Mitsubishi Motors announced the formation of MMSP GmbH (MMSP) in November 2002, a new organization under the leadership of Sven Quandt, responsible for global motor sport operations and strategy. The objective of the business is to turn motor sport activities into a modern, integrated business to the benefit of the Mitsubishi Motors products, branding and corporation.

Despite streamlining its operation, MMSP will continue to be a truly international organization, blending the skills of engineers and technicians from around the world from an expanded outfit at the team's World Rally Championship headquarters in Rugby, England and cross country headquarters in Pont de Vaux, France.

Under the guidance of MMSP's Technical Director Mario Fornaris, the Lancer World Rally Car (WRC) has undergone a total transformation, from the engine to the transmission, suspension and aerodynamics, including a new body shell. Having already undergone evaluation in the wind tunnel, the all-new Lancer WRC is now set for an intense program of testing in preparation for the 2004 season-opener in Monte Carlo.

After a year's sabbatical from the World Rally Championship, the team is set to launch a completely new Lancer WRC in 2004 and a restructured team to contest what is surely the longest and most ambitious series to date. In addition to the 14 established rounds in the series, two further events have been added, taking the World Rally Championship to new regions and fresh audiences. The Japan Rally, based on the northern island of Hokkaido, will be the first Asian round of the series since 1999, and Rally Mexico will be hosting a round of the World Championship for the first time in history, bringing the sport back to the North American region after an absence of 15 years. The inclusion of these events demonstrates the global importance of the sport and will add to its reputation as the most searching motor sport discipline, after Formula 1.

Other changes to the series include a new scoring system for the World Rally Championship for Manufactures, points now being scored by two-car teams with both results counting, as well as greater restrictions on servicing which will place a premium on reliability. In addition, the reconnaissance period will be tightened and drivers will need to demonstrate versatility in changing and unfamiliar conditions.

After a year concentrating on development, Quandt is however realistic about the level of competition in the WRC and believes it will take time before Mitsubishi can challenge for the world title and match the Championship-winning feats of past Lancer Evolutions. "For next year the aim is to consolidate, to study the competitors and competition and get a car which is reliable, especially with all the new parts," he said. "It is more or less a completely new car. In the second half of the 2004 season we can start to be competitive. The specification of the car will not change that much during the season. The priority is reliability, getting the bugs out of the car," Quandt said.

"In 2005, I think we can really start to race against the others again. I think it will be more difficult for all the teams with 16 rallies," added Quandt. "It's going to be tough trying to carry out development while building and running cars. There are many rallies close together, which is going to need good organization, and we will need to make more use of airfreight than ever before, but I am confident in the changes we have made to the team structure and our goals now are to improve the car and develop new drivers. Obviously, we are looking forward very much to a rally in Japan and I have to say, in Mexico too. These are definitely rallies that are very interesting for us and everybody. Mexico is pretty close to the US market and I think there will be a lot of interest."

For MMSP, however, the competition year kicks off with the awesome Dakar Rally on 1 January 2004, in which Mitsubishi is bidding for its fourth consecutive victory. While the Dakar is no longer part of the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies, it is still the most prized event to win in cross country rallying and one that Mitsubishi has triumphed in no fewer than eight times. The Mitsubishi Pajero* Evolution made its debut competitive outing in the 2002 UAE Desert Challenge and has taken victory in two events to date.

The FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies takes contenders to eight events spanning Europe, North Africa, South America and the United Arab Emirates, while the Baja Trophy takes in five events in Italy, Portugal, Greece and Spain, three of which are qualifying events for both series. Hopes of securing the World Cup title currently lay in the hands of Mitsubishi Portugal driver Carlos Sousa, who is second with one round remaining in Dubai later this month, while the Portuguese L200 Strakar driver leads the Baja Trophy, also with one event to run.

The coming months will be filled with challenges for MMSP as the Lancer WRC undergoes extensive testing in preparation for the 2004 season-opener in Monte Carlo and the Pajero Evolution returns to the desert for the final round of the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies. Carlos Sousa will be looking to secure his first world title, while the Mitsubishi Motors team will be undergoing its final tests in preparation for the awesome 2004 Dakar Rally.

