Three-way title showdown on Rally GB

The defending world champion did just enough to keep Richard Burns at bay in second place down under and the Finn has set up a battle royal between Burns, Colin McRae and four-time world champ Tommi Makinen with the trio heading to Wales separated by just three points. For rally results, click here. For full championship standings, click here.

Gronholm's victory was virtually assured when the Finn took five consecutive stage wins on Saturday's Leg Two. He then paced himself through Leg Three to take his second Rally Oz win in a row. Burns finished second, followed by Gronholm's Peugeot team mates Didier Auriol and Harri Rovanpera as McRae and Makinen finished fifth and sixth respectively.

While attention is already focussing on a battle between the Brits for the title, Gronholm will go to Wales in determined mood, with Peugeot still very much in the hunt for the makes' title.

"I'm delighted for me and the whole team. It's good to win like this after our funny victory here last year," said a jubilant Gronholm. "It looks like it will be a good fight between Richard and Colin in Britain, but I have been quick there before and I will be pushing hard to make sure Peugeot wins the manufacturers' championship."

Peugeot is just four points behind Ford thanks to, in part, McRae's timing blunder on the first leg, when the Scot turned up too late to choose the ideal start slot for Saturday's crucial stages. Instead of challenging for victory, McRae found himself clinging to the wreckage of his missed podium opportunities. That he bagged any points at all in Australia showed just what he could, and should, have achieved here.

"It's not been a good event for us," lamented McRae. "We should have been on the podium here without any problem at all.

"I'm looking forward to Rally GB now," he added. "I'm sure it will be me versus Richard, but equally we cannot count out Tommi. He's never gone that quickly in Britain before, but then he has never had to. He's got nothing to lose. It couldn't be much clearer... if we win the event we win the title."

Title rival Burns also thinks Rally GB will be a battle between himself and McRae, however the Subaru driver doesn't share the Ford man's concerns of a Makinen threat.

"I think it will be between Colin and me for the championship in Britain," said Burns. "I don't think Tommi will be able to keep up with us."

With three wins each from the past six World Championship rallies in Britain, Burns' optimism is well placed. The only other driver capable of claiming the World Rally crown is Carlos Sainz, but he can only steal the show if he wins in Britain with McRae failing to score, Burns finishing no higher than fifth and Makinen no higher than fifth.