The Cyprus Rally was first held in 1970 and before long established itself as one of the foremost rounds of the FIA European Rally Championship. It was first included in the FIA World Rally Championship in 2000 and is viewed by many as one of the toughest rallies of the season. Not only are the stages littered with boulders and rocks, but endlessly twisty roads and searing heat make it a real test of reliability, survival and physical stamina; a far cry from the image of tranquil days on the beach on this holiday island. The event is also renowned as one of the slowest in the Championship and, being that the speed in the Troodos Mountain stages is so slow, engine cooling is a highly significant factor as temperatures invariably top 30 degrees. Tire durability is also a crucial element, as the roads that wind their way through olive groves are unforgiving and few escape punctures. For the crews, cockpit temperatures soar to over 50 degrees, largely due to the lack of air-flow in the car, demanding peak fitness. Cyprus is truly a rally of survival.

Harri Rovanperä and Risto Pietiläinen have contested the event on four occasions and the pair has a good finishing record. They did not compete when the event first appeared in the FIA World Rally Championship calendar in 2000 and were forced out with broken suspension the following year, but in 2002 they narrowly missed out on a podium position, finishing fourth. In 2003 however, they mounted the podium in second, demonstrating their ability to conquer the conditions.

"Cyprus has very twisty mountain roads and it's a very rough, bumpy and difficult rally," commented Harri. "For sure we can see that our current set-up for rough events is working well, having set some good times in Sardinia, and I am quite confident the small changes we will make for Cyprus will work well; we had a long test a few weeks ago and our work focused on this event. We know the car is strong and hopefully we can perform in the same way as Sardinia. It's not one of my favorite events; it's so hot, twisty and rough — a Mitsubishi Pajero is more suited to this event than a rally car!"

Team-mates Gilles and Hervé Panizzi have fared less well in Cyprus, three retirements from four outings underlining the grueling nature of this event. The French rallying brothers are however looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of the Mitsubishi Lancer WRC05.

"For sure this is maybe not my best event for results, as we have had many punctures and engine problems in previous years," said Gilles "I cannot say it is one of my favorites, because it is really rough and hard on the car, tires and driver. But the team seems to be making good progress at the moment, especially after seeing the performance in Sardinia. Our last test was also good so I am happy about the job at the moment. Since the team got back from Italy I have spent a few days in Rugby, learning some things around the car and about how to change certain components; this work could prove very important ahead of an event like Cyprus where nearly everyone experiences problems."

Adding to the drivers' comments, Technical Director Mario Fornaris said: "The specification of the Lancer WRC05 will be the same as it was in Sardinia, but the set-up is obviously specific to this event; in particular the ride height, damper settings, shortened gear ratio and high temperature spec. For the first time we will also be using Pirelli's XR tires, which have been specially designed for such rocky conditions. After our performance in Sardinia things look quite good for Cyprus, but it's another different type of rally. We've made a big step on rough gravel events, especially if you compare back to our performance in México. It's going to be a tough weekend, but we are definitely moving in the right direction."

"Cyprus is another rally of survival," commented Isao Torii, Head of Mitsubishi Motor Sports. "I think we have made a successful step forward and in this second quarter of our strategy the drivers are being asked to really push. We saw from Sardinia that we have made a lot of progress with the car and I feel very satisfied with the way our drivers are developing the more they gain confidence. We need to eliminate some small technical problems, but I think if we can survive the heat and rocks of Cyrus, then a podium is possible."

For daily updates on the Cyprus Rally — from the shakedown on May 12 to the final leg on May 15 — see Mitsubishi Motors' website at:
   Daily Reports: http://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/motorsports/e/05wrc/cy/index.html
   Race Photos: http://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/motorsports/e/05wrc/cy/photo.html

18 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions Set to Start and Pons Seeks Second FIA PWRC Victory

The Cyprus Rally is also a qualifying round of the FIA Production Car World Rally Championship and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution driver Xavier Pons will be one of the men to beat in this, the third round of the series. The Spaniard, who won the last round in New Zealand, heads a strong Mitsubishi contingent in a packed field heading for the eastern Mediterranean island.

Competition in the FIA Production Car World Rally Championship will be as fierce as ever, but Xavier Pons' confidence has been boosted by a superb FIA PWRC victory on Rally New Zealand last month. The Lancer Evolution driver is now a close second in the points table.

"New Zealand was a very nice result and it gives me a good feeling for this rally, but Cyprus is maybe a rally it is better not to attack," said Pons. "I will try to finish and then I think we can do well."

Japan's Fumio Nutahara has become one of the championship front-runners in his Lancer Evolution and believes he has a good chance of building on his fifth place in the current standings.

"Cyprus is a very hard and difficult rally," he said. "Normally there are many retirements in this event, so I want to drive carefully, but I think it will also be good for the car."

Argentina's Federico Villagra is in his first season of World Championship competition, but has already shown a useful turn of speed in his Lancer Evolution and could do well in Cyprus.

"This rally is new for me, like most of the others, so I do not know exactly what to expect. I think it will be very rough and quite hard for the driver too. I hope anyway it will be a nice experience." Villagra said.

Mitsubishi crews feature prominently in a strong entry. The FIA Production Car World Rally Championship contenders also include Britain's Natalie Barratt, Italy's Ricardo Errani and Luis Rosselot. The Lancer's proven strength and performance have made it the most popular choice with Cypriot drivers and with local heroes such as Demetris Papasavvas, Andreas Peratikos and Chris Thomas at the wheel, Mitsubishi can be confident of making an impact in the Production class.

The 2005 event follows a tried and tested formula and will run exactly the same stages as last year. However, there is a new central service park and headquarters at Palais de Sport on the northern outskirts of Limassol. After the ceremonial start on the seafront on Thursday evening, the competition kicks off on Friday with six stages and 121.78 competitive kilometers — the longest leg of the event, which also includes the longest stage of the rally (SS1/4 at 38.62 km). Both Saturday and Sunday include another six stages, with Sunday being the shortest and taking in 95.34 competitive kilometers. In total, the event covers 18 stages and 326.68 competitive kilometers in a total distance of 1,063.92 kilometers.