Gronholm blasts team-mate Burns

Gronholm also took swipes at former world champions Colin McRae and Tommi Makinen in a recent interview for a Belgian magazine.

"Normally the rally drivers get on well, but there is one guy who is arrogant and that's my team-mate Richard Burns," Gronholm said. "He would be far more at home in F1. For instance, he tells me I should be more arrogant towards the media.

"Everyone says Colin is the best in the world, but he keeps making mistakes. Tommi has lost it a little bit. He also makes mistakes. Mistakes I don't make. As for Burns, he might not be a nice guy, but he's good."

Gronholm was reported to have been upset when Burns joined Peugeot at the end of last year - especially when it was reported that Burns was earning twice as much as the 2000 world champion. The Finn has since re-signed for the French team until 2006.

Burns dismissed Gronholms words as mindgames. "It's similar to what Colin tried last year," Burns told The Times. "It's normal wherever the biggest threat comes from. If this is how Marcus wants to do it, so be it."