November 26, 2001	Monday	Ramazan 10, 1422

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CARDIFF, Nov 25: Richard Burns celebrated before his home fans on Sunday as the first English driver to win the world rally title.

“It feels amazing. I can’t put it into words, I just feel fantastic,” he gasped after bringing his Subaru to a halt at the end of the 17th Margam stage of the season-ending rally of Britain.

The 30-year-old finished third in the rally with a calm and controlled drive in slippery conditions behind Peugeot’s runaway race winner and outgoing champion Marcus Gronholm.

The lanky Finn was followed by compatriot and team mate Harri Rovanpera as Peugeot retained their manufacturers’ title.

The four points left Burns with a total of 44, two more than Scottish rival Colin McRae whose championship hopes were shattered on Friday when he catapulted his Ford into a ditch.

Mitsubishi’s Tommi Makinen, who hit a rock and retired with the rally barely started on Friday, was third overall with 41 points.

McRae, the 1995 world champion for Subaru, was previously the only Briton to win the world title since the first drivers’ crown was awarded in 1979.

With his rivals out of the way, Burns always knew he needed only to finish fourth in the final round of the season to triumph at last after ending the season as runner-up for the past two years.

“We’ve been very, very close for the last three years,” said Burns, who had won his home rally for the past three years.

“There was a massive amount of pressure before this rally put on by myself, by everybody.

“It’s a shame we didn’t win the rally but after the first day I really didn’t mind...I had to change my focus completely and think tactically.”

Burns lost second place to Rovanpera in Sunday’s first stage but, with a margin of more than three minutes separating him from fourth placed Alister McRae’s Hyundai, was unruffled.

Burns will still have to complete the drive back to rally headquarters in Cardiff, on regular roads and abiding by speed limits, before he can formally claim the title.

But his arrival at Margam signalled the end to Colin McRae’s hopes.

The Scot had returned home on Saturday, vowing to keep a close eye on his rival’s progress in the hope of a last day shock.

That happened in 1998 when Spaniard Carlos Sainz seemed destined for the title until his Toyota expired within sight of the finish and handed the championship to Finland’s Tommi Makinen.

Makinen was already in his hotel room packing his bags when the news filtered through.

The celebrations at Margam were heightened by good news earlier in the day from Carmarthen hospital, where 13 spectators were taken on Saturday after Sainz’s Ford went into the crowd.

Rally organisers said in a statement that nine of the 13 casualties had been discharged and a 12-year-old boy with severe bruising and an adult with head injuries were expected to be released later on Sunday.

Leading unofficial standings after third and final leg (Times in brackets are gap behind leader):

1. Marcus Gronholm (Finland) Peugeot three hours 23 minutes 44.8 seconds; 2. Harri Rovanpera (Finland) Peugeot 3:26:11.9 (+2.27.1) 3. Richard Burns (Britain) Subaru 3:27:00.2 (+3.15.4); 4. Alister McRae (Britain) Hyundai 3:30:33.6 (+6:48.8); 5. Armin Schwarz (Germany) Skoda 3:31:16.1 (+7:31.3); 6. Kenneth Eriksson (Sweden) Hyundai 3:31:55.8 (+8:11.0); 7. Didier Auriol (France) Peugeot 3:32:05.9 (+8:21.1); 8. Bruno Thiry (Belgium) Skoda 3:34:40.4(+10:55.6); 9. Gregoire De Mevius (Belgium) Peugeot 3:38:02.5 (+14:17.7); 10. Toshihiro Arai (Japan) Subaru 3:38:51.2(+15.06.4).—Reuters