22.09.2004 Fiat Auto UK AND their trio of exciting young stars, pitched themselves onto the world rally stage at the weekend, straight into the mud, rain AND fog that is synonymous with the Wales Rally GB

Stage three, the infamous 27.97-km Trawscoed, saw Andrea taking his turn as the quickest of the Stilos, the diminutive Italian turning in a stunning time of 20:55.0, which equated to 53rd fastest overall, leaving a whole horde of four wheel drive and Super 1600 cars trailing in the wake of his near-standard machine.

Leon, struggling with what we would soon find out to be a serious clutch problem, dragged his ailing machine through in 21:19.7, while Chris was just three seconds further adrift.

Stage four saw the battered field return for a second helping of Brechfa. Andrea went through it in 21:35.2. This was an amazing thirteen seconds faster than the Italian had managed earlier! And this was despite the fact that the tracks, had been ploughed up for a second time. In 23-year-old Andrea Perego, we are undoubtedly looking at one of rallying's hottest future prospects. Leon nursed his car through in 21:51.5, while anchorman Chris turned in a solid 21:57.8.

We arrived at Fiat Auto UK's rally service area as the cars were pounding through Stage five, the second running of the infamous Trawscoed test. Leon's father, Gary, glued to the timing monitor, the team's link with the outside world, reported that Andrea had a water leak, but as yet it was not being treated as a major issue, while Leon was struggling, but looking to ease his car back here for the flexi-service due at around 1pm.

Then all hell broke loose, Leon and Andrea failed to appear on the monitor. The Welshman's clutch had finally expired a third of the way through the stage, while the Italian had parked up with what would later be diagnosed as a cylinder head gasket failure.

A small crumb of consolation was offered up by Chris, who tore through the stage in 21:10.1, the Stilo once again positioning itself well above a gaggle of much more powerful cars on the timesheets.

Hardly had we had digested an excellent lunch, served up courtesy of Michelin-star chef Phil Vickery, than Chris came hurtling into the service area, the blue-overalled Fiat mechanics pouncing on his car as they endeavoured to turn him around in the allocated time of 20 minutes.

We had seen the decimated field streaming into Felindre, the cars, without exception, bloodied and bruised. Now a close look at Chris' Stilo painted a picture of just how bad conditions had been up in the Welsh forests that morning. The mud was caked so thick on the car that the giant Fiat logos were effectively blanked out, and it resembled more a heavily camouflaged army vehicle than a bright, garish-coloured rally car.

Despite the morning's exertions, Chris exuded a calmness that is very rare among 19-year-olds, the youngster briefing his team manager before being thrust into a whirlwind of quick-fire photo-calls. His maturity is obvious, his smooth, rapid pace in all circumstances, tells you that you are looking at another rally star of the not-too-distant future. This unflappable guy lives to rally, and enjoys it!

Hardly had Chris headed back out into the fray, than Leon and his stricken car arrived. There were a few positives to be drawn, joked the Fiat mechanics, the car still was still recognisable of a Stilo, Leon having passed on the temptation to re-sculpture its shape.

"Out there it was the slipperiest I've ever seen," commented Leon. "It was my first time on many of the stages and my first time in the Stilo, and driving an almost 'normal' car, so we were just building up, and looking to keep the time gap down to Andrea.

"The problems started about two miles from the end of stage two. We thought it was the gearbox at first, as we couldn't get it into gear, but by the finish we realised it was a clutch problem," the Welshman continued.

"We lost nine minutes on the road section to the third stage, and then had to start the car on the key. By this point we were just nursing it, trying to keep it in one piece and get through the stages to the flexi-service.

"We made it to stage four, dropping a lot of time, and we were still confident that we could achieve our goal and get the car back to service. However a third of the way through the stage the clutch went completely, it stuck in gear and then coming around a left-hander...nothing!"

"We're not really sure what has happened yet," Leon concluded, "but it seems to be a curse with Trawscoed as we retired on the same stage last year. Hopefully we can get the car repaired and set some times on the SupeRally tomorrow."

Last to arrive was Andrea. Another youngster with a bright future, the Italian Stilo Cup points leader walking round in the drizzle with a huge smile permanently etched on his face. He's enjoying the experience, even if right at the moment he's bitterly disappointed. He hovers as the mechanics swarm over his car, although their body language tell you that his rally is over.

Word soon filters through that Chris has suffered a driveshaft failure on Rheola. As the gathering gloom of a wet Welsh autumn evening rolls down from the pine-clad hills, and the harsh glare of a myriad of high-powered portable lights start to fill out Felindre, the Fiat mechanics are going to be in for a long night's work.

The Wales Rally GB might not have produced the result that the enthusiastic management team at Fiat Auto UK might have wished, but in terms of thrusting the brand firmly back into the spotlight of British rallying, it was an unqualified success.

Our thanks must go to all the team at Fiat Auto UK; Gary and Simon, the organisers of the Stilo Cup; the drivers Leon, Chris and Andrea, approachable, talented and eager, Phil Vickery's excellent food, as well as the marshals and organisers of the Wales Rally GB.

Last weekend Fiat was back where it belongs, ripping up the rally tracks, taking on the odds, creating a little bit of history.