History 2000s

2002 Rally Australia (Australia)

Overview Route Results Cars Challenges

Overview

Event Name: 2002 Rally Australia (Australia)

Date: November 1–3, 2002

Start Location: Perth, Western Australia

Finish Location: Perth, Western Australia

Total Distance: ~1,200 km (estimated full route)

Competitive Stages: ~381 km

Surface: Gravel

Set against the eucalyptus forests of Western Australia, the 2002 Rally Australia offered high-speed gravel stages, narrow tree-lined routes, and punishing dust. Marcus Grönholm kept his focus through all of it, controlling the rally from start to finish and reinforcing Peugeot’s dominance as he edged closer to the championship title.

Route

Ballingup: A sweeping, high-speed run through bushland — fast and narrow with changing grip levels.
Wellington Dam: Technical sections under trees with shifting light and quick transitions.
Mundaring Super Special: A side-by-side stadium-style stage that entertained fans and challenged driver consistency.

The rally featured ultra-fast gravel roads with smooth surfaces and plenty of jumps. Key stages included:

Conditions remained dry, creating dust trails that complicated visibility for following crews and emphasized road position strategy throughout the event.

🏆 Results

Overall Winner
Marcus Grönholm & Timo Rautiainen · Peugeot 206 WRC
2nd Place
Petter Solberg & Phil Mills · Subaru Impreza WRC
3rd Place
Carlos Sainz & Marc Martí · Ford Focus RS WRC

Grönholm’s confidence on fast gravel was unmatched, while Solberg continued his strong season with an aggressive but clean second-place drive. Sainz brought the Ford home reliably for yet another podium in his consistent 2002 campaign.

Navigation & Challenges

  • Dust and Road Order: Dry conditions gave an advantage to front-runners — dust hung in the air and obscured lines for chasing cars.
  • High-Speed Accuracy: The fastest stages required absolute trust in pace notes and full commitment over blind crests.
  • Minimal Margin for Error: Narrow tree-lined tracks meant a small mistake could lead to retirement — Grönholm stayed focused and fast.

The 2002 Rally Australia win was a statement from Marcus Grönholm — flawless pace and execution on one of the fastest events of the year, bringing him one step closer to his second WRC crown.

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