Following his victory for Mitsubishi on the Baja Espana in 2005, and his runner-up finish behind team-mate Stéphane Peterhansel (France) this time last year, this weekend saw Nani Roma (Spain) complete his home event in the medals for the third time in three participations.

Along with his co-driver Lucas Cruz (Spain), the Team Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart driver emerged as the biggest threat to early leader Nasser Al-Attiyah, and the Spanish pair did all they could to keep up the pressure all the way to the finish. They lost ground with two punctures on the first full day of competition (Friday), however, and were then hampered in their bid to strike back by hanging dust on Saturday morning. Despite his best efforts at the wheel of his petrol-powered Pajero/Montero Evolution MPR13, Roma was forced to recognise the performance advantage that the current regulations hand the diesel cars of his rivals. "It's a situation we just have to live with for the moment in the knowledge that everyone at MMSP and in Japan is working very hard to prepare for the future," he observed during the event.

Indeed, the Spaniard had been able to judge the potential of the new diesel engine that will spearhead Mitsubishi's challenge in the years ahead when he came close to winning May's Rali Transiberico in Portugal with the latest Pajero/Montero Evolution MPR14. Meanwhile, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation recently revealed the exciting new diesel-powered Mitsubishi Racing Lancer MRX09 which is due to take over soon from the exceptionally successful Pajero/Montero.

The latest 3 liter V6 powerplant is currently under intensive development, and Hiroshi Masuoka/Pascal Maimon (Japan/France) provided a glimpse of its speed with a second fastest time on the first day of the 25th anniversary Baja Espana. Unfortunately, the Japanese driver's challenge came to an end on the following leg when his MPR14 was consumed by flames. Masuoka was trying to get back onto the stage after an off on Saturday afternoon when the hot brakes of another car that had left the road at the same place set fire to the surrounding grass. Both machines were destroyed in the ensuing blaze.

Happily, nobody was hurt but the incident occurred just minutes after the team had received news that Luc Alphand/Gilles Picard (France) and their MPR13 were also stopped on the same stage, the longest of the weekend. The French driver had fallen sick shortly before the start of the event with a case of suspected food poisoning, but he succeeded in limiting the damage on Leg 1. He figured in the top-three behind Roma for much of the day but was squeezed off the podium near the finish of Friday's final stage after shattering his two left-hand side wheels against a rock. The next morning saw him bounce back to close to within less than a minute of third place but his run was ultimately halted by a transmission problem on Saturday afternoon.