McRae in 'crucial' phase of season

The 1995 title holder, who scored a morale-boosting win in Argentina earlier this month, expects a tough fight on the Mediterranean island.

"For me this rally and the Acropolis are very important," said McRae. "Everyone keeps talking about the championship after what we did in Argentina, but we're still a long way behind Tommi (Makinen) and Carlos (Sainz) in the title race. I'd prefer to see what we get out of here and Greece and then examine the situation.

"Looking at last year, there's no reason why we shouldn't be challenging for wins on these two events, but of course, we don't know how much the rest have improved. I think it'll be hard work here and tyre wear will a crucial factor."

McRae's British rival Richard Burns, who finished second to him in Argentina, is equally cautious about this phase of the season.

"I think this combination in the middle of the year is crucial," he said. "If I can get a few decent finishes together then Tommi hasn't got a great finishing record on any of these rallies and things could change a lot."