Subaru team leader, Petter Solberg has predicted that he should be able to fight for 'top spots' in New Zealand - providing things 'work right'.

Petter and Subaru really have had a tough time this season - and despite two podiums and flashes of pace from the Impreza WRC, it just hasn't come together, either for the Norwegian or the Banbury-based outfit as a whole.

'Hollywood' is therefore tight-lipped on what he might achieve in the eleventh round in the 2007 FIA World Rally Championship: “Looking to this week and Rally New Zealand, it will of course be very different to Germany as we return to gravel,” he pointed out.

“While we showed good pace in Germany on the asphalt, it's not something that naturally carries over to such differing conditions on gravel, but I am looking forward to seeing how we go.

“If things are working right, then we know we can be fighting for top spots from the start.”

Subaru WRT operations director, Paul Howarth meanwhile has warned that a mistake in New Zealand is often severely punished, simply because it is such a high-speed event.

“A lot of the route of Rally New Zealand is flat, but there are also a lot of cambered roads. The challenge for the drivers is to get the cars to flow from corner to corner using the camber to their advantage, and it is very important to have a car that can swap direction precisely and hold the line predictably,” he explained.

“Those who are able to build a good rhythm and have the confidence to commit will be quick.

“Road cleaning does have an effect, but it means that if you slip off-line there is a lot of loose gravel. This coupled with the high speed typical of the rally means that if drivers get the cambers wrong or make a mistake it is usually very costly,” he summed-up.

For the record, Petter has done the Rally New Zealand a number of times and in addition to winning in 2004, he was third in 2005 and 2003.