Countdown to Sisteron 2: Make-or-break time?

Makinen, by contrast, aims to become only the third driver to take a hat trick of wins on the Monte and join rally legends Sandro Munari (1975-77 in a Lancia Stratos) and Walter Rohrl (1982-84 with Opel, Lancia and Audi) in the triple club.

That one stage is Sisteron, a second run over the event's 'signature' stage and McRae, still fuming over earlier events, knows what he has to do.

"I was too cautious on the stage this morning," he said, "and I lost all the time on the snow at the top of the Col because I didn't put enough cuts in the tyres."

This time round the stage conditions are the same as this morning, but the crews have gambled in the finest Monte tradition.

While McRae and Francois Delecour have opted for studded snow racing tyres, Carlos Sainz and Makinen have taken intermediate racers without studs, while Skoda's Armin Schwarz was only just stopped from attempting the stage on cut slick tyres! Right now it's anyone's guess which will be the right choice...