Subaru flat-out for Argentina

It's mid-winter in Argentina at the moment and there are a host of potential pitfalls awaiting the teams but there's no doubting the confidence in the Subaru camp. "I still think that Petter has an edge on gravel," states team principal Lapworth.

Solberg is, as ever, in upbeat mood, but he points out that it won't be easy. "Argentina is a special rally," says the Norwegian, "very difficult because there are so many different types of road, it's twisty, narrow, fast and the surface is constantly changing too; there are water splashes and maybe even ice in the morning. I think it's going to be one of the most challenging rallies of the year, especially as we have just 25 tyres to use, so the choices we make will be crucial."

Victory though, is his aim. "I've never won in Argentina before," he says. "It seems that the drivers with the most experience have previously done the best there, but this time I think it's about time for me and I'm going to give it everything I've got."

Lapworth also focuses on the crucial role to be played by the tyres. "Fortunately for us, our Pirellis work very well in cool temperatures," says Lapworth, "and Petter seems to thrive in tricky conditions and on changing surfaces, which is all part of the recipe in Argentina. That said, it's a very difficult event to predict and the new tyre rules makes things even harder. We can no longer go armed with a whole spectrum of tyres and have to gamble much more on the long-range weather forecast."

Hirvonen has been allowed to settle into his role as number two driver pretty gently so far - encouraged simply to gain experience and finish rallies. But it seems the pressure is now being turned up for the young Finn, who joined the team at the beginning of the season as a substitute for the unwell Richard Burns.

"For Mikko, this is an event that he has done before and has experience of," says Lapworth. "From now onwards we'll be starting to look less and less at mileage and experience and more at different aspects of his skills and speed."