Turkey is a tricky one, says Atkinson.

Chris Atkinson has predicted that the Rally of Turkey, the thirteenth round in the 2006 FIA World Rally Championship, could be another tough one for Subaru.

Speaking in the countdown to this weekend's event, which gets underway on Friday, the Aussie added that his game-plan is to hang in there and try and get a top-five finish, like he would have had in Cyprus three weeks ago prior to his problems on day two, when he went off the road.

"Coming so soon after Cyprus I think it's going to be a difficult rally. In Cyprus we weren't expecting a fantastic result, we were realistic about our chances and that's what we got," he noted. "This week I'm hoping to keep things more consistent and just hang in there.

"Going at the same pace we were running at in Cyprus I think a top-five finish is possible - we'll just have to wait and see."

As for the nature of the event itself, Chris knows it is far from easy. Indeed he had something of a baptism of fire last year on his debut in Turkey, when he retired on the first day after ripping a rear wheel off on a rock. Luckily he managed to re-join the fold for legs two and three, thanks to the SupeRally to complete the route and build experience of the conditions. He was eventually classified in 24th place overall.

"Turkey is a tricky rally with very varied conditions," he continued. "Last time we had rain, hard-packed roads, some loose stuff, slow bits and flat-out sections. This year I'm expecting a bit of everything and changing conditions again - it's a fairly entertaining rally."

Subaru sporting director, Luis Moya meanwhile agrees that it is tough, just like the other three WRC events in the Mediterranean in Cyprus, Greece and Sardinia: "If I had to sum up the character of this rally in one word it would be 'variable'," he added. "The roads are fast in places, but in others they can be quite rough. It's a bit like a blend of Rally Greece and Rally Cyprus. Drivers have to stay alert at all times though, especially when it comes to keeping a neat racing line. Once you're off the cleaned line there's a lot of loose material around and it's easy to slide off or spin the car. There are usually lots of rocks and boulders by the side of the roads and these have caught out a lot of people out in the past."