World champion Richard Burns heads back to the drawing board this week insisting he is still confident he has the car with which to successfully defend his rally crown.

Frenchman Sebastien Loeb faces an anxious and lengthy wait before discovering if his likely maiden world championship victory in today’s Monte Carlo Rally is confirmed.

Frenchman Sebastien Loeb retained his lead and Colin McRae consolidated third place as the 70th Monte Carlo Rally resumed in the French Alps this morning.

British hopefuls Colin McRae and Richard Burns have been warned to expect a ‘big fight’ for the World Championship by rival Tommi Makinen in the Welsh forests this week.

Richard Burns needs only to repeat his performance of the last three years in the Network Q Rally of Great Britain at the end of this month to achieve his ambition of becoming world champion for the first time.

Englishman Richard Burns set himself up for a world championship showdown with former champions Colin McRae of Scotland and Finland’s Tommi Makinen by finishing runner-up to current title holder Marcus Gronholm in the Telstra Rally of Australia in Perth today.

Setting the fastest time on the ninth and final stage (Mbaruk – 84.58Km) of the second leg, Tommi Makinen (Mitsubishi) has increased his lead in the Safari

Tommi Makinen consolidated his advantage in the firstthree stages of today’s second leg of the Safari Rally.

Colin McRae has taken his third consecutive victory in the current World Rally Championship.

Ford driver, Francois Delecour, was the star performer during the first two stages to today's second leg of the Acropolis Rally.

Tommi Makinen roared to a hat-trick of victories after Colin McRae suffered more Monte Carlo Rally misfortune.

Colin McRae's hopes of becoming the first British winner of the Monte Carlo Rally for 33 years are in tatters after his Ford Focus hit technical problems.

Colin McRae's lead of the Monte Carlo Rally was finally obliterated by Tommi Makinen.

Colin McRae's lead of the Monte Carlo Rally came under immediate attack when he resumed his victory quest in the French Alps this morning.