Solberg focused on runner-up spot

The Norwegian is tied for second spot with Peugeot's Marcus Gronholm and is hoping that he can put in the kind of performance that nearly saw him win in the Rally Japan earlier this year.

"The focus this rally is on securing second position in the drivers' championship," said Solberg. "We've shown that we can compete with Marcus on a level playing field and I will be 100% determined to get a good result.

"Australia is a fantastic event and we've had a win here so I am confident that we can achieve our aim. I enjoy the stages, the weather is good, the people are friendly - it's the perfect place to celebrate!"

Team boss David Lapworth has dropped a major hint that he will allow Solberg to focus on grabbing the second spot in the championship behind Sebastien Loeb - despite Subaru's own ambitions.

"We saw with Petter's performance in Japan that he thrives on this kind of surface," he said. "On a similar type of road he was on course for a win and that's the plan for next week. Marcus, Petter and Sebastien are going to be the three to watch, I think.

"All have nothing to lose, there's no championship pressure and they all want to end the season with a win. I think we're going to see a sprint finish to the year."