Network Q Rally of Great Britain Reports Service

After Special Stage 10...

 There was considerable disappoinment in the Mitsubishi camp at the demise of Tommi Makinen who retired at the Vauxhall test ground stage in the middle of the first day.

 Colin McRae's charge at the head of the field was halted when Toyota's second man Didier Auriol made a charge in the afternoon to move from fifth spot and 23 seconds behind, to second place less than a second adrift of the Scotsman in the Subaru.

Auriol was quickest on the two later Silverstone stages and virtually matched McRae, who had earlier been delayed a little by a puncture, on the tiny stage at a racecourse near Towcester in Northamptonshire.

Meanwhile the watchful Sainz, who knows he has only to finish in the top four to win the World Championship again, commented "There's a very long way to go yet - nothing is certain"

Makinen, commenting on his mistake, said "I slipped on some black stuff and hit a concrete wall and then a concrete post which ripped off a rear wheel. I did the next stage on three wheels but I have thrown the championship away"