Ford’s Markko Martin has serious concerns finishing this weekend’s Telstra Rally Australia before the rally proper has even begun to get underway. The Estonian’s engine dropped to three cylinders on last night’s event-opening superspecial.
Martin finished sixth on the Gloucester Park course in the rally’s host city of Perth, but admitted to hearing strange noises from the engine during the course of his run and noted a severe drop in oil pressure on the final turn.
Although he will get a chance to have the car looked over at this morning’s service, the possibility of Martin scoring an impressive third win in a row and taking second place in the drivers’ standings from Petter Solberg could well be bleak according to team principal Malcolm Wilson.
“There is only a short, 10-minute service in the morning and we will take a closer look at the engine then, but I have serious concerns about the situation,” he said.
