Hirvonen upbeat on Jordan chances

The Ford driver, who is five points behind Loeb in the title standings, thinks the stages at Jordan will be similar to what he grew up with back home in Finland.

"I've never been there but I've spoken to some drivers who have and seen photographs from our team, who visited the candidate rally last year," he said.

"The roads look smooth and it seems as though the organisers have done a good job in preparing them. They look fast and flowing, like Finland but without the jumps, so if that's the case they should be good for me."

Hirvonen has yet to win a rally this year but is confident that his improving pace will keep the pressure on Loeb, who has taken victory in three of the four events.

"Sunday's final leg is the longest of the rally, which is quite different to most events," added Hirvonen about the challenge of Jordan.

"If a driver has large time gaps in front or behind then there will be more kilometres than usual in which to keep an eye on things. But if the time gaps are just 20 or 30 seconds, there could still be a lot to fight for on the final day.

"I was happier with my speed on the first morning during the last round in Argentina. The poor conditions probably helped me initially, but when they improved I still took some time from Sebastien Loeb and so it was definitely an improvement."

Hirvonen's teammate Jari-Matti Latvala is equally looking forward to the event, which as a new addition to the WRC calendar will provide him with a more level playing field against his more experienced rivals.

"Last year there were three new rallies in the championship and I enjoyed the challenge of those so I'm looking forward to Jordan," he explained. "I understand the roads are hard and fast so they should suit me.

"Although it's my first time in Jordan, car set-up isn't a concern. Now I have a set-up that feels good, I use that as a base for most rallies and don't need to make big changes, just a little fine tuning in places."