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Great Britain countdown: Rally route

Longer stages and new roads lie in wait for crews at this week's Dayinsure Wales Rally GB (4-7 october).

Britain's round of the FIA World Rally Championship is one of the oldest events on the schedule and the tricky forestry terrain in Wales has always delivered excitement - and its share of shocks.

This season's action gets underway on Thursday night at the short 1.70km Tir Prince super special stage.

Thursday (4 October) - WRC+ Live Stream from 18:30 until 20:00 local rally time (UTC+1)

Friday's route sends competitors into the forests of North Wales to tackle eight stages. After feeling their way into the rally on Clocaenog (7.67km), crews then tackle Brenig (29.13km) - the longest test of the rally - which combines the former Brenig and Alwen stages by using a section of closed asphalt road.

The third stage of the loop is Penmachno (16.95km) which precedes two passes of the new spectator-friendly 1.63km speed test at Slate Mountain. After a short service in Deeside, the first three stages are repeated in the afternoon.

Friday (5 October) - WRC+ Live Stream from 06:45 until 19:30 local rally time (UTC+1)

Saturday is the rally's longest day. The 150.24km of competitive action begins with the only unchanged stage from 2017 - Myherin (20.28km).

From there, crews will tackle classic gravel roads at Sweet Lamb Hafren (19.95km), Dyfi (19.48km) and Gartheiniog (11.26km).

A single run through Dyfnant (8.30km) precedes a tyre and light fitting zone in Newtown, before the opening quartet of stages are repeated.

Saturday (6 October) - WRC+ Live Stream from 07:00 until 20:00 local rally time (UTC+1)

One pass of the new 10.06km Elsi gets Sunday underway, with the second test of the day - Gwydir (14.76km) - hosting the Live TV Power Stage.

Gwydir runs again in the afternoon, sandwiched between two runs through the all-asphalt Great Orme Llandudno (8.03km) test - the latter of which closes the rally.

Sunday (7 October) - WRC+ Live Stream from 07:00 until 13:45 local rally time (UTC+1)

Top highlights

• The forests! It's not a true Wales Rally GB experience without heading in to the forests to see competitors weaving their way along some of the planet's trickiest roads.
• Sweet Lamb. The arena is a great place to watch at close quarters as crews wrestle with their cars on the slippery gravel.
• Closed public roads. Taking advantage of new laws for the first time this year, classic forest stages have been linked using stretches of asphalt - creating yet another unique challenge.

Zdroj: wrc.com