with the Norwegian 32.3sec ahead. Although the time gap between the pair differed by only 2.2sec from last night, it did not tell the story of the day. Grönholm was fastest on four of the first six stages to reduce the deficit from 34.5sec to just 20.0sec. However, Solberg hit back this afternoon to win four tests to widen the gap as Grönholm struggled with transmission troubles. Sebastien Loeb (Citroen), second after leg one, refused to be drawn into the battle. The Frenchman tested a new tyre that was unsuited to the wet conditions this morning and concentrated on preserving the podium place that would give him a second world title tomorrow. Harri Rovanperä (Mitsubishi) moved ahead of Chris Atkinson (Subaru) into fourth on the third stage but clipped a tree and broke his lights on the penultimate test to drop back to fifth. Team-mate Gigi Galli profited to climb into fourth. Atkinson fell behind François Duval (Citroen) into seventh this afternoon but snatched sixth back on the penultimate stage. Leg two comprised 12 stages and 100.98 competitive kilometres. The Leg was run through forests and farmland to the northeast of Obihiro with another run through the Satsunai spectator arena on the outskirts of the host town. The morning started overcast and humid with light drizzle. Localised heavy rain affected the morning stages and temperatures ranged from 9°C to 15°C.

Citroen

After the twelve stages that made up Rally Japan's second leg, Sébastien Loeb, Daniel Elena and their Citroën returned to this evening's service park in Kita Aikoku in 3rd place. The Xsara of François Duval and Sven Smeets continues to figure in 7th spot, the position they held this morning.

Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: It didn't take Sébastien Loeb long to see that it would be difficult to fend off Marcus Grönholm. Pushing as hard as he could in Emina (SS11), the Citroën driver saw his Finnish rival close quickly from behind: "In fact my tyre choice wasn't as good as it might have been in the conditions. As soon as I saw that despite pushing hard it would be difficult to match the pace of Marcus, I decided not to risk making a mistake." In the early part of Leg 2, Sébastien saw that the stages had been cut up by the first pass. "The ruts were up to 30cm deep and the stages weren't much fun. Consciously or otherwise, my mind was made up to defend 3rd place. Marcus was too quick and, to make up the 25s gap he had pulled out would have meant taking too many risks. In our current situation, it would be foolish to make a mistake…"

Francois Duval/Sven Smeets: At the lunch-time break, François Duval was pleased with his morning: "The going was very tricky, with a lot of deep ruts which it was best to stay in. Despite my lack of experience with the Xsara in such greasy conditions, I felt confident with the car and I made a good tyre choice. It's been a good start to the day..;" The second part of François's day went just as well as the first. In the fight that is raging in the chasing pack, the young Belgian momentarily passed Chris Atkinson into 6th place (SS18 & 19) but then fell back behind the Australian driver. "I was a bit too cautious in the very delicate Menan stage which was run in the dark, especially as my headlights were set a little too high. I feel comfortable, I'm driving at a good pace and there are four of us grouped within just 13 seconds. It could be interesting tomorrow…"

Subaru

The Subaru World Rally Team had a successful day as Petter Solberg continued to lead Rally Japan. The Norwegian collected five stage wins during the Leg and pulled further ahead of the chasing pack. Petter will start Sunday's final day of competition with a 30 second advantage over his closest rival, Marcus Gronholm. Despite some extremely tricky road conditions, Chris Atkinson also had an excellent day locked in an intense battle for fifth place with some very experienced competitors. Chris will start the final Leg just 10 seconds behind fifth-placed Harri Rovanpera.

Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: It feels good, we're on target but there's still a long way to go. I've pushed to the maximum today, perhaps a little too much in the morning but my tyre choice was too hard and I had no option. We gave away a lot of seconds for free on the first group of stages but the afternoon was much better. It's not easy out there, the stages have been terrible. My biggest fight today was not with Marcus, it was with the roads. It's been a long time since I won a rally and it's a feeling I want back. I'm sure Marcus will attack very hard tomorrow, but I want this win very much indeed.

