Juha Kankkunen by then lost the title to Mäkinen. Kankkunen stayed with Ford for the 1998 season with Belgian driver Bruno Thiry as his new teammate, after Sainz had opted to re-join Toyota. Ford was already moving resources into developing the new Ford Focus WRC and the team's last year with the Escort WRC was winless. Kankkunen drove the car on the podium on seven occasions, and both Ford and Kankkunen finished fourth in their respective championships. For the 1999 season, Ford signed the Subaru World Rally Team star Colin McRae and Kankkunen moved to replace him at Subaru. Kankkunen's first year
Mitsubishi Lancer WRC manifold and a single-scroll turbocharger, and new engine parts (lightened crankshaft, flywheel and other rotating parts). The suspension was also updated to offer more travel and rigidity, and slight changes were made to the transmission, too (to suit more the very different driving style of McRae and Delecour). Mitsubishi pulled out of the WRC at the end of 2002, but in 2003 they used this car for developmental purposes on some WRC events, with McRae clinching a 6th place at the 2003 Rallye New Zealand. In the Lancer WRC04, around 6000 changes were made compared to the Step2. The car