After a poor start to the season, rally-driver Richard Burns managed to turn it around in grand style. When Concept II met up with him to provide training advice, he was confident that the results were going to flood in, and so it proved. After wins in Greece and Australia, and a gaggle of second places, a good result in the last event would have placed him second overall in the championships, beyond Tommi Makinnen. With the final race of the season the Network Q Rally of Great Britain, there was an added incentive, due to the rivalry between Richard and Colin McRae for the title of British No. 1. A magnificent display of driving by Burns on the second day of the rally where he won all but two of the eight stages meant that even before McRae spun off, he had effectively already conceded the Battle of Britain. Burns said: This is just a fantastic feeling to have won my home rally again. It is difficult enough to win the rally for a first time where there is so much pressure on you. But to come and do it a second time I was a lot more relaxed about it and enjoyed it more. I tried very hard throughout, but not on every single stage. If you do that you are going to have a problem and go off. When the conditions have been good I have pushed really hard. The win means more than finishing second in the championship because no-one remembers who is second.