Chris Atkinson/Glen MacNeall: Although we dropped from fourth to sixth it was still a good day. We are only 10 seconds behind fourth place and very much in contention to achieve our aim for the weekend of a solid result in the points. This morning's stages were very tough with the roads pretty rough but the changes we made in the midday service improved the set up for this afternoon's run. Throughout the day we continued to play it safe to make sure we got through okay, we sacrificed a little time in the process but we're still in the game. With it being so close for a spot in the top five it is going to be an interesting battle tomorrow on roads that we know well but our number one aim is make sure we get to the finish ramp.

Ford

Today's marathon second leg of the Rally Japan ended with BP-Ford World Rally Team continuing to hold eighth and ninth places. However, in contrast to the opening day, it is Toni Gardemeister and Jakke Honkanen who are eighth in their Ford Focus RS World Rally Car with Roman Kresta and Jan Tománek one place and 16.7 seconds behind in a similar car.

Toni Gardemeister/Jakke Honkanen: "I did a lot of sliding in the wet and mud this morning but everything felt better than yesterday," said Gardemeister. "I had more confidence and I improved but it's the most difficult rally of the season so far. I had a lucky escape on the second corner of Menan this morning. It was extremely slippery and I was fortunate to stay on the road. On the same stage this afternoon I missed a junction and stalled the engine, losing a few seconds. It was hard to find good times this afternoon, although everything still felt good. I can't gain any places tomorrow unless those in front of me hit trouble. So I will work on improving the set-up and try to set some good stage times."

Roman Kresta/Jan Mozny: "The roads were really, really rough this afternoon. I hit a small bridge with the bumper but apart from that we had no troubles. I tried hard but I didn't want to push too much in case I made a mistake. The stages were slower today but this morning's rain made them slippery," added Kresta.

Peugeot

After a flamboyant attack, Marcus Gronholm is up to second place on the Rally Japan. The Finn is gradually catching the leader Petter Solberg, to whom he closed to within 20 seconds half way through the day. Daniel Carlsson ends the leg in a solid 10th, after a trouble-free run. Marcus Gronholm, with a good tyre choice under him, was on a charge from the start, setting three fastest times and two second-fastest times. During the afternoon, an over-cautious tyre choice meant that he was less competitive, and Marcus gave back some of the time he had gained from Solberg in the morning.

Marcus Gronhölm/Timo Rautiainen: "This afternoon was quite tricky for us. For the last three stages we had a problem with the differential, which meant that the handling of the car was quite difficult. Then on the road section towards the superspecial we heard a noise from the gearbox, which worried me. Luckily we were able to make it to the end with no problems but it has not been easy. Tomorrow I do not think we have a chance to catch Petter under normal circumstances so we just have to do our best and get to the finish, which has been our aim throughout the rally."

Daniel Carlsson/Mats Andersson: "I struggled to find a good feeling with the car today: I am not quite sure why as the set-up was no different to yesterday. In particular I didn't feel so confident over the stages with big ruts. I thought that I was braking too early on most of the corners but still I nearly went off a few times! But we're learning more with every stage, so tomorrow we will just aim for a safe finish."

Skoda

Skoda Motorsport World Rally Team driver Armin Schwarz completed a solid second leg of Rally Japan, maintaining his overnight in 12th place over the day’s 12 stages. Having retired from the event after rolling on yesterday’s seventh stage, Mikko Hirvonen and co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen visited the service park. Jarmo went to Obihiro hospital this morning where X-rays suggested that he had not sustained serious injuries despite being in some discomfort but doctors will monitor him over the next few days when he returns to Finland.

Armin Schwarz/Klaus Wicha: My pace notes have been better today and the car has been fine. Unfortunately the roads have become very deeply rutted, especially on the stages that have now been used four times, and you can do nothing but follow the tracks.

Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen: I feel very sorry for what happened yesterday. If I’d taken the harder compound tyre that Michelin had suggested then I’d still be in the rally and fighting for championship points. I’m always very self-critical of my own performance so I hope I’ll get another chance to drive the Fabia WRC 05 and redeem myself. We saw early on what it can do and I’m sure it is not so far away from a good result.

Mitsubishi:

The Mitsubishi Motors Motor Sports WRC team has enjoyed the most consistent and successful two days of the season during the opening two legs of Rally Japan, the team’s home event and the 13th round of the FIA World Rally Championship. Both "Gigi" Galli/Guido d’Amore and Harri Rovanperä/Risto Pietiläinen have performed faultlessly and the Lancer WRC05 crews hold fourth and fifth positions respectfully going into the final leg. Gilles and Hervé Panizzi have increased their confidence and maintain 13th position.