*Montero in USA and Spanish speaking country

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) announced the formation of MMSP GmbH (MMSP means Mitsubishi Motors Motor Sports), based in Trebur near Frankfurt, in November 2002. The new organization is responsible for global motor sport operations and strategy. The objective of the business is to turn motor sport activities into a modern, integrated business to the benefit of Mitsubishi Motors products, branding and the corporation itself.

Following the appointment of President Sven Quandt, the structure of MMSP was formalized by summer 2003 and covers six main activities:

World Rally Championship competition
Cross Country competition
Motor sport development
Lancer and Pajero customer cars through Ralliart
High performance vehicles through Ralliart
Accessories, merchandizing and services through Ralliart

MMSP is wholly responsible for the design, development and running of the World Rally Championship, Dakar Rally and World Cup for Cross Country Rallies programmes, as well as negotiations with drivers and co-drivers. The World Rally Championship team is based in Rugby, England - between Birmingham and the famous Silverstone circuit - while the cross country operation is based near Pont de Vaux (100km north of Lyon), in central France. In addition, MMSP is seriously committed to Mitsubishi's rally activities in the US, all of which are also under the management of Technical Director Mario Fornaris.

Being in a position to monitor all activities, MMSP is now able to draw on considerable resources and forge ahead in the field of engineering, technology and development. And, by cross-pollinating the World Rally Championship activities and the World Cup for Cross Country Rallies team, MMSP can develop an even more intense and fruitful working relationship. Drawing on experience from the World Rally Championship program, where his input helped Tommi Makinen secure four world titles, former WRC Chief Engineer Bernard Lindauer has also now moved to France where he has taken over engineering responsibilities with the World Cup assault.

In addition, the creation of MMSP will generate greater efficiency and consistency through the integration of the various Ralliart companies in Europe. While the Ralliart offices in Germany, France, Italy and Spain remain the contact point for all Mitsubishi Motors customers, MMSP will build, maintain and provide spare parts to all European Mitsubishi customers from its Trebur-based operation.

MMSP is also responsible for the development of high performance vehicles (HPVs) aimed specifically at European customers. Developed jointly by MMC engineering department in Okazaki, Japan, and MMSP in Germany, sportier variants of current models sold within Europe will echo Mitsubishi's heritage.

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) will return to the 2004 FIA World Rally Championship with an all-new driver line-up and a completely new Lancer World Rally Car (WRC) to contest the longest and most ambitious series to date. Frenchman Gilles Panizzi will spearhead MMSP's assault and will be joined by rising star Kristian Sohlberg, the 25-year-old Finn sharing the second Lancer WRC with other drivers.

Sohlberg, who finished second in the 2002 FIA Cup for drivers of Production Cars, made his debut in the sport in 1997 and has considerable experience driving Mitsubishi's Group N machinery. The Finn has also competed in selected rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship in the team's 2002 world rally car, but is relishing the prospect of honing his skills in the all-new Lancer WRC.

"It is very good for me to be part of a works team finally and I am very happy to be joining Mitsubishi," commented Kristian. "I hope to get some good results with the team next year."

Adding to his comments, Sven Quandt, President and Head of Motor Sport at MMSP said: "Gilles has so much experience and he is also a good test driver, while Kristian drove very good rallies this year and I feel is quite an all-rounder guy. I think he can be quite successful next season. Kristian will share our second WRC car. We will split the driving between a number of young guys and the best will probably get more rallies towards the end of the season."

The 2004 World Rally Championship kicks off in the traditional venue of Monte Carlo on January 23-25 and concludes with Rally Australia on November 12-14.

MMSP GmbH (MMSP), based in Trebur, near Frankfurt, was formalized in summer 2003 and is the holding company of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation responsible for all motor sport related activities. The operation, headed up by Sven Quandt, is managing Mitsubishi's FIA World Rally Championship and Cross Country Rally programmes.

While the management of the operation is based in Germany, near to Mitsubishi's European Research and Development Center, MMSP Ltd, based in Rugby, England, is responsible for the design, engineering and development of the World Rally Championship program under the guidance of Technical Director Mario Fornaris, also Managing Director of the parent company in Germany. Greater electronic and engine development will, in particular, now take place in Rugby, although Mitsubishi Motors in Japan will continue to supply invaluable support and build the engines.

