Cyprus, June 23: Subaru's Petter Solberg won the Cyprus Rally to close in on the world championship leaders. The Norwegian, who secured his second career victory, won five of Sunday's six special stages with the sixth going to Spanish former world champion Carlos Sainz, who is one point off the lead in the title race after finishing fifth. Solberg, who finished four minutes and 14 seconds ahead of Finn Harri Rovanpera in a Peugeot, climbed to fourth in the championship standings, eight points behind leader Richard Burns after the seventh race, halfway through the championship. Briton Burns was one of a string of second-day casualties, retiring in his Peugeot on Saturday with engine failure. Defending world champion Marcus Gronholm of Finland, who led in his Peugeot after the first day but also pulled out on Saturday when he broke his propshaft, remains third one point above Solberg. Frenchman Sebastien Loeb finished the race in third, 4:16.8 behind, as Citroen became the only factory team to complete the race with more than one car.


Sainz's British team mate Colin McRae was fourth, about 30 seconds behind Loeb, and just short of a minute in front of Sainz.


Rovanpera began the day just 25 seconds behind Solberg, whose only previous victory was in Britain last year. But the Finn's challenge faltered over the closing three specials after he broke his driveshaft.


Leading placings in the Rally of Cyprus which ended on Sunday: 1. Petter Solberg (Norway) Subaru 5 hours 9 minutes 12.6 seconds 2. Harri Rovanpera (Finland) Peugeot 4 minutes 14.0 seconds behind 3. Sebastien Loeb (France) Citroen 4:16.8 4. Colin McRae (Britain) Citroen 4:45.3 5. Carlos Sainz (Spain) Citroen 5:42.2 6. Mikko Hirvonen (Finland) Ford 8:58.7 7. Armin Schwarz (Germany) Hyundai 13:29.0 8. Alistair Ginley (Britain) Ford 23:57.3 9. Toshihiro Arai (Japan) Subaru 30:01.1 10. Martin Rowe (Britain) Subaru 33:44.1


World drivers championship standings: 1. Richard Burns (Britain) Peugeot 37 points 2. Sainz 36 3. Marcus Gronholm (Finland) Peugeot 30 4. Solberg 29 5. Loeb 23 6. Markko Martin (Estonia) Ford 23 7. Colin McRae 23 8. Rovanpera 16 9. Tommi Makinen (Finland) Subaru 15 10. Francois Duval (Belgium) Ford 9 11. Toni Gardemeister (Finland) Skoda 9


Manufacturers championship standings: 1. Peugeot 81 points 2. Citroen 73 3. Subaru 47 4. Ford 43 5. Skoda 20 6. Hyundai 6


Bureau Report