DEFENDING WORLD RALLY CHAMPION SPEAKS; With a 2004 win, finally, Subaru's lead driver looks ahead as the Wrc heads for Cyprus.(Letters)

Byline: PETTER SOLBERG

After taking the 2003 drivers' championship by just one point over Sebastien Loeb [in a Citroen Xsara WRC], it took about the entire off-season to stop celebrating and put it behind me to focus on this season. Being the first ever Norse World Rally champion makes me proudest of all.

2004 has been an adventure. First, there's the title to defend, that's never easy. Then there's all the added media attention. We raced the Impreza 2004 WRC for the first time at Mexico in mid-March. On top of all this, it seems like the FIA is changing the rules before every event.

But, as I write this, I have to say I don't care about all those possible excuses. It took a full quarter of this new 16-race season, but I finally won one. New Zealand (AW, April 26) is a really fast, smooth gravel rally and the new car and new Pirellis worked like they were supposed to. Beating a hungry and angry Marcus Gronholm in a Peugeot is never an easy thing. If there had been one more day to go, he might have caught me. Winning by just 5.9 seconds has got to be a record of some kind.

In Monte Carlo I had a cautious strategy early on, since the Monte has been awful for me in the past. Finishing seventh there and in the points was a big deal. The Swedish Rally is another that's been bad for me so far, but this year I managed to finish third for six more points. Mexico, an awesome rally, was a small nightmare that end- ed up being not so terrible. Driving the new car on special tires, I won nine of the 15 total stages over the three-day event and should have easily won the whole ...