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SUBARU’S SOLBERG WINS RALLY AUSTRALIA
Petter Solberg claimed the third victory of his World Rally Championship career by winning the Rally Australia this weekend. The 555 Subaru World Rally Team driver took the win after a tight, race-long battle with Citroën’s Sebastien Loeb, who finished just seconds behind. In third place was Peugeot’s Richard Burns.
The win puts Solberg into a tie with Carlos Sainz for second place in the Drivers Championship, just eight points behind leader Richard Burns.
“It’s probably been the most fantastic battle in the WRC for years,” said David Lapworth, 555 Subaru Team Principal. “It’s been such a close gap, never more than a few seconds between Petter and Sebastien. Petter has driven brilliantly, and it has all come together after a lot of hard work. With Pirelli, we had the edge when it got slippery, and the team has done a faultless job to deliver a trouble-free car.”
Subaru’s Tommi Mäkinen finished in the points, in sixth position, putting Subaru into third place in the Manufacturers Championship. Mäkinen recently announced that he will retire at the end of the 2003 season, after a 16-year career that has spanned 134 WRC rallies, 24 wins, and a record four consecutive World Rally Drivers titles, from 1996 to 1999. Shortly after Mäkinen’s plans were made public, Subaru announced that Richard Burns will return to the 555 Subaru team in 2004 after a year with Peugeot.
Round 11 of the 2003 WRC follows quickly, with the San Remo rally in Italy. Famous for its hairpin turns and narrow roads, this rollercoaster tarmac rally will challenge drivers with a change of pace after two races on gravel. The San Remo Rally starts on September 25th.
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