Al Qassimi to balance form in slippery conditions at Rally Australia

The BP Ford Abu Dhabi is planning to take a respectful approach as he seeks to claim his third points finish of the season.

Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi is planning to take a respectful approach into Rally Australia as he seeks to claim his third points finish of the season.

The Emirati driver has already claimed top 10 finishes in Sweden and Jordan to have five points to his name, but he faces a tall order to make it a hat-trick in Australia.

The Abu Dhabi Ford driver retired from the event when he competed there in 2004 in a Subaru Impreza, and then finished a distant 19th in the 2009 event in his Ford Focus.

The 39 year old is wary of mixed weather reported for the region in New South Wales where the event is taking place, and said: "The weather forecast indicates showers during the rally, and on hard-based roads conditions could be slippery. I understand the stages will be of a different nature to those we drove in 2009. The key is to find a balance of good pace in the dry, and a compromise of speed and safety if it's wet."

Ford have a good record in Australia, with Mikko Hirvonen having won the last two stagings of the event in 2009 and 2006, but they have not won a rally since the opening event of the season in Sweden in February, with Citroen having won the last eight rallies.

It was Citroen's Sebastien Ogier who was quickest through yesterday's two opening special stages as he built a lead of 0.7 seconds over his teammate and championship leader, Sebastien Loeb.

Ogier said: "It was a good start but the real start is tomorrow. It was quite slippery and not easy to find the right rhythm."

Eight stages are due to take place today with the event finishing tomorrow.