McRae 'hacked off' as deal collapses

Colin McRae’s hopes of being handed a world rally championship lifeline have been left in tatters.

The 35-year-old Scot has been overlooked by Subaru because the team’s Japanese paymasters did not want to meet his £3m (€4.2m) salary.

The task of replacing Richard Burns looks set to go to Finnish rookie Mikko Hirvonen.

McRae has revealed he made a verbal agreement to replace fellow Brit Burns who is receiving treatment for a brain tumour.

“I just don’t understand,” said a bitter McRae. “That’s the second time they’ve built me up and knocked me down again.

“They did it to me early in the year when the drive was eventually given to Burnsie.

“I’m so hacked off that I don’t think I would be interested if another drive came up.”

McRae will now set his sights on the Paris-Dakar rally next month before looking at his options.

The former world champion lost his drive at Citroen at the end of last season but seemed favourite to replace Burns who has been ruled out of next year’s championship.

The news will be a bitter disappointment to rally supremo David Richards, the man who guided McRae to his title success in 1995, now that he has lost both of Britain’s world champions.

“It’s disappointing for me but it does allow another young driver to come in,” said Richards. “I thought Colin still had something to offer the championship.”