The lure of second place overall will not stop Thierry Neuville taking risks to win the World Rally Championship series finale in Australia this weekend.

Licking his wounds after bowing out of the world title race in the last round in Wales, the Belgian says he is not just content with settling for second.

Neuville is in an aggressive mindset after spending two days assessing the three-stage, 320km Rally Australia course in Coffs Harbour, on the north coast of NSW.

“If there’s an opportunity for me to win the rally, to push harder and take more risks, I’ll go for it,” the Hyundai driver said.

“But if there is no possibility to get a podium, then I will focus on that (retaining second place).”

In a tussle with M-Sport driver Ott Tanak for second, Neuville is keen to push the limits on what he says is a relatively quick course.

“It will be challenging; a lot of dust can hang in the air, there’s bad visibility and there are some difficult stages where corners all look the same,” he said.

“The trees all look the same, so you have to commit to it. You see trees everywhere, you don’t know whether it’s going left or right.”

Neuville was second overall in Wales, but Sebastien Ogier’s third place meant the Frenchman accrued enough points to be assured his fifth world title.

Only Tanak, 14 points adrift, can unseat Neuville when the final race of the season is completed on Sunday.

Drivers will tackle the short shakedown circuit on Thursday in a warm-up of sorts before the first stage begins on Friday morning.