Burns in strong position after First Leg

That's the view of the Subaru team, whose other driver, Juha Kankkunen, is not far behind his team-mate in fourth place.

At the end of the day's final service, both drivers praised the durability of the car after racing in extremely wet conditions caused by torrential rain - the result of Typhoon Sam that hit Hong Kong and Macau.

Burns set a measured pace until the bad weather disappeared, and then he attacked, taking the lead on Stage Five.

After the first day, he said, 'I very deliberately ran at the pace I thought was right for me, and the conditions today.

'I'd say that the enjoyment factor has been somewhat lacking in the very trying conditions, but ultimately we have claimed the lead.'

Meanwhile, Kankkunen, who is not expecting the conditions to improve, commented after finishing six seconds from a podium finish, 'Today was much harder than I expected.

'The stages were already rough, but the rain brought mud too, which meant it was very slippery as well. This made a dreadful combination early on, but it improved later.'