After a dismal performance in the 2003 Monte Carlo Rally, Richard Burns blasted his now sacked engineer for having chosen a car set up that was completely wrong for the tricky Mediterranean event. The only trouble was that Burns' Peugeot was identical in terms of set-up to Marcus Gronholm's, and the Finn was anything but sluggish. This is one example of Burns' relative performances that illustrate just how over-rated he is in the WRC. A controversial comment to some, an accurate description for many.
Burns has been embarrassed by his team-mate this season after losing comprehensively to him in 2002. He may lead the World Championship but that is only by virtue of the new (and unnecessary) F1-style FIA points system. Indeed it is Burn's habit of taking advantage of the mechanical gremlins of faster rivals that singles him out as a prime candidate for the overrated label. To lead any world championship after five rounds without winning a race is bad enough, to have won a world championship without a win is embarrassing for the sport, and rightly so. If spectators want to watch racing where the most reliable car rather than the fastest driver wins, they will go and watch sportscar endurance racing. Rallying is, and should be, a combination of speed and reliability, not one or the other.
His annoying habit of pottering about in 7th or 8th only to luck into a podium finish aside, Burns also has a habit of complaining or furnishing himself with excuses. And boy does he need them. It is fair to say that his preparation for 2002 was not good: a legal wrangle preventing time in his new 206 did not help him one bit. But 2003 is a different matter. Burns has had all of 2002, pre-season winter testing and five rounds of the 2003 season to get to grips with the 206 yet he still complains. Comments such as "it doesn't really suit my driving style" and "I'm not the sort of person who can get into a car and get on the limit immediately" are terrible excuses to hide a painful truth. Burns, despite having the best car in the WRC still cannot beat Gronholm (and drivers from other teams) and what is worse, he still cannot win.
Burns cannot hide behind a 'technical' approach to driving or even a lack of familiarity with the car. Consider the performances of Carlos Sainz and Colin McRae: both took their Citroen's to podium finishes in their very first rallies. A year prior to that Burns was in Monte Carlo busy rattling off excuses why it would take a long time to find success in his new charge. So is it not fair to say that an inability to win in undoubtedly the best WRC car of the moment, a habit of making excuses and scoring podiums only when others break-down make Burns over-rated. We think it is compelling evidence but if you are still not convinced, the real clincher comes in the form of Burns' world title.
2001 was a season characterised by Burns, a good rally driver, taking the world title ahead of a host of excellent drivers. Gronholm, Sainz and McRae were all hampered by reliability problems that blighted their performances. And despite taking multiple wins between them they all lost out to Burns, whose lack of pace was accentuated by the complete absence of a win.
On the basis of Marcus Gronholm's current form, Richard Burns will do well to hang on to 2nd place in the world championship. After that, who knows. Burns has been quoted widely as being undecided about his future and Subaru bosses have said they would welcome him back. In any case, Burns will still go down in rally history as completely over-rated.
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