Loeb hopes to recover from a broken arm and race again in 2006

Loeb was handed his third successive title in Australia when rival Marcus Gronholm failed to finish in the top four on Sunday.

The Frenchman, 32, watched the action from the sidelines after suffering a broken arm in a mountain-bike accident.

With the title secure, Loeb can now be more cautious over his comeback.

"I wanted to come back in New Zealand but now the pressure is not the same," said the Kronos Citroen driver.

"If I am not completely ready in New Zealand I will wait a bit more."

The Rally of New Zealand takes place in Waikato on 17-19 November but Loeb seems much more likely to feature in and around Cardiff on 1-3 December.

"Hopefully I will be back in the last rally of the season to celebrate this title with all the team."

Loeb now has an unassailable 21-point lead with two rallies remaining but says the thought of being forced to sit back and watch his rivals overtake him has taught him a valuable lesson.

"I was sure I would be able to get the five points I needed and then suddenly I had the accident," he said.

"Then everything was different. Now we understand that it is never finished with before the end.