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Three-times World Rally Champion Tommi Makinen was determined to make it a record-breaking four in a row in 1999, but he would face a season-long battle with some of the greatest drivers ever. Enjoy high-speed action, controversy, drama and spectacular spills from all 14 rounds of this truly incredible season, with stunning footage and behind-the-scenes interviews putting you at the heart of the WRC title chase. The Flying Finn in his Mitsubishi Lancer would be challenged by British hero Colin McRae, the Subaru Impreza pairing of veteran Juha Kankkunen and Richard Burns, Didier Auriol and Carlos Sainz in their Toyota Corollas plus many more. It started well for Makinen, but McRae in the brand new Ford Focus battled his way into contention in typically determined style, while wins for Kankkunen, Burns, Auriol and even Formula Two Citroen driver Philippe Bugalski ensured this would be a dramatic fight for the World Championship.
Transcript
00:00Leg two contained eight stages, and fastest over the opening test was Delacour, opening
00:05up an 18 second lead, despite trouble with his transmission.
00:08I have a gearbox problem, you know, like Marcus, and at the moment they are trying to change
00:13the gearbox and we don't know if we will get a penalty or not.
00:17I have 15 more scores, 80 meters left.
00:25Polizzi had made a dubious tie choice for the first stage, but fought back to finish the
00:29day in the lead, nearly three seconds ahead of Delacour.
00:34Philippe Bugowski lost his grip in the lead battle as the roads became dirtier and less
00:38suited to his two-wheel drive Citroën.
00:40The Frenchman continued to slide back all day, dropping out of the top ten.
00:45Colin McRae was also in trouble.
00:47Less than a mile into the first stage, the Ford engine was reduced to two cylinders.
00:53There has been a water leak on the cylinder head into the plug holes.
00:57We have tried to address it as best we know how.
01:02We have also sealed off the plug in relation to the coil top ignitions and we will just
01:09really have to see.
01:10McRae went on to win two stages before this incident ended his rally.
01:20We hit a small bump on the inside of a junction right which sent us broadside and the back got
01:26over the bank and we just rolled onto a road going down on the opposite side of the junction.
01:32That's the way it happens I'm afraid.
01:34Winning four of the day's stages and problems for drivers in front helps Mackenem move up the leaderboard.
01:46The Finns progress put pressure on Didier Oriel.
01:49Although the Toyota driver also moved up the field, he couldn't match his championship rival's pace,
01:54giving himself a lot of work to do in the third and final leg.
02:03After a lacklustre first leg, Richard Burns was beginning to settle into his stride.
02:08However, having said the fourth fastest time on the opening stage, problems struck.
02:20We lost drive before the stage. It caused us a little bit of problem in the stage.
02:25The gearbox was actually working okay but it missed a couple of gears towards the end
02:29and then just straight after the stage it came to a stop with no driver.
02:33Local driver Andre Egini battled with Freddy Likes all day, finishing behind the Mitsubishi driver
02:38in the first non-works car.
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