Peugeot targets points

Peugeot drivers Marcus Gronholm and Markko Martin are looking to claim as many points as possible from the forthcoming Rally Mexico to build on their current second place in the manufacturers' championship.

Rally Mexico, a gravel rally based around the industrial city of Leon, joined the WRC calendar for the first time last year, with the inaugural event being claimed by Martin with his former team, Ford.

"The stages are very varied, with slow and quick portions and no particular surprises to catch you out, and that's a good thing,"the Estonian noted. "I think we can do well. It would be great to win a second time, but that won't be easy. I still have to accustom myself to the car and tyres, which are new for me, especially on the loose. But we are making good progress."

Teammate Gronholm was hoping to banish memories of his accident in Sweden while challenging for the lead, noting: "Personally, I will be principally out to score points. I was really affected by my retirement in Sweden, and I want to put the incident behind me. I know I can count on the car's reliability and our recent events have been very positive on that front.

"We have also progressed in terms of performance, and a long test session is planned in Europe to fine-tune the set-up. As for the majority of the other drivers, Rally Mexico was new to me last year. It's an interesting event and well organised. I am looking forward to it."

Rally Mexico starts on Thursday March 10.