RALLY NEWS NO.13         Cardiff - Finish - Sunday 2.30   www.rallynews.net
UNOFFICIAL LEADERBOARD AFTER STAGE 18 MARGAM PARK
1st (7) Petter Solberg/Phil Mills (Subaru) 3.28.58.1
2nd (18) Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena (Xsara WRC) 3.29.41.7
3rd (8) Tommi Makinen/Kaj Lindstrom (Subaru) 3.31.56.9
4th (17) Colin McRae/Derek Ringer (Xsara WRC) 3.34.26.2
5th (5) Francois Duval/Stephane Prevot (Focus WRC) 3.36.14.2
6th (2) Freddy Loix/Sven Smeets (206 WRC) 3.37.04.6
7th (34) Manfred Stohl/Ilka Minor (206 WRC) 3.37.46.5
8th (22) Roman Kresta/Jan Tomanek (206 WRC) 3.38.00.7
9th (24) Juuso Pykalisto/Risto Mannisenmaki (206 WRC) 3.38.51.7
10th (20) Jari-Matti Latvala/Mika Anttila (Focus WRC) 3.41.23.4

Petter Solberg is just about the most popular winner of this Wales Rally GB that it would be possible to get.  There were red, black and white Norwegian flags as far as the eye could see at the Margam Park finish. The huge crowds went mad when the 28 year old Norwegian's Pirelli shod Subaru flashed over the finish line.  For Petter the massive bonus is winning the 2003 World Rally Drivers title.  Petter said before the start of the stage "I'm listening to every little noise in the car, watching all the bumps and stones".  Still he set fastest time on the closing stage, making it back to back Wales Rally GB wins.  Quite an achievement for Petter and his Welsh co-driver Phil Mills. At the finish Petter was so excited and pleased he looked as if he would burst.  It was all he could do to speak, but he did manage "It is too much all at the one time, the whole team was behind me one hundred per cent".  Sebastien Loeb's 2nd place clinched the World Rally Manufacturers title for Citroen.  Tommi Makinen's 3rd place finish was a major bonus for Subaru and an emotional moment for Finnish driver Tommi, the end of a fantastic world rally career. 

In typical fashion Colin McRae kept the home fans on their toes when he stopped mid way through the final stage, a front left tyre on his Citroen punctured.  Colin and co driver Derek Ringer did a brilliant job in changing the wheel in 2 minutes and held on to their 4th place. It is amazing to think that Colin, at 35 years old, is contemplating retirement from rallying.  Surely he has still so much to offer.  His father Jim was just really starting to rally at that same age.  Jim, by the way, has finished just inside the top 20 in his Subaru and commented at the finish "It has been an exciting rally, especially the last stage with all the television cameras". 

On the subject of Colin and possible retirement - many drivers are uncertain about what is happening next year because of all the new rule changes in world rallying. They were all keen to impress here on Wales Rally GB.  Duval did a great job for Ford in finishing 5th on his first proper attempt at the event. Freddy Loix in 6th was of course driving the car destined for Richard Burns who was forced to miss the rally through illness. Loix said of his drive "The Peugeot is a very competitive car, but hard work to learn, very twitchy. I'm looking forward to next year". 

Last minute dramas included young Kris Meeke crashing his Corsa off the road on the penultimate stage, happily without injury to himself or co-driver Chris Patterson. They were chasing Daniel Carlsson hard for the Junior WRC category win, but it wasn't to be and Carlsson was able to cruise to victory and finish a brilliant 14th overall. Mirco Baldacci was 2nd in the JWRC.  Geoff Jones won Group N in his Impreza from Peter Bijvelds in a Lancer. Elsmore was 3rd, Gavin Cox slipped to 4th. We mentioned Jim McRae above, he actually finished 17th overall. Eamonn Boland was 24th. Steve Perez 25th. Gwyndaf Evans 27th and won class N3 in his MG.  Finally for now many thanks to everyone who supported and helped the RallyNews service. BRIAN AND LIZ PATTERSON