11th May 1999

CITROËNS BEAT THE TURBO SUPER CARS - AGAIN!

1-2 WIN IN WRC RALLY OF CORSICA - MORE THAN A MINUTE AHEAD OF ANYONE ELSE!

Just weeks after becoming the first Formula Two car to beat the turbo four wheel drive super cars in the World Rally Championship, Citroën has done it again with a convincing 1-2 in the Rally of Corsica.

Philippe Bugalski won the Corsica rally on Sunday in his Citroën Xsara, just two weeks after his first controversial victory in the Spain. In second place was his team mate, Jesus Puras piloting another one of the giant killing Citroën Xsaras. Other teams fielding the complex turbo four wheel drive cars in the World Rally Car category have complained that it is unfair that Citroën, running front wheel drive 2.0 litre normally aspirated cars, should be allowed to compete in World Championship series.

Carlos Sainz of Spain, winner in Corsica in 1991, was third in a Toyota more than a minute behind the victorious Citroëns.

"This is really a great moment," Bugalski said at the finish of the final timed special stage. "I drove carefully so as not to make mistakes."

Bugalski gave up the bonus points to come in a comfortable seventh on the final televisied stage and clinch overall victory in the three day event on some of the toughest tarmac roads in the world.

Finnish world champion Tommi Mäkinen, who was sixth overall, clung to his lead in the drivers' championship standings by taking two bonus points. Mäkinen was second to Frenchman Didier Auriol in the stage as less well placed leading drivers sought to make up the extra points on offer. Auriol, fifth overall, took three bonus points in the 13.8-km final stage for a total in the race of five, the same number as Sainz, who was third in the stage. The results left Mäkinen in the lead on 29 points.

Position		Driver / Co-Driver	Car		Time
1		Philippe Bugalski / Jean-Paul Chiaroni	Citroen Xsara Kit Car		3hrs 44mins 35.7secs
2		Jesus Puras / Marc Marti	Citroen Xsara Kit Car		3hrs 45mins 10.4secs
3		Carlos Sainz / Luis Moya	Toyota Corolla WRC		3hrs 45mins 45.0secs
4		Colin McRae / Nicky Grist	Ford Focus WRC		3hrs 45mins 53.8secs
5		Didier Auriol / Denis Giraudet	Toyota Corolla WRC		3hrs 46mins 08.3secs
6		Tommi Mäkinen / Risto Mannisenmäki	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI		3hrs 47mins 26.1secs
7		Richard Burns / Robert Reid	Subaru Impreza WRC99		3hrs 47mins 42.6secs
8		Freddie Loix / Sven Smeets	Mitsubishi Carisma GT		3hrs 50mins 27.3secs
9		Piero Liatti / Carlo Cassina	SEAT Cordoba WRC		3hrs 51mins 41.6secs
10		Tapio Laukkanen / Kaj Lindstrom	Renault Megane		3hrs 54mins 32.8secs

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11/5/99

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