AUSTRALIA'S Chris Atkinson is poised to be a regular frontrunner in the World Rally Championship next season, according to motorsport mogul David Richards.

The Prodrive boss, who overseas Atkinson's Subaru World Rally Team, said the Queenslander - who is currently running fourth in this year's title race - should start to make his mark on the sport next year.

After finishing seventh in Catalunya last weekend, Atkinson is preparing for the Rally of Corsica, which gets underway tomorrow.

"The one thing I will say about Chris and the thing that has impressed me most of all is his ability to withstand pressure," said Richards, the former BAR formula one team boss. "That's not easy in these situations and he manages that very well."

He said the Australian, with several years in the championship behind him, should be poised for regular podium finishes and to challenge for wins.

"Chris is now building experience. He's had three years now in the world championship and you start to see his pace," Richards said. "This series is really about, number one, getting experience and then being in the right place at the right time and having the right opportunities.

"This year is a pivotal year.

I would expect him to be challenging at the front and be in regular podium positions. And with podiums come wins."

But Richards said Atkinson and experienced teammate, Norway's Petter Solberg, had not yet fully come to grips with the new Subaru Impreza. "The new car's very young still. It's only done a few events and these things take a while to get up to speed," he said.

"We're still unfamiliar with this new car. The drivers still haven't got too comfortable with it and got to grips with it. You need a car that fits you like a glove to really get the best out of it."

He said the team expected to use the closing few rallies of the year to adapt properly to the car. "There's no reason why we can't be competitive before the end of this year," Richards said.

"You're only looking for small margins here, you're not looking for great big changes. It's the fine-tuning and getting the drivers comfortable with the car and confident with the car that counts."