Kronos vow not to relax

Gronholm dominated the early running of the event, however he retired in the second leg after hitting a rock and damaging his sump guard.

Kronos driver Sebastien Loeb went on to win and now holds a huge 31-point advantage over title-rival Gronholm after just seven rounds.

However, Van Dalen believes the event proved they cannot rest of their laurels and assume the championship is going to be theirs this season.

"Marcus' performance is very useful for us. It prevents us from relaxing," Van Dalen said.

"Going into an event where we would tend to think that we are already the best and imagine that it's all here, pace like Marcus' gives a good kick.

"Our rivals have worked hard and Marcus has driven very aggressively."

Next weekend's Acropolis Rally will feature several new stages for all competitors thanks to the move of the rally base to the Olympic Stadium in Athens.

"How much will Sebastien pay for starting first and sweeping the road on Friday? On a new terrain, no one can really know," Van Dalen added. "We have done a lot of work since Sardinia and we hope to fight for a win.

"But the championship is really long and everyone experiences good times and bad times. We have to take profit of the first ones and target 'big points' if we're a bit less successful."