"The car is fine," said the Finn following his test last week in Sardinia with the M-Sport ran squad, "during my two days we made a few changes in the mapping of the engine and on the suspension. I am now hoping I'll at last have an event without any problems. I feel well and since I didn't get points in Argentina I feel obliged to win here in Sardegna! I have to win. It is unbelievable that Loeb has had no problems and things have been turning bad for us in the last four rallies.
"I have just one plan - to attack from the beginning, from the very first kilometre as everyone always does. It's going to be essential that the car doesn't have any problems and that I do not make any mistakes, like last year at Mamone. All this might not enough if Loeb's car keeps going as well as it has - his car goes incredibly well. But we have to do our best with the Ford team in order to fight against Loeb and
Citroen. It could be the right year for Ford - and myself. I can also count on [my team-mate] Mikko [Hirvonen] to help. We can do it."
Mikko Hirvonen meanwhile surprised many in Sardinia last year by taking the challenge to Loeb in a privately-entered Focus RS on the opening leg - which he ended in third. Although he went off on day two and retired he is hopeful he can re-produce that form again this time out, especially as he will again benefit from running lower down the order and won't lose time sweeping away the loose gravel.
"Last year was good for me until I made a mistake on the second day," added the 25-year-old. "I had a good start position which meant the roads had been cleaned of gravel by the time I started the stages. I have a good start position again this year and I hope this will give me an advantage on the opening morning. I prefer the wider roads because when it's narrow and there are bushes and rocks close to the edge of the road, it's difficult to make pace notes. The temptation is to put as much as possible into the notes but then I find that there is too much in there."
555 Subaru World Rally Team:
[
Petter Solberg, car #5 and
Chris Atkinson, car #6.]
Subaru team leader, Petter Solberg has said that the Banbury based team need to prove they can win this coming weekend, after a difficult start to the new season. Despite the team’s struggles though, the Impreza WRC has gone well on gravel and as such ‘Hollywood’ managed to finish second in Mexico and Argentina, all of which bodes well ahead of the latest event on the loose in Sardinia.
"I was very happy with my drive in Argentina. Okay, things could have been even better but I think we’re getting there," said the Norwegian, who finished second in Sardinia in 2005 and who led the event from start to finish in 2004.
![Rally Italia Sardinia winners Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Elena on the podium with Petter Solberg and Phil Mills [2nd] and Marcus Gronholm and Timo Rautiainen [3rd]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/143183.jpg)
