Gronholm's five-speed boost

Gronholm, who won last weekend's Rally Finland by a comfortable margin, has been keen for the introduction of the five-speed unit since the start of the season. It was given a reliability test in Finland, with Sebastian Lindholm running the unit in a third 307.

He ran as high as second until he crashed out, and claimed the five-speed was a major step forward in competitive conditions. Gronholm is confident he'll feel the same benefit in Germany.

"I find the five-speed easier to drive because I don't have to think all the time about what gear I should be in on the stages," he said. "When you're thinking more about your gears than you are about the road ahead, there's no way you can get the attacking feeling you need to win rallies."

Peugeot Sport chief Corrado Provera believes that his lead driver can still win a third title, and has targeted winning every remaining event on the calendar.

He said: "I believe Marcus still has a chance of winning the drivers' championship this year and the five-speed car is the key to that process."