Finland's four-times world rally champion Tommi Makinen announced today he will retire at the end of this season.
Makinen, now with Subaru, won his titles with Mitsubishi from 1996 to 1999, and no driver has so far managed to win more championships.
The Finn was quoted in January as saying that he wanted to win a fifth title in 2003 before calling it a day.
He is currently eighth, 31 points adrift of Peugeot's British leader Richard Burns.