Brits benefit from charge to the Finnish

13 April 2012

A final-stage attack by Richard Burns and Colin McRae promoted the British pair to second and third respectively in the Rally of Finland.  

Their charge coincided with a suspension problem for Harri Rovanpera, but world champion Marcus Gronholm took his second successive home win.

Both drivers, though, are still in striking distance of championship leader Tommi Makinen with five events to go.

This is the most technical event of the championship and only two non-Scandinavian drivers have ever defeated the home team, so the British drivers' performance was spectacular.

Subaru driver Burns has shown consistently over the past three seasons that he can match the locals for speed in Finland while Ford's McRae has overcome his demons on an event where he has rarely finished.

Both now head to the other side of the world to do battle in New Zealand next month.

Last year Gronholm won the event but New Zealand was where both McRae and Burns scored their first major wins.

McRae said of NZ: "I love the event.

"They've cut out my favourite stage which is a shame but otherwise it's a great drivers' event."

Burns also knows the roads around Auckland well but co-driver Robert Reid will have his work cut out reading complex route instructions for some of the most twisty competitive sections on the planet.

Both British drivers will be hoping to further close the gap on championship leader Makinen's Mitsubishi.

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