JYVASKYLA, Finland, 10 August 2003 — Estonia’s Markko Martin overcame electrical problems yesterday to build a healthy lead going into the final day of the Finland Rally.
The Ford driver will begin todday’s stages with a one minute 13 second advantage over Briton Richard Burns after local favorite and world champion Marcus Gronholm went out with mechanical problems on the 15th stage. Burns has less than a half second lead over third placed Spaniard Carlos Sainz, himself just two tenths of a second ahead of Norway’s Petter Solberg.
The gap between Martin and Burns had been reduced to 13.1 seconds during the day after electrical failure left the Estonian unable to brake or accelerate properly.
His team changed every electrical component and hydraulic valve they could during a service.
He was also helped when Burns was hit by wheel bearing failure that dropped him to 12th place in the final run and threatened to end his rally if he could not make it back to the service area. He eventually arrived to applause from the crew.
Burns, the 2001 champion, is leading the championship this season without having won a rally.
Gronholm saw his hopes of a fourth straight win on home soil fail after his Peugeot finished a stage with three wheels and a collapsed front suspension. He had been neck and neck with Martin up to then with both swapping the leadership.
Briton Colin McRae crashed out in his Citroen trying to negotiate a left-hand bend during the 16th stage which he had started in fifth position after a time penalty.
“They hit a sandy part of the road and they just rolled,” a Citroen spokeman said.
Neither McRae nor co-driver Derek Ringer were injured in the incident.
