Stohl: Will be difficult to do full-season again.

OMV Peugeot's Manfred Stohl has said that while he would like to do another full programme in the FIA World Rally Championship in 2007, it is too early to say at the moment whether or not he will.

Stohl has been competing in the WRC for ages and notched up is 100th start at the Rally Argentina in April. Despite that though, this is actually the first time he has been able to contest all 16-events and thus far he has had a pretty strong season, scoring 24 points in total, including a podium place on the Rally Mexico in March. However whether or not he will be able to compete in all the events again next year has yet to be confirmed.

"It's very difficult," he noted, when asked about it at the Rally Finland and if he will be able to put the necessary budget together.

"I am very lucky with my long-time sponsor; I have worked with OMV for 13 or 14 years now. They are happy with my success and I'm happy with the team and the Peugeot. We are in a good position with Henning [Solberg - my team-mate] and me; we are the top Manufacturer Two team. It's nice for me, the first time in my career that I have a full season. For sure, I would like - I want to do it [all the events again in '07], but it's too early to say..."

Stohl finished ninth in Finland on Sunday and while he missed out on drivers' points, he picked up four for the team in the constructors'. It wasn't a bad result then, especially considering the time he lost on day one in SS6, when he hit a rock and broke the front left transverse control arm on his 307.

"If somebody had told me prior to the rally that I would reach a top ten place, I would have been overjoyed [given the 'local' drivers' usually lock-out the top places]," he reflected at the finish on Sunday, "But now I'm a little bit sad about ninth place. More would have been possible. But the damage on the first day - a broken transverse control arm - had me thrown too far back. Fortunately we were able to gather valuable manufacturers' points which somewhat makes up for one or more lost drivers' points."

As for the final leg on Sunday he added that there was no point in taking any risks, as he had already overhauled Stobart VK's Matthew Wilson and was too far behind Jan Kopecky, who ended up eighth in his Skoda Fabia WRC and who was some three minutes ahead.

"There was no use taking unnecessary risks on Sunday when there was no longer any opponent. Once we had overtaken Wilson the matter was settled. Therefore one has to see my special stage times in this light. It was basically nothing more than a fast recce for next year," he concluded.