New running order system for Rally Oz

The notorious ball-bearing gravel on the Western Australian stages means drivers are reluctant to run first and clear the way for their rivals. Ford star Carlos Sainz was thrown out of last year's event for slowing on the stages in order to drop down the running order.

Similar tactics were adopted by drivers on the Cyprus and Acropolis rallies earlier this year, to the extent that pit boards were being shown to drivers on stages to indicate to drivers how fast or slow they needed to go.

In order to stamp out such tactics, Rally Australia organisers are proposing that a new system is used, whereby drivers are given the choice of where they run on the road, according to their championship positions.

At the start of the event the championship leader gets first choice, with the second-placed driver choosing second and so on. Then for subsequent legs, the choice is given according to rally order.

The new system is to be given a trial in Australia and organisers hope that it will be adopted for all events held on dirt roads.

"This is great news," Subaru ace Richard Burns told Autosport's sister title Motorsport News. "Finally the fastest drivers in the world will be allowed to run equally. If other similar rallies incorporate the same system, there would be a lot of very happy people."

Ford's Colin McRae is less enthusiastic and believes the changes will have little effect on his approach to the event.

"It doesn't make a big difference either way for me," said the Scot. "If it's the usual system, everyone knows what it's like and they play the tactical game. If it's people leading the championship [in front], you could argue that they should be in that position, because they're leading the championship."

Drivers who find themselves lower down the order stand to lose the most from the new system, but the Hyundai team is unconcerned.

"It's probably going to disadvantage us the most," said a spokesman for the MSD-run team. "But we're quite happy to give it a shot."