Harri Rovanpera/Risto Pietilainen: "Today has been a good day, but losing the spot lamps was very frustrating", said Harri, who is celebrating his son’s fifth birthday, long distance. "We had the fog and main lights, but this means nothing in the type of conditions we are talking about. In the open sections of the stage it was reasonably okay, but the minute you get under the trees and into the mud it is very difficult. But, overall we have to be very happy with the performance".

Gilles Panizzi/Herve Panizzi: "We made some modifications to the shock absorbers at lunchtime and for me the feeling is the best of the weekend, so we won’t be making any major changes", said Gilles. "The support for the rally along the road sections today has been amazing; at each set of red traffic lights I’ve been signing about 10-15 autographs!"

Gigi Galli/Guido d’Amore: "Today has been another very long day, tiring, but very satisfying at the end and I am happy", said Gigi. "To be honest I have never, ever, seen such tricky stages in my life. We had a similar problem to Harri with the lights, but still had two lamps working so it was slightly easier for us. This morning I didn’t want to take more risks than necessary; the event is already difficult enough, there is no point risking more. Tomorrow we’ll continue to push, but only at the pace I am comfortable".

Final positions after the third day of the rally:

1. M Grönholm/T Rautiainen Peugeot 307 3hr 25min 32.0sec
2. S Loeb/D Elena Citroen Xsara 3hr 26min 54.1sec
3. C Atkinson/G MacNeall Subaru Impreza 3hr 28min 12.0sec
4. F Duval/S Smeets Citroen Xsara 3hr 28min 31.4sec
5. H Rovanperä/R Pietilainen Mitsubishi Lancer 3hr 29min 31.8sec
6. T Gardemeister/J Honkanen Ford Focus RS 3hr 30min 04.3sec
7. R Kresta/J Tománek Ford Focus RS 3hr 31min 04.0sec
8. D Carlsson/M Andersson Peugeot 307 3hr 32min 11.1sec
9. A Warmbold/M Orr Ford Focus RS 3hr 33min 11.3sec
10 A Schwarz/K Wicha Skoda Fabia 3hr 37min 39.4sec

Driver's comments after Leg 3

Unofficial Final News

Sebastien Loeb (Citroen) clinched his second consecutive world drivers' title (results subject to FIA confirmation) by finishing second after a dramatic final day. The Frenchman, needing just a top three finish to lift the crown, adopted a cautious policy all weekend on the slippery roads. He was set to take third until Petter Solberg (Subaru), who led since early on the opening morning, retired after hitting a rock 1km after the start of the penultimate stage and breaking his car's front right suspension. That allowed Marcus Grönholm (Peugeot) to take his second win of the season, the Finn heading Loeb by 1min 22.1sec. Chris Atkinson (Subaru) secured the best result of his career in third. A stunning fastest time on the second stage carried him passed François Duval (Citroen), who had to settle for fourth. Harri Rovanperä (Mitsubishi) dropped a minute after his engine stalled on the opening test and then the Finn hit something buried in the grass on the next stage and damaged his front right suspension. He was fifth. Daniel Carlsson (Peugeot) took the final drivers' and manufacturers' point in eighth. Gigi Galli (Mitsubishi) retired on the liaison section following the second stage after the Italian broke his car's left rear suspension. The morning started overcast and humid, with temperatures ranging from 10 to 16°C. No rain fell during the day.

Citroen

"Wa shôri-sha…!" Seb and Daniel are the 2005 World Champions! By finishing 2nd in Rally Japan, the 2004 champs have succeeded in retaining their crown a further year. Meanwhile, François Duval and Sven Smeets put in a superb run to clinch 4th, enabling Citroën to extend its lead at the top of the Manufacturers' table by two further points.

