His decision to leave Subaru after winning the world title in 2001 put him into rallying's best car last year - but it also matched him up with Marcus Gronholm, and Burns came out distinctly second best.

A year in which the reigning world champion wins no rallies while driving the best car is a major disappointment, however you dress it up, and Burns needed to bound back this season.

He has not done so.

Although he led the championship until as recently as the Corsica Rally, that was down to his incredible consistency more than anything else.

Burns, amazingly, has yet to win a rally for Peugeot and the signs now are that he never will - he is moving on back to Subaru for 2004.

Many would argue that, in terms of ultimate speed at least, Burns has been found out.

Gronholm, after all, has won three rallies this year and has gone off in the lead of at least two others.

Burns, meanwhile, has contented himself with driving steadily and picking up as many points as possible, happy to let the new scoring system help him out.

For a long time it appeared as if a major travesty might happen - that Burns could win the title without scoring a single victory.

Now that tactic has failed, Burns must try to rebuild his reputation at Subaru.

Against the rising young star Petter Solberg, he may find life is barely easier than it has been against the old master Gronholm.