Citroen may have a monopoly on the World Rally Championships for 2005 but the team has still promised to deliver in the final event of the year which begins in the Western Australian capital of Perth on Thursday.
Citroen team boss Guy Frequelin has given his world champion driver Sebastien Loeb licence to go for broke and is treating the rally as long-term preparation for the 2007 season, with the team withdrawing from next years competition.
"Our motivation is the same as ever; like any team involved in competition, we want to win," Frequelin said on his teams official web site.
"I would even go as far as to say that Rally Australia marks the beginning of our 2007 campaign, so it will also be case of building for the future," he said.
Frequelin said the second Citroen Xsara pairing of Belgians Francois Duval and Sven Smeets would also be given free rein in the race.
Loeb, who with a record 10 wins from 15 events so far this season has already well and truly wrapped up the World Drivers' Championship for the second time, is ambivalent about competing in Australia at the end of a hectic schedule.
"I will be out to win. If we don't, it won't be a catastrophe, but I intend to give it my best shot," the 31-year-old Frenchman said.
"When I finished second in Australia two years ago it marked a big step in my career. After that, I was considered to be a potential winner everywhere."
Loeb, who also won here last year, has set the rally circuit abuzz this season and said he was not only eager to defend his title, but was also looking forward to helping Citroen develop their new C4 rally car in 2007.
As the top-seeded driver he will face the difficult task of being first car out or the 'track sweeper' on the loose gravel roads of the rugged bushland circuits to the south and east of Perth.
Drivers regularly report that the surface becomes easier to handle later in the day after the first cars through have dispersed the ball-bearing-like stones.
Last year saw a string of retirements including Finn Marcus Gronholm, Estonian Markko Martin and Norwegian Petter Solberg.
Spanish ace Carlos Sainz was also forced to withdraw just before the first stage after he injured his neck when his car slid off the road during practice.
Interest will also centre on who can finish runner-up in the Drivers' Championship with Subaru's Solberg and Peugeot's three-times Rally Australia winner Gronholm tied for second on 71 points, 56 points behind Loeb.
Solberg said he was also intent on trying to help Subaru to third place in the Manufacturers' Championship ahead of Ford.
Citroen and Peugeot have already secured first and second respectively but Subaru, nine points behind Ford, can still grab third if both Solberg and fellow driver Australian Chris Atkinson get among the points.
Ford will unveil their new Ford Focus RS car in the rally as part of their development program for the 2007 season.
The rally starts on Thursday evening with a special super stage on a 2.35km circuit at Gloucester Park in the city centre and continues through to Sunday afternoon with 26 stages in all.
