Subaru duo upbeat for Catalunya

Petter Solberg and Stephane Sarrazin finished an encouraging third and fourth in Corsica as their car seemed better suited to the asphalt surface than it had been in the Rallye Deutschland.

And it has given the duo and the team's third driver Chris Atkinson a fresh motivation for this weekend's rally.

"I think Spain will be a very interesting and exciting rally," said Solberg. "The new roads look very good and it's always fun to try out fresh rally stages.

"Coming so soon after Corsica I'm still feeling positive about the way the latest tyres and suspension set-up worked. The guys at Subaru and Pirelli have worked very hard and together we've made a significant step forward in the asphalt performance.

"We achieved our objectives there, and I hope that we can deliver another good result in Spain. I'm looking forward to it."

For Sarrazin, the fourth placed finish in Corsica equalled his best ever WRC finish, which he achieved on his debut in Catalunya last year. And the Frenchman believes the fact that this weekend's event has moved from its previous Costa Brava base to a new venue in Tarragona should help his chances.

"Prior experience is so important in the WRC, but the fact that this rally is largely new to all competitors should help me in Spain," he explained. "It's much more of a level fight and that's better for me.

"My performance in Corsica has given me a lot of confidence about the car and tyres, when I push I know I am capable of getting good times. I prefer the smoother roads in Spain and I think that I can improve on my Corsica result. Maybe another step up the podium - who knows."