Being in third car not so different, says Pons.

Kronos Citroen's Xavier Pons will be out to prove a point this weekend in Germany after being demoted to the 'third' car.

Pons was nominated to score manufacturers' points in the first half of the season, however it now looks at if that honour will go to Daniel Sordo in the remaining eight events, after Dani was confirmed in the number two Xsara WRC in Germany, Finland and Japan. Despite having been out performed by Sordo though, Pons will be keen to show he has what it takes to drive for a manufacturer-backed squad. Speaking prior to the event, he was unconcerned about the change, at least publicly anyway.

"For me it's not so different [being in the third car]," he insisted. "I will work exactly how I did before. I have the same motivation than for the start and also the same trust in the Kronos Racing team.

"We begin the second part of the season with a lead in the manufacturers' championship thanks to everyone's work. I am convinced it will continue. Personally, I will try to achieve a good result and if I think I have the right feeling, I might also take some risks unlike before as I always gave priority to scoring points for the Kronos Total Citroen team."

Pons has competed on the Rallye Deutschland twice before, winning the Group N category in 2004 and also taking the privateer 'win' in 2005, when he finished ninth overall.

"Usually the Spaniards perform quite well in Germany. Our 'asphalt' background and the good level of the Spanish championship give us a good basis to tackle this tricky terrain," he added. "In 2004, we achieved a good result considering the tight fight amongst several good drivers in the Production category. In 2005, I competed for the first time on tarmac with the Xsara in Deutschland. We improved our pace throughout the event without making mistakes."

As for the long summer break, while Pons took advantage of the time off to be with his family, fianc?e and friends, it wasn't all fun. Indeed he can't wait to get back out in the Xsara: "I used the time off to evaluate the first half of the season to understand where we succeeded and where we can progress. With my co-driver Carlos [del Barrio], we have worked on the things we need to improve. But for me, the break has been too long. I am looking forward to driving my Xsara WRC again and to enjoying it. Two months without it is a lot," he concluded.