Flying Finn sets his sights on victory in Beijing

FLYING Finn Ari Vatanen demonstrated in devastating fashion yesterday that he was still a force at the highest level when he stormed to the lead on the penultimate day of the 555 Hong Kong to Beijing Rally.

The world champion in 1981, Vatanen put a frustrating year of bad luck behind him to grab the rally by the scruff of the neck in the opening stage through the picturesque Chinese Grand Canyon area.

He powered his Subaru Legacy through the 32-kilometre stage in a cavalier show of driving skill to turn an overnight deficit of 14 seconds into a lead of 33 seconds over Subaru teammate, Colin McRae.

Scotsman McRae, who won a leg of the World Championship in New Zealand earlier this year, had no answer to the Flying Finn's charge.

Vatanen led the event after the first super-special stage in Shenzhen but surrendered the lead to the third Subaru driver, Possum Bourne of New Zealand, on Sunday when his Legacy developed a fuel pump problem which relegated him to fifth, nearly four minutes off the pace.

But in a sustained performance of consummate skill, the 41-year-old clearly demonstrated that the years had not diminished his skill.

Vatanen showed he will be a driving force on the World Championship scene next season by also shading McRae on the second stage - the roughest of the rally - yesterday.