The 2001 FIA World Rally Championship reached its conclusion today and the Subaru crew of Richard Burns and Robert Reid have been crowned world champions, taking the title to Britain for the second time in six years. In the Manufacturers' Championship, Peugeot scoops the honours for the second consecutive year, the French manufacturer taking maximum points in three of the last four events.

The anticipated showdown in the Rally of Great Britain was over almost before it began, the retirements of Tommi Makinen and Colin McRae slashing the four-horse race into two almost instantly. For Championship outsider Carlos Sainz, an early puncture put paid to almost any hopes of victory and the Spaniard was ultimately withdrawn by Ford after yesterday's incident involving spectators. In a sport that can deal cruel blows, the events have almost overshadowed a faultless performance by out-going champion Marcus Gronholm, who won the Rally of Great Britain for the first time in his career, and a measured drive by Burns as he cruised to third position and his first world title.

The final leg of the Rally of Great Britain and the 2001 FIA World Rally Championship dawned wet and windy, the crews facing treacherous conditions in the closing four stages to the northwest of Cardiff. Gronholm, having pulled out nearly two minutes, was under no pressure from his rivals, but Peugeot team-mate Harri Rovanpera powered into second position as Burns eased the pace, all too aware that he could even drop to fourth to clinch the title. Behind the leading trio, Hyundai's Alister McRae finished a fine fourth overall in his last outing with the Korean manufacturer before joining Mitsubishi next season.

While 11 months of heated competition over four continents has come to an end, there is little respite for anyone involved in the FIA World Rally Championship. The 2002 season starts in the middle of January in the tiny principality of Monaco but, before then, each of the seven competing manufacturers have asphalt, ice and snow tests to conduct in the French Alps and Scandinavia.

Changes in the sporting regulations mean that each of the 14 events in the 2002 FIA World Rally Championship will have a maximum of 90 entries, 30 of which are expected to be world rally cars. A manufacturer also need not nominate specific crews to score points in the Manufacturers' Championship; by registering three cars, a make can benefit from points scored by its two highest placed entries. In another change to the rules, the World Cup for Drivers of Production Cars - expected to have 30 entrants - will be fought out in seven events and Mitsubishi again expects to dominate having taken victory at the highest level in all but one of the last 29 rallies. The success of this year's FIA Super 1600 Championship has also prompted a greater emphasis on the up-and-coming talent and, having been re-named the FIA Junior World Championship, the Super 1600 contenders will contest the remaining seven events not included in the Group N World Cup.

Final Results - Rally of Great Britain

1 Marcus Gronholm Peugeot 3h 23m 44.8s
2 Harri Rovanpera Peugeot 3h 26m 11.9s
3 Richard Burns Subaru 3h 27m 00.2s
4 Alister McRae Hyundai 3h 30m 33.6s
5 Armin Schwarz Skoda 3h 31m 16.1s
6 Kenneth Eriksson Hyundai 3h 31m 55.8s
7 Didier Auriol Peugeot 3h 32m 05.9s
8 Bruno Thiry Skoda 3h 34m 40.4s
9 De Mevius Peugeot 3h 38m 02.5s
10 Toshihiro Arai Subaru 3h 38m 51.2s

2001 FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers

Richard Burns 44 points
Colin McRae 42 points
Tommi Makinen 41 points
Marcus Gronholm 36 points
Harri Rovanpera 36 points
Carlos Sainz 33 points
Didier Auriol 23 points
Gilles Panizzi 22 points
Francois Delecour 15 points
Petter Solberg 11 points
Jesus Puras 10 points
Freddy Loix 9 points
Armin Schwarz 9 points

2001 FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers

Peugeot 106 points
Ford 86 points
Mitsubishi 69 points
Subaru 66 points
Skoda 17 points
Hyundai 17 points