Rally Portugal 2001
LEG TWO
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| Tommi Makinen / Risto Mannisenmaki. (Photo by Mitsubishi Motors) |
The second leg of Rally Portugal was driven in much the same conditions as the first one. Tommi Makinen started strongly in the morning and extended slightly his lead over Carlos Sainz. Harri Rovanpera's radiator problems weren't over, and on SS 13 he lost more than a minute and dropped to fourth place behind Marcus Gronholm. On the road section after stage 13 the engine of Rovanpera's Peugeot finally expired and the Finn was out of the race.
Richard Burns had picked up the pace and closed on Marcus Gronholm by posting fastest times on SS 13 and 14, which were reruns of stages 11 and 12. Burns was only 6 secs behind Gronholm after SS 14. The leading duo was more than two minutes ahead of them, though. On stage 15 Burns edged again closer to Gronholm, the gap was now 3.7 secs. Freddy Loix retired from 5th place with a broken clutch, and also Subaru's Markko Martin, who had been running 7th, was out after getting stuck in a ditch.
In the front Carlos Sainz had been closing on rally leader Makinen, their difference was 16.7 secs. Makinen stroke back on SS 16, winning the stage with a 12 secs faster time to Sainz. Gronholm also managed to put a few seconds between himself and Richard Burns. Makinen was fastest also on stage 17 and Gronholm was again faster than Burns.
Stage 19, scheduled as the final stage of the day, was cancelled, so the drivers got their well earned rest after stage 18, on which Carlos Sainz charged, halving Makinen's lead to only 13 secs. Gronholm was just a second slower than Sainz on the stage. Burns, who just a couple of stages earlier was pressuring Gronholm, starts the three stages of the final day almost out of touch, 54 secs behind the reigning champion. Francois Delecour struggled on the final stages of the day with a broken gearbox, but he managed to keep his 5th place in front of Hyundai's Alister McRae.
Situation after stage 18 of 22:
1. Tommi Mäkinen (FIN) Mitsubishi - 3.19.17,3
2. Carlos Sainz (ESP) Ford +13,0
3. Marcus Grönholm (FIN) Peugeot +2.12,1
4. Richard Burns (ENG) Subaru +3.06,7
5. Francois Delecour (FRA) Ford +8.52,9
6. Alister McRae (SCO) Hyundai +10.38,9
7. Kenneth Eriksson (SWE) Hyundai +11.42,2
8. Didier Auriol (FRA) Peugeot +13.49,2
9. Tapio Laukkanen (FIN) Toyota +15.04,7
10. Pasi Hagström (FIN) Toyota +17.21,1