For Guy Fréquelin, the most satisfying aspect of this result was… "that all season the team has succeeded in giving Seb and Daniel a car that has allowed them to win the World Championship again. I am pleased and proud to see how motivated the team is. Tactically, Seb was his usual masterful self this weekend. The other satisfying thing was the performance of François and Sven here. After some difficult moments, François now feels a lot more at ease. His performance was up to his natural talent. And that's a good thing because winning the Drivers' title is only half the job. We must now finish it by making sure we keep the Manufacturers' crown…"

Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: "Fantastic," kept repeating the beaming Seb. "We have reached the first peak of what has practically been a perfect season by sewing up our second Drivers' title with three rounds still to come. Each time out, Citroën has given us a competitive and reliable car. This triumph is also theirs and we now intend to do all we can to make sure the team keeps the Manufacturers' title. They really deserve it. I only needed to finish 3rd here, and I came home in 2nd place but that doesn't change much. In the circumstances I am happy for Marcus, Timo and Peugeot."

Francois Duval/Sven Smeets: "It's nice to be fully confident again. That was important in this weekend's very difficult and slippery conditions. Sven and I spent a lot of time before this rally thinking about Markko [Martin] and Michael [Park] and it took us a little time to get into full swing here. I am very happy for Seb and Daniel. They fully deserve their second world title. They have shown that they are capable of winning on all types of surface and how important hard work is. They will now have a free mind and we are feeling confident, so the end of the season looks very promising…"

Subaru

day of mixed fortunes for the Subaru World Rally Team as Chris Atkinson achieved the best result of his WRC career with third overall, but Petter Solberg retired from the lead of the rally on the penultimate stage. The Norwegian had held the lead since SS4, but when his car ran into a 21kg rock on the road in SS25 his rally came to an abrupt end. Subaru's young charger Chris Atkinson put in a superb performance throughout the rally, scoring three stage wins, including one on the longest stage of the 2005 season. The 25-year-old's previous best result in a World Championship event came in Rally Australia 2004 where he finished fifth overall, despite driving a Group N Subaru Impreza. His result equalled the best-ever finish of an Australian in the WRC and Chris became the first Australian in 13 years to step onto the WRC podium.

Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: It's shocking, I almost can't believe it. I don't really know what to say. Things had been perfect for the 24 stages before and we were so close to the result we wanted, but then it just went in an instant. We could do nothing to avoid the rock, it was right in the line, it happened so fast and that was that. I'm absolutely gutted. There's nothing more to say.

Chris Atkinson/Glen MacNeall: It's awesome, I'm more than happy with the result and to get my first ever podium is pretty special too. We've done this rally before and today's result just goes to show how much difference experience can make. I can't wait for next year! We took things fairly steady yesterday when the road conditions were difficult but today the whole package felt good and we decided to push a little harder. Things worked out perfectly. Getting on the podium in front of Subaru's home crowd makes it extra special but at the same time I really feel for Petter - he's been terribly unlucky.

Ford

Ford today extended its record-breaking points scoring run in the FIA World Rally Championship after claiming a double points haul on the Rally Japan. BP-Ford World Rally Team drivers Toni Gardemeister and Jakke Honkanen finished the demanding three-day event in sixth in their Ford Focus RS World Rally Car with team-mates Roman Kresta and Jan Tománek in seventh in a similar car. A third privately-entered Focus RS of Antony Warmbold and Michael Orr was ninth. The result was Ford's 57th consecutive points finish in the championship, a record which dates back to the opening round of the 2002 series in Monte Carlo. All 57 scores have come with the Focus RS World Rally Car, blending a mixture of speed and reliability to create a record that no other manufacturer has achieved in the sport's history. BP-Ford remains third in the 2005 manufacturers' standings.

Toni Gardemeister/Jakke Honkanen: "Today's stages were the best of the rally," said Gardemeister. "They were really tricky and muddy but a lot more flowing and driveable and they were enjoyable to compete on. I didn't push too hard today because I wanted to correct my pace notes for next year. I've made a lot of corrections throughout the rally but that will help when I return next season. It's hard to be competitive when everyone else has driven these stages before. On Friday I didn't trust my notes and had no real confidence in them, but they improved as the weekend went on. "Before the rally I heard from other drivers that this was a difficult event but it turned out a lot harder than I imagined. The car was good all weekend and I'm pleased with the result," he added.

