Pirelli at the Montecarlo Rally
ONCE AGAIN PIRELLI GRABS THE "SISTERON CROWN"
Milan, January 22, 2000 - After the big disappointment of Friday morning, when the WRC99 Subaru Impreza failed to start in par ferme and prevented to Richard Burns to proceed in his personal fight with Tommi Makinen, Pirelli can be happy with the 3rd and last Leg of the Monte Carlo Rally. The event concluded itself giving Pirelli the 3rd and 4th final positions, thanks respectively to Kankkunen's Subaru and to Gardemeister's SEAT. But what excited most was the super performance of Kankkunen on the "historic" and extra-complex Stage of Sisteron, where the 4 times world champion scored victory also thanks to the soft " termical" compound of the Pirelli PZero RS9 he had chosen for that stage. This allowed Kankkunen to be fastest both on the dry tarmac which characterized most of the SS, and on the central icy kms at Col te Fontbelle.
Bad luck for Didier Auriol in the end of the rally, when his Pirelli-fitted SEAT retired due to engine trouble.
Pirelli-fitted are also the Mitsubishis of Manfred Stohl, Gianluigi Galli and Gustavo Trelles, 1st, 2nd and 3rd in this order in Group N.
The Rally World Champ. heads now to Sweden (10-13 February), where thanks to its successful winter testing Pirelli hopes for a very interesting result. At Monte Carlo the Subaru e SEAT's drivers' comments regarding our tyres were always very positive, so confirming the high rate of competitiveness and reliability of the Pirelli PZero range for snow and ice.
Final standings (15 SSs totally): 1. T.Makinen (Mitsubishi), 3h22m34.1; 2. C.Sainz (Ford) +1m24s9; 3. J.Kankkunen (Subaru-Pirelli) +3m21s4; 4. T.Gardemeister (SEAT-Pirelli) +3m45s1; 5. B.Thiry (Toyota) +4m48s4; . . .; 9. (and 1st Gr.N) M.Stohl (Mitsubishi-Pirelli) +20m41s8
Drivers' Rally World Champ. (after 1 event): 1. T.Makinen pt.10; 2. C.Sainz 6; 3. J.Kankkunen 4; 4. T.Gardemeister 3; 5. B.Thiry 2; 6. F.Loix 1
Manufacturers' Rally World Champ. (after 1 event): 1. Mitsubishi pt.12; 2. Ford 6; 3. Subaru 4; 4. SEAT 3