If there was a sour taste in the mouths of Peugeot management after the French company withdrew from Formula One with its tail between its legs last year, it was probably washed out with champagne.

For where Peugeot failed to dismally to get to grips with F1, it is something of a specialist at the world rally championship.

In the mid-1980s, the 205 took the rally world by storm, setting new standards on its way to world titles for drivers and the manufacturer.

And it was the same story last year, when Peugeot won both titles on its first full year back in the sport.

Working hard

The 206 was a superb all-round car, with great power from its engine, and superb handling from its chassis.

It took a deserving Marcus Gronholm to another first - the first man to win the title in his debut world rally championship year.

And there is no reason to believe the same will not happen again.

Peugeot has been working hard on tweaking the car over the brief winter break.

It is developing a similar kind of electronically-controlled damper system to the one that made the Subaru Impreza such a formidable force in 2000.

And it has added to its driver strength, employing former world champion Didier Auriol to augment Gronholm's qualities.

Peugeot, it can be expected, will carry on where it left off - as the team to beat.