The 1993 season had been one of the worst since the Sainz–Repsol collaboration began, back at the end of the 1980s, but there was a new horizon for both when Toyota decided to change their main sponsor.
Repsol were on the lookout for a new team, with solvency, technical guarantees and the potential to fight for the title.
The market did not offer up many possibilities, but a gamble needed to be made. The only available option appeared to be Japanese manaufacturer Subaru, who had been developing rally cars with the Dave Richards–run Prodrive group in Banbury, England.
If Prodrive was an established force, Subaru was but a promise. The Impreza 555 was a new car in need of development. It was swiftly identified that Carlos Sainz would be the best option to make the car competitive, and would be able to bring a big sponsor like Repsol with him. 1994 began with confidence at a high, as the team looked to go as far as possible. The season began with the Monte Carlo Rally. It was a curtain raiser for the year but also practically the first runout for the Impreza in the WRC. The car worked well, but the competition made it better; 1994 was on paper the year of Ford. Sainz and the Subaru Impreza Repsol placed third, with some big initial points that were worthy of plaudits.
In Portugal the weaknesses of the Impreza emerged again, and a lack of power and differentials inconducive to top traction left Sainz in fourth place.
By the time the next rally came around, the car had improved in every aspect: Engine, traction and brakes. It was a car befitting of a title challenge.
With Delacour temporarily sidelined due to a traffic accident, the Tour de Corsé would be a duel between Didier Auriol and Carlos Sainz. The Frenchman was unable to to decide the rally early on the opening two stages, and it was at the Notre Dame section that Sainz would cut the gap. He was heartbreakingly close to a first win with the Impreza, but a front stabilising bar breakage at the Vico stage would deny him glory.
He would get that win, however, 20 days later at the Acropolis Rally. There, things worked to perfection and Sainz took the lead of the series, level with Juha Kankkunen.
In Argentina one of the most exciting rallies of the year took place, with a three–way battle between Carlos Sainz, Didier Auriol and Juha Kankkunen.
It was there that Sainz had a sensational first stage, gaining a 20–second advantage over Auriol. The Frenchman fought back on the second day, closing back the gap to 5 seconds. The final stage was a back–and–forth duel, with Auriol eventually winning after the Subaru suffered a tyre problem.
The New Zealand Rally featured the first zero for Sainz, who had taken points at every race up until then. The Spaniard was a victim of a strange breakdown, due to a broken camshaft. A bad performance from Auriol and a McRae victory limited the damage.
The 1000 Lakes Rally was a debacle for the three title contenders, who were never able to keep up with emerging talent Tommi Makinen.
After the Finnish round, the title was still to be decided. San Remo and the RAC Rally were the two remaining contests; in the Italian battle, mistakes in differentials and gearing made things tough for Sainz, who still held off Auriol in the first and second stages. The Toyota driver, however, pulled ahead in the third and took the win.
In a difficult British rally, nothing went as predicted; Carlos Sainz needed a win and Auriol needed to place in the top four in order to clinch the title. Both had problems in the ‘Mickey Mouse’ section and Auriol suffered a roll in the second stage –dropping him down the standings.
In the Subaru team the difficulties came from within, as the pressure to provide Britain with a first rally win on home soil since Roger Clark in 1976 led to a focus on McRae. Off–putting to Sainz, who was expecting complete backing, the distraction played a part in his title options ending with a crash into two tree trunks in the middle of the course.
It was a tough end to the campaign, but the Subaru Impreza 555 was now a new, competitive vehicle able to match the best in the world.
