The 1990 Monte Carlo Rally did not, despite his best efforts, signal a change in fortunes for Carlos Sainz. Joined by Mikael Ericsson and young German promise Armin Schwarz, Sainz was about to pull off a shock at a dry Monte Carlo, before a power issue gave the lead to the Lancias. Another zero for Toyota in Portugal gave Lancia the hope of taking another title with a third consecutive win in Africa.
However, a magnificent win for Bjorn Waldegaard at the Rally Safari gave hope to Toyota. The performance hinted at in Monte Carlo was confirmed in Corsica, where the Toyota Celica GT-Four was the pick of the machinery until a differencial change to Didier Auriol’s Lancia gave him a third win in a row.
Toyota and Carlos Sainz finally triumphed in Greece, breaking what had seemed to be a curse on the Spaniard. There was an immediate bolstering og the Toyota programme, as Lancia decided to abstain from the WRC drivers championship. Sainz came, saw and conquered in a solo performance at the New Zealand Rally, establishing a 25-point lead. The Toyota driver was about to take another victory in Argentina, in the manufacturer’s first visit there, but a navigational error ended with his car rolled over but still good for second place –thanks to mechanical issues for Auriol and Kankkunen.
If there was still any doubt, Sainz stated his case for the title with an unforgettable triumph at the Finnish Rally despite a crash in practice. Lancia delayed the inevitable in Australia with a win for Kankkunen ahead of Sainz, but at San Remo he was finally crowned champion. For the third season in succession, the Spaniard was on the cusp of victory before a mistake on the off-road section, although third place was sufficient for his magic moment. After just two seasons as a WRC driver, Carlos Sainz had reached the pinnacle of the sport.
Lancia’s policy of using three drivers (Juha Kankkunen, Massimo Biasion and Didier Auriol) without heirachy in the team proved to be a mistake, as Kankkunen had the best chance of usurping Sainz. The team title went to the Italian outfit, but Sainz ended the season on a high with a win at the RAC Rally in England –breaking a run of 14 years of Nordic winners of the event.
