Ford boss rallies McRae for GB

Ford World Rally chief Malcolm Wilson says that he expects McRae, whose title hopes expired with his Focus's engine in Australia, to lift himself for the home fans and scrap with Richard Burns and Marcus Gronholm for a fourth win on his home round of the series.

Wilson said: "I hope Colin's up for the fight. I think he will be. Thinking about it, I'd say he's actually in a slightly better frame of mind than he was this time last year. Back then, he'd just come out of a really big accident in Australia. He knows now that what happened there this year wasn't his fault, and if our work with Michelin pays off, the package should be good enough for him to challenge."

McRae and Ford were left gasping for pace by Richard Burns's Pirelli-shod Impreza on last year's Rally GB, but Wilson is optimistic that extensive work has improved the Focus's pace. "We tested in April and again recently," he said. "We know that the tyres and car we've got this year are both considerably better than 12 months ago."

The 1995 world champion could yet play a decisive role in deciding who wins this year's title. Victory would automatically ruin Burns's title hopes, since the Englishman needs to win and see series leader Marcus Gronholm sixth or lower if he is to win his first crown.