Harri: - Negotiations with Mitsubishi have gone well.

Many teams interested in Rovanperä

Harri is pretty confident that he will participate in WRC rallies in season 2005. Talks with various teams have gone well, but advance slower than expected. The outcomes of the talks will not be made public until December.

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Mitsubishi Lancer E3, Group N 1996

During the 1996 season, Harri competed in the Finland and Great
Britain WRC rallies as well as the N Group Finnish nationals and the
British championships. The sweetest result was the overall win the
Scotland rally, driven in this Group N Mitsubishi Lancer.

This photo is from the Teboil Rally in Turku 1996, where Juha Repo co-
drove for Harri.
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Rovanperä is in demand

Harri Rovanperä told his negotiations over team contracts have gone
well. Discussions with different teams have clearly shown that Harri’s
abilities as a driver, as well as his way of dealing with the whole
business are still very much appreciated in World
Championship rallying. Harri is not denying he has had serious talks
with Mitsubishi.

Harri and Risto in World Championship rallies next year, too!

- Talks with Mitsubishi have advanced favourably. But all I can say about
that or any other option at the moment is that it very strongly seems that
we will be competing in WRC series next season, too. The decisions of
all the teams seem to be delayed, so we can’t expect any news before
December, Rovanperä told in Jyväskylä.

News on team line-ups are withheld
- “silly season” is prolonged into a war of nerves

The suspense of every autumn in the rallying world over drivers’ change
of teams has been prolonged to become a real nerve trial. The only
change confirmed after Rally Australia, which was competed a couple
of weeks ago, is that of François Duval going to Citroen.

The teams will have to inform the FIA during November at least of their
first drivers participating in all 16 rounds of World Rally Championship. It
has been predicted that Mitsubishi will announce their next year’s
drivers and their programs on December 7th in Japan. The other teams
are also expected to release their pilot line-ups before the FIA meeting
on December 10th.
(Aarni Paljakka, rovanpera.com)