Subaru� �s Chris Atkinson was quickest in the shakedown for the Rally Japan. He was 0.1 seconds up on Daniel Sordo. Atkinson completed the 1.35 kilometer Obihiro test, which will be run five times during the event as the super special stage.

So far, the team sponsored by the maker of the Subaru radiator hose spices up this year� �s FIA World Rally Championship. Asked about his driving influence, Atkinson said that video games play a crucial role. Yes, video games!

� �I think the biggest part they play is actually learning how to drive on pace notes. I remember playing games maybe, I don� �t know, 10 years ago or more, and you� �ve got to listen to those notes - and it� �s the same in the WRC. If you don� �t listen to the notes, you crash. Okay, it� �s a little bit more forgiving in the game, but it� �s the same result � � you lose time, and you don� �t want that. So, you learn that, and also in the game you can cut corners in places and take little short cuts - you learn to use the road to your advantage,� � he said.

He continued: � �When I was 10-years-old I wasn� �t driving around in a real car, but I could go and drive a virtual one in a game so that was cool. In terms of the stages, they� �re hard to replicate exactly, so that doesn� �t work as well as it does on, say, a Formula One circuit. But rallying is not about that, it� �s about surprises, jumps, and water-splashes and things that you can make in a game which are pretty realistic.� �

Sordo opted for just two passes of the test in his Citroen C4 WRC. Marc [Marti - my-co-driver] and I above all used these passes to check our seat positions and to make sure we were comfortable in the car, explained the Spaniard to Citroens website.

Petter Solberg, meanwhile, was third in his Impreza and happy with his time - although some reports credited him with the quickest time. � �Its been feeling better and better for a long, long time. Its hard to compare the super special we used for shakedown today with the [proper] stages. But first things have to happen, no matter what stage,� � he noted. � �Its given me a good feeling, but well see how big the improvements are tomorrow. I am looking forward to getting onto the stages now, though.� �

Citroens Sebastien Loeb and BP Fords Marcus Gronholm, who are locked in a ferocious fight for this year� �s drivers title, completed the top five.

� �The shakedown will also serve as the super-special, so its worth making sure that the set-up of the car works well on it,� � commented Loeb, who like his teammate did just two passes. � �The photo finish we saw in New Zealand showed that every tenth of a second can count, so we prefer not to leave anything to chance.� �

The Rally Japan starts � �proper on Friday with ten stages in wait - totaling around 106 competitive kilometers. SS1, the 9.03 kilometer-dash through Pawse Kamuy Reverse gets underway at 07.33 hours local time.