Mitsubishi dream of European Rally domination

Dominant on the Dakar tour for the last few years, Mitsubishi are setting their sites on taking its success to the European rally circuit.

Team Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart are set to enter this year's Central Europe Rally, with a driver line-up featuring: Luc Alphand and Gilles Picard; Hiroshi Masuoka and Pascal Maimon; Stephane Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret; plus Joan Nani Roma and Lucas Cruz - all of which had been entered in the 2008 Dakar rally.

The Central Europe Rally is due to start in Budapest, Hungary on April 20th. The program includes seven competitive sections in eastern Europe before the finish on the 26th. The total distance is under half that covered in the Dakar competition.

Mitsubishi maintained that entrance into the the Central Europe Rally did not affect their planned participation in the 2009 Dakar event.