Frequelin nears end of his reign.

Citroen team boss, Guy Frequelin has admitted that he is approaching the Wales Rally GB with 'mixed feelings'.

The Welsh event will be his final one prior to retiring and relinquishing the position he has held since 1989, during which time Citroen has secured titles in Rally Raids, the French Championship and the WRC - with multiple successes at both Junior and full World level.

Speaking ahead of the 16th round in the 2007 FIA World Rally Championship, the 62-year-old noted that with Sebastien Loeb yet to secure the drivers' title that will be his prime concern.

"It will effectively be my final event in charge of Citroen Sport, so it's bound to be something special! How do I think it will feel? I don't know yet. It will certainly be an emotional moment and I approach it with mixed feelings," he stated.

"That said, I will probably be too focused to think too much about it during the rally, so I suppose it will probably hit me afterwards.

"The position of Seb and Daniel [Elena - his co-driver] does nothing to ease the pressure because they still need to go out there and score four points. We probably won't be challenging for victory but the result will still be important.

"Happily, I know I will be able to count on the motivation of our crews and everyone at Citroen Sport to rise to the challenge."

Asked about the situation in the drivers' championship, Frequelin added that while it is looking good, especially as Seb has a six-point advantage over Marcus Gronholm, he is still cautious.

"Seb and Daniel went to Ireland with a deficit of four points and they now go into the final round of the year with a six-point lead. They are in a favourable position but the title is far from won. As we saw in Formula 1 this year, nothing is ever over until the finish line has been crossed," he added.

"Since I became the director of Citro?n Sport 19 years ago, I have repeatedly said that rallying is the most unpredictable form of motor sport. I'm not going to change my tune just because this is my last rally as team boss - especially since the 2007 title will be decided on such a notorious event as Wales Rally GB!

"So much can happen in the Welsh forests. The usual imponderables relating to the cars' mechanicals and the possibility of a driver error are even more pronounced on this event. Its extreme conditions make it very complex.

"The conditions there in December promise to be very complex, with the prospect of mud, low grip, night-time stages and probably fog, while snow and ice can't be ruled out either.

"We have a real chance and we are all very motivated, but I am still very much on my guard."