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Lancia's and Biasion's hold on top trophy of the WRC, the championship title, was again very strong. But for a change there were signs of opposition, in fact some very strong signs and all of them originated from Japan.
Weakest of these was Mazda's challenge. Despite winning two events with Ingvar Carlsson, those were events with very thin start list and Lancia was absent in both cases. Much stronger challenge came from Mitsubishi who came on on top twice, too. But in both cases the fact that win eventual went to Mitsubishi and not to someone else was more about reliability of the car or, unreliability of the others.
By far the strongest opposition, in performance terms at least, came from Toyota. Team won only one event but was able to challenge Lancia far more often than italian team would have liked. And it was only the reliablity of the new Celica that needed attention, not it's speed. Writing was on the wall and Lancia began to feel the heat.
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Struggling Olympus Rally at USA is dropped and replaced with new round at Australia.
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1989 FIA World Rally Champion, Massimo Biasion
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Drivers scoring their
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first win
I. Carlsson (Sweden)
M. Ericsson (Argentina)
A. Oreille (Ivory Coast)
P. Airikkala (Great Britain)
first drivers' point
L. Asterhag (Sweden)
P. Snijers (Monte Carlo)
G. de Mevius (Portugal)
P. Andreucci (Portugal)
F. Skoghag (Portugal)
C. Balesi (Corsica)
G. Cunico (Corsica)
C. McRae (New Zealand)
R. Dunkerton (New Zealand)
F. Stella (Argentina)
E. Fuchter (Argentina)
E. Saarenpaa (Finland)
R. Buri (Finland)
E. Ordynski (Australia)
W. Bell (Australia)
A. Segolen (Ivory Coast)
P. Servant (Ivory Coast)
J. Graziani (Ivory Coast)
B. Antoine (Ivory Coast)
first stage win
S. Lindholm (Sweden)
K. Shinozuka (New Zealand)
M. Jonsson (New Zealand)
C. McRae (New Zealand)
T. Heinonen (Finland)
P. Tauziac (Ivory Coast)
J. Van de Wauwer (Ivory Coast)
D. Llewellin (Great Britain)
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