Wales Rally the sting in WRC season’s tail?

The Dayinsure Wales Rally GB, the 12th and penultimate round of the 2017 World Rally Championship, will get underway tomorrow, running through the fast, demanding gravel forest roads of mid and north Wales to the finish on Sunday.

After the Spanish Rally, Sebastien Ogier in the M-Sport WRT Fiesta has increased his lead over Thierry Neuville of the Hyundai Motorsport team. Ogier is now on 198 points to Neuville’s 160.

The Belgian driver’s non finish in Spain dropped him to third place behind the second M-Sport WRT Fiesta of Ott Tanak, just one ahead with 161 points.

Toyota Gazoo WRT’s Jari-Matti Latvala, another non finisher in Spain, remains fourth on 123.

In the battle for the team title, M-Sport WRT on 358 points has a solid lead over the 275 of Hyundai Motorsport, with Toyota Gazoo on 225 and 27 points behind.

Based around the service park of Deeside, the rally features 20 special stages covering 306 km of the 1 470 km route.

Saturday features a marathon 17 hour day finishing with two night stages, setting the scene for Sunday’s final leg.

With gravel suspension and soft tyres being essential in the cold, wet conditions, the threat of rain, ice and fog, plus the ever present dangers of slippery tree lined roads and log piles waiting for the unwary, the Dayinsure Wales Rally GB could just add a sting in the tail of the season.