Peugeot rules out crown

Double world champion Marcus Gronholm has had three retirements this year, including the last rally in Germany, and was denied his win in Cyprus following disqualification after the event.

The Finn now lies 34 points being championship leader Sebastien Loeb while Peugeot is currently 60 points behind Citroen in the manufacturers' chart.

"Given that our situation in both championships is now compromised, our intention is to finish the year with panache," Provera said.

Victory, then, is hoped for in the next round at Japan, and while the venue is a new one on the calendar, the team is confident of a win on the gravel stages, with specialist Harri Rovanpera returning to duty.

"I'm convinced that Japan is a great chance for us to win again," Rovanpera said. "The team has put in a fantastic job this year to make the 307 WRC a superb car. Okay, this is a new event, so we have no data for the set-up, but the 307 has already shown that it's particularly effective on the loose. This rally will be new for everyone, so we will all be on an equal footing. It's going to be interesting to see who comes out on top."