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Rally of Indonesia was included into calendar for 1996 season and was held again next year but in 1998 got cancelled due to civil unrest which led dropping event altogether. In two years that rally was held, Carlos Sainz won it twice and Colin McRae twice threw victory away, crashing while leading by minutes.
Character of the event was quite unique though not perhaps the most enjoyable at times. Located exactly on equator, temperatures were high and coupled with daily rains which kept average humidity over 90%, physique was on strain. Juha Kankkunen compared conditions inside car to a finnish sauna and according to Mitsubishi doctor drivers drank up 14 litres per day to keep body hydrated.
Stages were mostly amongst rubber and palm oil plantations, surface turning into extremely slippery mud when it rained. So unique were these muddy conditions that Pirelli introduced a special very narrow mud tyre. Unfortunately, equatorial rains come suddenly and are heavy, making it easy to get caught with wrong tyres. Such situations turned rally into a lottery.
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| 1996:
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Sainz, Carlos
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Ford Escort RS Cosworth
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83.78 km/h
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| 1997:
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Sainz, Carlos
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Ford Escort WRC
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87.02 km/h
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Richard Burns tackling plantation roads which quickly turned muddy if it rained
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Piero Liatti on narrower part of the route
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Driver wins
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Sainz, Carlos (2)
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Manufacturer wins
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Ford (2)
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