"Martin Prokop and Aaron Burkart – my key rivals – won't be there, and I want to take advantage of their absence to score the maximum possible points. The challenge for me and the team will be to try and take a podium."
Florian Niegel meanwhile will be begin his JWRC campaign this weekend - and take in only his second ever WRC event under the '
Suzuki Rallye Junior Team Germany' banner.
"I have always dreamt of competing with the world's best juniors in the JWRC," said Niegel. "Although we are newcomers, my goal is to try and stick with the pace of the more experienced teams.
"It would be absolutely fantastic if we could finish somewhere on the podium on our first event."
Prokop and Burkart will not be in action as this is not one of their nominated events.
Other significant entries:
55 crews set to start.
55 crews are due to start round five - 16 of which will be in World Rally Cars, with all the manufacturer teams' represented.
In addition to the usual 'works' entries,
Conrad Rautenbach and
Urmo Aava will both compete in PH Sport-run
Citroen C4 WRCs.
Rautenbach re-wrote the record books in Argentina last month by becoming the first Zimbabwean to ever score 'senior' points in the WRC, and while he concedes that is now history, there is no doubt it has done his confidence the world of good.
Indeed he can't wait to get out again in his PH Sport-run C4 WRC car and see how things go on the fifth round in the series.
Of the rest, in addition to the 16 JWRC runners, another 23 will compete for Group N honours, including Riccardo Errani and a number of local stars, such as Amjad Farrah, who was second on the candidate event last year.
Route:
The rally is based at the Dead Sea, 50km south-west of Amman and at 427m below sea level, the lowest point on earth. The stages will run through historical and biblical sites around the Jordan Valley and Rumman forests, and all except one are fully or partially below sea level.
