Looming retirement won't slow me, says Makinen.

555 Subaru World Rally team driver Tommi Makinen has promised that his decision to retire will not affect his will to win this weekend on the Telstra Rally Australia.

Makinen, who announced his retirement in mid-August, has a good record in Oz, and finished fourth last year prior to being disqualified, as his car was underweight.

The Finn, who won in 1996 and 1998, will take part in his tenth Australian Rally this weekend. He commented: "I'm feeling very positive. My recent decision to retire has not affected my determination for the rest of the year at all, and my current feeling and motivation is very good.

"Australia is always an excellent rally and I'm looking forward to it - it's one of my favourite events of the season. Sometimes the roads can be quite narrow and tricky, and it's important to not let the car slide too much on the slippery surface.

"There's very little room for error in Australia due to the trees that line the side of the route, but it's a good challenge and I'm hoping for a good result."