Burns wants spectator safety improved in Germany

Gary Emmerson Reuters Trier, Germany

World champion Richard Burns has called for improved safety measures after the inaugural Rally of Germany at the weekend.

An excessive number of spectators lining the roads caused the cancellation of Friday's penultimate stage and Briton Burns was critical afterwards.

The Peugeot driver, who finished second overall behind Frenchman Sebastien Loeb in a rally praised by most top drivers on its debut in the world championship, said better marshaling was needed.

"It is the first time for organizers but this is the world championship not a play area," he said.

"The situation improved a bit with the spectators, but I still think it needs to improve more because there were some places where spectators were in dangerous places and we don't want anybody to get hurt," said Burns.

Burns' Peugeot teammate Marcus Gronholm of Finland, who finished third, said the organization had been better in 2001 when he took part in a non-championship event in Germany.

Gronholm and Peugeot used last year's rally as a 'dummy-run' along with the organizers.

Skoda's Swedish driver Kenneth Eriksson had no complaints.

"This rally is very difficult, but it is good. I am pleasantly surprised how well the organization worked so I expect a great future for this event," he said.

The rally involved three regions around the host town of Trier in south-west Germany with each leg of the event tackling very different roads and conditions.

The opening used roads among the vineyards of the Mosel wine region, before the rally moved onto the demanding tracks of the Baumholder military range, where German tank drivers are trained.

Sweeping asphalt roads in the Saarland region were used on the final leg.