TEAM Mitsubishi Railliart saw their driver Tommi Makinen clinch the World Rally Championship for the second year running with a gritty drive in his Mitsubishi Evolution IV to sixth place in the final round, Britain's RAC Rally.
Makinen is Mitsubishi's second double world champion of 1997, as Uruguay's Gustavo Trelles and Argentine Jorge del Buono with a Mitsubishi Lancer and a Carisma GT had already made sure of the Group N production car world title for the second successive year. Despite Colin McRae in a Subaru winning the Network Q, Makinen needed just one point to be sure of the World Rally Championship for the second year running. It took all of his renowned determination to keep driving - in vile conditions while suffering from a severe attack of influenza - let alone hold a place in the top six.
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