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RALLY: Sainz and Toyota Bid for Titles in Championship Showdown

20 November 1998

Following the dramatic conclusion to the recent Rally Australia, Carlos Sainz heads for the forests of Wales for the Rally of Great Britain with one goal in mind -- winning the World Rally Championship.

His fight against the odds to finish second in Australia, handicapped by being the first car on the slippery gravel-covered roads, means that he and chief rival Tommi Makinen visit the UK just two points apart.

"For me it is quite clear -- my tactic is to go out and beat Tommi by two points. I cannot do any more," admits the Spaniard. "I feel quite confident in our chances to do that -- the car is strong on gravel and, although Tommi is strong as we saw in Australia, there will not be the same situation about running first on the road in Britain. That doesn't mean the rally is easy, in fact it is one of the most difficult in the championship because the conditions -- ice, fog, rain, sometimes snow -- make it so difficult to contest."

Sainz has two important notes to his name in Britain. His pair of victories on the rally in previous years resulted in World Championship crowns and he is keen to score a third title success.