"We tested in Greece last week and we’re making small steps in performance, plus the reliability is improving a lot. We have to prove now that when everything goes well, we can win. This is what the whole team wants, everybody. We need to win this weekend."
Chris Atkinson meanwhile is targeting a top five finish in the sister car. The Aussie finished sixth in Argentina three weeks ago and now wants to build on that as he takes in the Italian event for the second time in his career. Furthermore although he only finished 18th in Sardinia last year, he likes the event and climbed as high as third overall early on in ‘05 and even won one stage.
"Sardinia is a challenge as it’s very technical and narrow and you have to drive cleanly to do well here. It’s a good drivers’ rally and I really enjoy it," he noted. "Over half the route is new this year so a lot will depend on making good pace notes on the recce. My goal is a top five result. We set some good stage times last year and were running as high as third at one point, so there’s no reason why we can’t achieve this target."
Manufacturer 2.
OMV Peugeot Norway WRT:
[Manfred Stohl, car #7 and
Henning Solberg, car #8].
OMV Peugeot Norway WRT duo Manfred Stohl and Henning Solberg are confident they can do well on the Rally d'Italia.
"Sardinia is definitely not my favourite rally," said Stohl, who finished ninth in 2005 after his pre-event preparations were handicapped by a bout of food poisoning. "It is a typical gravel rally but typically difficult. The roads are very narrow and very hard. We were very close in Argentina though [the last event] and as far as speed is concerned we are up to it - which the two special stage best-times proved once more."
Like Stohl, Henning will be after a good points' finish too and despite the mechanical problem on the final stage in Argentina, which cost him fifth place, he is also upbeat.
![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)