Roman Kresta/Jan Mozny: Kresta, ninth overnight, also moved up two places to finish 59.7sec behind his team-mate and the result lifted him to eighth in the drivers' standings. "I drove carefully this morning," said the 29-year-old Czech. "The team kept me well informed of Daniel Carlsson's split times behind us and I drove at a pace that kept me ahead of him - no more. I didn't want to make any mistakes and concentrated on scoring points for Ford. "It was a very difficult rally but I've learned a lot and made many changes to my pace notes. It was good to have a battle with Toni yesterday and I'm pleased to have set times that were comparable to his," added Kresta.

Peugeot

Marcus Gronholm took the lead on the penultimate stage of the Rally Japan, after putting constant pressure on Petter Solberg, who went off. Marcus was on the attack from the very start, setting nine fastest stage times over the course of the event. His 18th career victory returns him to second place in this year's title race, won by newly-crowned champion Sebastien Loeb. The other Peugeot 307 WRC of Daniel Carlsson has finished in eighth place, allowing Peugeot to consolidate their second place in the manufacturers championship.

Marcus Gronhölm/Timo Rautiainen: "The most important thing for me is that this victory is in memory of Michael Park: we want it to be for him. We were pushing hard to the end and we were always close to the pace of Petter. Whether or not that was why he went off is something we will never know, but we were never far off him. It was a difficult rally: in some places we lost time because of incorrect tyre choices and we also had a couple of problems on the second day. Under the circumstances this was the best possible result we could have; it is very good for the team."

Daniel Carlsson/Mats Andersson: "I've got one point at the end of this rally, which is a very emotional moment. I had no testing before the start of the event and just tried to do my best under very difficult circumstances. I struggled a bit with confidence sometimes but I learnt more with every kilometre and I'm very pleased to get to the finish and do what Peugeot asked of me."

Skoda

Skoda Motorsport World Rally Team driver Armin Schwarz completed a solid second leg of Rally Japan, maintaining his overnight in 12th place over the day’s 12 stages. Having retired from the event after rolling on yesterday’s seventh stage, Mikko Hirvonen and co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen visited the service park. Jarmo went to Obihiro hospital this morning where X-rays suggested that he had not sustained serious injuries despite being in some discomfort but doctors will monitor him over the next few days when he returns to Finland.

Armin Schwarz/Klaus Wicha: I feel very sorry for what happened yesterday. If I’d taken the harder compound tyre that Michelin had suggested then I’d still be in the rally and fighting for championship points. I’m always very self-critical of my own performance so I hope I’ll get another chance to drive the Fabia WRC 05 and redeem myself. We saw early on what it can do and I’m sure it is not so far away from a good result.

Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen: My pace notes have been better today and the car has been fine. Unfortunately the roads have become very deeply rutted, especially on the stages that have now been used four times, and you can do nothing but follow the tracks.

Mitsubishi:

The Mitsubishi Motors Motor Sports WRC crew of Harri Rovanperä/Risto Pietiläinen finished Rally Japan, the 13th round of the FIA World Rally Championship, in fifth position - a result that belies a stunning performance throughout the event. Gilles and Hervé Panizzi, in the second registered Lancer WRC05, finished in 11th position. "Gigi" Galli and Guido d’Amore were on course for a fourth place finish but were forced into retirement after damaging the rear suspension.

Harri Rovanpera/Risto Pietilainen: Generally I have to say the whole weekend - in fact the whole week - has been very nice", said Harri. "We can now show our speed and maintain a top position and that’s the main thing. It has been easier than last year, mainly because we have had fewer problems, but you can never say a rally is ’easy’ and this one, in particular, is very tough. But now we have proved we and the car can fight. And of course I have to say that the support we have all had here is amazing; there were thousands of people on the road sections - red flags everywhere!"

Gilles Panizzi/Herve Panizzi: "The feeling has been much better today, but the car is still a little too ’lazy’ for the way I like to drive", he said. "I tried to progress again this afternoon but really I needed to come back and understand the car again for the future".

Gigi Galli/Guido d’Amore: "It was really bad luck, what can I say", said Gigi. "We just touched something, I don’t know what and I’m so sorry and apologetic to the team. Maybe it was the same corner where Harri had his problem, I think it’s possible, and he was just luckier than me. It is hugely disappointing and reminds us that with one small mistake you can lose a lot. But we have to keep in our mind that the car performed fantastically here in Japan and our performance was good for two full days".