Gronholm: Richard will be quicker

Gronholm has a 14-point lead over Carlos Sainz in the standings so whatever happens he will leave Kenya next Sunday with his lead in the championship still intact. The 2000 world champ therefore says picking up points on the Safari - and not necessarily an outright win - will be his top priority.

"In the Safari I'll drive a tactical rally," he told wrc.com. "I'm just after points and I'll be driving carefully to make sure I finish the rally - that's the most important thing.

"With the situation we are in I have to drive with my head - to get points where we can and push hard when it is safe," he explained. "There's no point in pushing hard on the Safari - there's so much luck needed and so many different things at stake. But Harri [Rovanpera] finished second last year so anything is possible."

Burns has beaten his team-mate on one occasion this year - on Rallye Catalunya in March - but the reigning world champion has more experience of the tough event than Gronholm and the Safari was the scene of Burns' first WRC victory in 1998.

"I expect that Richard will be quicker than me there," conceded Gronholm. "He's always gone well there and my priority is really just to come back with some points. No risks, nothing stupid. Then in Finland I will push - I know we can do well there."