Fornaris is responsible for a truly international team of experts drawn from all forms of motor sport, including Formula 1, and an operation that has expanded from 87 to 110 employees over the last few months. Quandt, Fornaris and Derek Dauncey will chiefly be responsible for on-event operations, with assistance from Advisor Andrew Cowan. Spaniard Roger Estrada and three other engineers will be responsible for all on event engineering, but a host of new highly-qualified experts form a formidable team in Rugby.

Core WRC team management:

Sven Quandt       President and Head of Motor Sport, MMSP GmbH

Mario Fornaris    Managing and Technical Director, MMSP Ltd.

Derek Dauncey   Team Manager

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC), one of the most successful manufacturers in the history of the Dakar Rally, has secured a formidable line-up for its assault on the 2004 event. Four official Mitsubishi Pajeros will take the start of this legendary event as Mitsubishi bids for its fourth consecutive Dakar Rally victory.

Double Dakar Rally winner Hiroshi Masuoka will spearhead the assault and the Japanese star will be joined by Frenchman Stephane Peterhansel, who has won the event six times on motorcycles, and double World Rally Champion Miki Biasion, all driving Pajero Evolutions. Rising German Andrea Meyer will form part of the official team, in a Pajero.

"I hope we can repeat the 2003 year's result, when we were first, second and third, but it will be much more difficult in the upcoming rally," predicted Sven Quandt, Head of Motor Sport at MMSP. "The competition will be much tougher, if the opposition did their homework, which we think they have."

Mitsubishi's command of the Dakar Rally is impressive and, since its first entry into the Paris-Dakar Rally back in 1983, the Japanese manufacturer has won no fewer than eight times. Its strength not only lies in the expertise of drivers, however, as cross country rallying requires unprecedented navigational skills and this could well be Andrea Meyer's trump card. Alongside the young German woman is fellow countryman Andreas Schultz who has also claimed two victories in this legendary event. Schultz took his maiden win with former Mitsubishi driver Jutta Kleinschmidt back in 2001, and also guided Masuoka to his second win in 2003. His role with Meyer will be pivotal to her success, his navigational experience and ability to judge the conditions a considerable advantage to the young German. The Mitsubishi Motors team will also have the invaluable assistance of Jean-Pierre Fontenay, one of its former Dakar drivers. While the Frenchman has retired from competition, he will act as the team's official test driver, drawing on considerable knowledge to assist in the set-up of the cars for this grueling event.

"We have a strong team and we don't have a lead driver," added Quandt. "Hiroshi and Stephane have a lot of experience and we know they work well together, and one has to say that for Miki it is the first time to go with the Pajero Evolution in the Dakar, which is certainly an advantage for the other two drivers. We know that Miki is a very constant, very reliable driver though. Andrea Meyer will drive the fourth car, chiefly as a back-up for the other three.

"This year it will be an extremely difficult Dakar compared with years before. We roughly guess where it is going and there will be lots of stages in Mauritania, which makes it very tough. Next year you will be relying a lot more on your co-driver."

The 2004 Dakar Rally starts in France on January 1 and takes the crews south to North Africa before finishing on January 18 in the Senegalese capital of Dakar.

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) announced the formation of MMSP GmbH (MMSP means Mitsubishi Motors Motor Sports), based in Trebur near Frankfurt, in November 2002. The new organization is responsible for global motor sport operations and strategy. The objective of the business is to turn motor sport activities into a modern, integrated business to the benefit of Mitsubishi Motors products, branding and the corporation itself.

While the management team is based in Germany, the cross country operation MMSP SAS, based at the former SBM premises at Pont de Vaux near Lyon in France, is responsible for the design, on-going development and running of a team of Mitsubishi Pajero and L200 in the FIA World Cup and Dakar rallies. The team is run under the directorship of Frenchman Dominique Serieys, Technical Director Thierry Viardot and engineer Bernard Lindauer.

Serieys and his team are responsible for design, development and on-event management of the factory cars on the Dakar Rally and designated rounds of the FIA World Cup, with management of Jean-Marc Bonnay.

The operation is headed up by Sven Quandt and recently acquired the French company SBM. It is now managing Mitsubishi's FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies and Baja Cup programs as well as the Japanese manufacturer's planned assault on the Dakar Rally in January 2004.

The core management:

Sven Quandt               President and Head of Motor Sport, MMSP GmbH

Dominique Serieys    Management Director, MMSP SAS