Pressure off Burns for Rally GB

"For some reason, the build-up is not quite the same as it has been," he said. "Maybe it's because the championships have been won already, or maybe it's because Colin [McRae] will struggle to compete with our car's performance if everything goes well. But I don't remember a Rally GB where there has been less pressure on me going into it."

But the Englishman does not necessarily believe that the lack of pressure will be a good thing.

"In some ways it helps to have no pressure, as there's less of the bullshit that has gone on before," he said. "But in other ways it's bad, as you don't want to lose the focus on the event that pressure sometimes gives you. It can be an extra motivation."

Burns has named newly-crowned world champion Marcus Gronholm as his biggest challenger for victory on the event, rather than Colin McRae.

Burns will have his final pre-event test for the Rally GB in Wales this weekend, starting on Saturday. His gravel-noter Steve Turvey will be sitting alongside Burns rather than usual navigator Robert Reid. Reid is recovering from the bruised ribs he sustained during accidents in New Zealand and Australia.