Richard Burns, pointless again in Spain this weekend, has lashed out at his Subaru team, which he feels is to blame for his poor start to the world championship.

Burns, who came closest to depriving Peugeot's Marcus Gronholm of the 2000 title, has just three points to his name in 2001 - courtesy of a fourth place finish in the mud of Portugal - and can only watch with frustration as the likes of Tommi Makinen stretch away at the head of the leaderboard.

Although ten rounds of the 2001 campaign remain to be fought out between now and November, the British driver is concerned that the new Subaru Impreza and, more importantly, the team may not be up to the task of competing with Peugeot and Mitsubishi - which has a new WRC model on stream from mid-season - this year.

Not in the top six for much of the rally, Burns had to fightback from several mechanical problems to get within sight of a point, but was let down by tyre troubles on the last stage of the day.

"This event hasn't been very good, and I've not got a lot out of it," he told journalists in Spain, "My tyre came off on the last stage and it cost us the chance of fighting for a point. The car seems very good on long stages, but we cannot afford to be on the pace for just 60 per cent of the event. Something needs improving, and I think we've got a lot to do before we go to Argentina."

With Ford's Colin McRae having not finished any of the first four rallies, things do not look good for Britain's top two stars. The Scot has already conceded that his hopes of adding a second world crown to the one he won in 1995 are over, and it is brother Alister that is proving to be the most consistent of the British contingent with the improving Hyundai Accent.