The 30-year-old became the first Englishman to win the drivers' crown by finishing third in the Network Q Rally of Great Britain at Cardiff on Sunday.

Burns won the championship for Subaru - who claim to have an option to retain him despite having already signed four-time champion Tommi Makinen for 2002.

Meanwhile, Peugeot insist Burns is joining them next season in a deal worth �3.7m for each of the two seasons of his contract.

The driver himself refused to comment about the contractual wrangle but said he expected to be a Peugeot driver next season.

"I cannot talk about the contract", he said.

"I am just happy tonight to have won - being England's first world rally champion sounds good.

Subaru team principal David Lapworth said: "The contract is a private matter.

"We are enjoying the moment and are ready for a party. We will be discussing the future with Richard this week."

Burns is likely to have to pay Subaru �1m to break his contract, according to reports.

Burns and his co-driver Robert Reid were concentrating on their achievement.

"I feel absolutely fantastic", said the Reading-born driver.

Burns, a co-driver and volunteer marshal at the age of 15 in 1986, added: "There was massive pressure before this event and to come though like this is brilliant.

"It's a bit of a shame not to win my home event but after the retirements on the first leg my sole aim changed from the rally to the bigger championship picture.

"I'm overwhelmed by this experience, it's been a great team performance, so many people have worked so hard for this result and we all deserve it.

"We have been so close for the past two years and we had a terrible first half of the season but the second half has been just fantastic."

Burns finished three minutes 15 seconds behind Finland's 2000 champion Marcus Gronholm who claimed his first British victory ahead of Peugeot team-mate and countryman Harri Rovanpera.

Burns, who started the four-day event two points behind Colin McRae and one adrift of Makinen, only needed a top four finish after both his rivals retired.

McRae, back home in Scotland, was therefore powerless to prevent Burns wrecking his status as Britain's only world rally champion.

The Scot said: "Congratulations to Richard - he has done a great drive and deserves the title.

"But we will be back next year stronger and better and all the more determined to take that title."

Burns added: "There was a lot of hype and pressure before the event with Colin, but before we started he came up and said now all the rubbish is over we can just get on with it.

"I knew as soon as it was over then whoever won would be congratulated by the other and he has done that."

Burns previously finished runner-up two years in succession and midway through this year's 17-rally season he was 25 points adrift of Makinen.

But the final six events yielded 29 points for him.

Reid, co-driver for Burns since 1991, said: "What a beauty. After the disappointments of the last few years this victory means so much.

"Richard has proved that he's the best this year and we did the job."

The event was overshadowed by an accident involving spectators, and Burns was thinking of the injured people afterwards.

"I have just been told that two people are still in hospital", he said.

"Hopefully both will make a full recovery. It is a very difficult situation when something like that happens.

"I can only offer my sympathies to the people involved and hope they come back to the rally next year."