SWRT driver Chris Atkinson in action on SS19 on Leg 2 of Neste Rally Finland 2007. (Photo: Rally World Magazine) » More Photos

No one can help but feel bad about Petter Solberg after the last few disappointing years he has had in the championship. His fighting spirit is admirable though, and that's what makes him such a great driver, even if he's not winning rallies nowadays. I really don't want to make any predictions on him until the new Impreza enters the WRC. I do know, though, that he will be back on top when we least expect it; rallying, more than any other form of motorsport, has a lot of highs and lows, and that's just the way it is sometimes.

Subaru's wild child Chris Atkinson has definitely showed he has the speed however reliability is still something that he needs to work on. Problems with the car have not made things easier for him either but if the new Impreza turns out to be good, then we might be able to see a new side from the Aussie.

Everybody is eagerly waiting for the Suzuki SX4 to hit the World Rally Championship roads at full throttle. Finnish driver Toni Gardemeister reappears full-time in the series as the main driver for the new manufacturer. His testing abilities should help the team get to speed but it will be hard to predict anything on either Gardemeister or second driver P-G Andersson. This is the team's first year in the championship and as we all know there are so many things that can go wrong, and especially when there's a new car involved.

Andersson should be an interesting driver to watch, as he will be making the jump from the FIA Juniors to the big time. We could see some competitive times from him; he is fast, talented, and very good under pressure.

Another driver I expect to see good results from is Norway's Andreas Mikkelsen. He has great potential and he has clearly shown this already in 2007. Despite his young age, he is a very mature driver, a very important ingredient in this business, especially when you're just starting up. I expect to see a lot more from him in the coming years; I don't think we'll be disappointed.

As far as the manufacturers' title, I believe Ford will be again on top of the standings. The team has the Focus all figured out like the palm of its hands so we can only expect the car to get even better. The Hirvonen/Latvala combo will be the team to beat with both drivers trying to prove their mettle and make their current employer proud.

Let the best one win!

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