 Although their partnership extended back to the 1980s when McRae was a teenager, the two split at the end of 1996 when they failed to defend their title, several mid-season crashes being blamed on Ringer.After a year's absence, Ringer returned to partner Martin Rowe in the British Rally Championship, the pair winning the 1998 title in a Renault Mégane Maxi and competing together in the World Rally Championship in 1999.Ringer then moved on to Mitsubishi for two years, before McRae's split with replacement co-driver Nicky Grist in 2002 reunited the two Scots for 2003.