SCOTLAND'S Colin McRae collected his first victory of the season when he won the Safari Rally in Kenya yesterday.

The former world champion set the fastest final stage to win by seven minutes and go top of the championship standings.

The win gives McRae 13 points in the world championship, one ahead of Carlos Sainz of Spain (Ford Toyota).

"I'm delighted and relieved," said McRae who on Sunday crashed his Subaru through a wall after avoiding rocks left on the road by spectators.

"Lots of people wouldn't have put me down to win. It's good to prove them wrong" he added.

Richard Burns, despite a puncture, drove his Mitsubishi into second with Ian Duncan in a Celica third.

Burns acknowledged he had no hope of driving faster than McRae, saying he hoped the Scotsman would make a mistake, or develop mechanical problems.

This year's three day rally was brought forward by more than a month, which meant the 2,400 kilometre route the shortest yet was dry, dusty, and bone card, a far cry from last year's torrential rains and flash floods which killed three service personnel and created bogs.

The mud roads around Nairobi are even harder and more corrugated than normal now because the short rainy season in October and November.