Makinen announces retirement.

Tommi Makinen today announced his decision to make 2003 the closing season of his extraordinary career in rallying.

The 39-year-old Finn will continue to compete with Subaru on the final five events of the 2003 Championship, which culminates with Rally GB on 7-9 November.

Makinen's WRC career has spanned 16 years, during which time he has competed in 134 WRC rallies. He has won 24 WRC events and, as winner of the FIA World Drivers' title from 1996 to 1999, holds the honour of being the only four-time consecutive champion in the history of the competition.

"It's a decision I haven't made lightly," said Makinen. "Picking the right time to stop isn't easy, but I'm happy with what I've achieved in the WRC, and I've been lucky to drive for two excellent teams. Realistically, there isn't really much for me to gain by carrying on at this level and my thinking is that it's better to stop when you're at the top.

"Also, with so much change planned in the WRC over the coming seasons, I feel this is the end of an era, and a good time for me to step down. I'm sure it's going to seem a bit strange next January, but I've never seemed to have enough time for family, my farm and my hobbies, so I'm looking forward to spending more time at home in Finland. Perhaps there'll be the chance for some more driving in the future, who knows, maybe one or two rally raids, that sort of thing, you should never say never, but the 2003 Championship will be my last at this level."

Makinen's WRC career began with Lancia in 1987, and a debut appearance on his home rally in Finland. Although an accident stopped him on that first attempt, he honed his skills over the coming seasons, and shortly after his first WRC victory on the same event in 1994, he signed for Mitsubishi where he stayed until 2001. In 2002 Makinen joined the 555 Subaru World Rally Team and in a remarkable team debut, won the season's opening rally in Monte Carlo.

Commenting on the announcement, 555 Subaru team principal David Lapworth said: "I'm sure this was a very difficult decision for Tommi to take, he's had an incredibly successful career, even after four World Titles he remains highly motivated and fiercely competitive. Tommi's one of the best-known and most respected drivers in the WRC and it's been an absolute pleasure to work with him for the past two seasons. In particular, the way that he and Petter [Solberg] work together stands out - theirs is one of the most constructive and successful driver pairings I can remember."

Makinen's Subaru teammate, Petter Solberg, commented: "Working with Tommi has been a great experience. Right from the start we worked well together, and I've learned a great deal from him. He's a good friend and I'll be sad to see him leave."

Masaru Katsurada, President of Subaru Tecnica International, concluded: "We really appreciate the efforts Tommi has made since he joined our team, his performance and attitude have been excellent and he has been a great motivator and team-worker. We shouldn't forget that there are still five more events remaining for Tommi, and we will continue to provide him with the maximum support to help him extend his winning record."