▁factory ▁team ▁for ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁driving ▁the ▁new ▁Ford ▁F ocus ▁r ally ▁car . ▁The ▁deal ▁saw ▁Mc R ae ▁ear ning ▁six ▁million ▁pounds ▁over ▁two ▁years , ▁which ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁made ▁him ▁the ▁highest ▁ear ning ▁r ally ▁driver ▁in ▁history . ▁This ▁move ▁was ▁immediately ▁reward ed ▁with ▁two ▁consecutive ▁wins ▁at ▁the ▁Safari ▁R ally ▁and ▁R ally ▁Portugal . ▁A ▁number ▁of ▁sh un ts ▁and ▁reli ability ▁issues ▁for ▁the ▁new ▁car ▁for ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁that ▁season , ▁however , ▁resulted ▁in ▁only ▁sixth ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁championship ▁stand ings ▁overall . ▁Moreover , ▁a ▁rare ▁personal ▁point less ▁run ▁had ▁begun ▁for ▁Mc R ae ▁that ▁year ▁which ▁was ▁only ▁to ▁be ▁halt ed ▁with ▁a ▁pod ium ▁on ▁the ▁following ▁February ' s ▁Swedish ▁R ally , ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁a ▁recovery ▁which ▁saw ▁Mc R ae ▁vict orious ▁on ▁the ▁as ph alt ▁turns ▁of ▁Catalunya ▁and ▁the ▁gra vel ▁of ▁Greece , ▁and ▁post ▁ 4 th ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁overall ▁stand ings . ▁Mid way ▁through ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁season , ▁the ▁lack ing ▁reli ability ▁of ▁the ▁F ocus ▁had ▁led ▁to ▁Mc R ae ▁threaten ing ▁to ▁leave ▁the ▁team ▁if ▁the ▁problems ▁continued . ▁The ▁u pt urn ▁towards ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁season ▁resulted ▁in ▁him ▁dec iding ▁to ▁renew ▁his ▁contract ▁with ▁Ford ▁for ▁a ▁further ▁two ▁years . ▁▁ ▁Mc