MacHale delighted with shock sixth

The reigning Irish National Forestry Rallying Champion is attempting a World Rally Championship programme for the first time this year, driving a privately entered Ford Focus WRC05. Although early attrition aided his cause in Mexico, MacHale stayed calm and consistent while the star names slipped up.

"When we came here we didn't expect this at all," said MacHale. "It's been absolutely fantastic. This is my first gravel rally in the car, and I never thought it would start so well. We came here hoping to maybe finish 10th or thereabouts, so to finish sixth overall, I'm over the moon about that."

With big time gaps to the cars in front of and behind him in the second half of the event, MacHale admitted that he spent most of the rally driving conservatively and hoping his luck would hold.

"We knew we had to get to the finish here, we've been improving every stage and getting more used to the car," he said.

"I didn't get much sleep last night, and on that long stage this morning I drove like my mother. But we got through it and I'm absolutely delighted."

MacHale expects to contest another four WRC events, starting with the Rally of Spain at the end of March.