With VW’s Sebastian Ogier basking in the glory of his fourth World Rally Championship title after victory on last weekend’s Rallye Spain, the gloves are now well and truly off for the forthcoming Dayinsure Wales Rally GB.

This year’s event, with a new title sponsor, is now the penultimate round of this year’s World Rally Championship, and will be the setting for a terrific battle royal in the Welsh forests, with Citroen’s British stars Kris Meeke and Craig Breen looking to take victory on the last British outing for the DS3 WRC. Breen has just signed a new deal for 2017 to partner Meeke in the all new C3 WRC.

Shell Hyundai trio Thierry Neuville, Dani Sordo and New Zealand ace Hayden Paddon will be looking to finish the year on a high, with Paddon especially keen to impress on his favoured surface.

M-Sport Ford duo Mads Ostberg and Eric Camilli have struggled this year, although they have showed glimpses recently of a upturn in form. But the VW Polo team of Ogier, Jari Matti Latvala and Andreas Mikkelsen will be an hard act to beat. Mikkelsen, Neuville Paddon, and Sordo are all in the fight for runners up spot in the championship so nobody can afford a slow start.

Of the top privateers, DMACK Tyres Ott Tanak, in a factory supported Fiesta WRC, has, at times produced searing pace and he likes the Welsh forests. He could be joined by reigning British champion Elfyn Evans in another factory supported Fiesta WRC. The Dolgellau driver also leads the WRC 2 category and is entered in a Fiesta R5 but this could change if a WRC car can be found for Evans.

French rising star Quentin Gilbert lines up in a DS3 WRC switching from his R5 machine.

The WRC 2 category has a very strong line up, with the series still up for grabs, with two factory Skoda Fabia R5 for Pontus Tidemand and Jan Kopecky, plus Finnish ace Teemu Suminen in another Fabia, Swedish ace Freddy Ahlin in a Fiesta R5. There is also a strong British line up in R5 cars with the newly crowned DMACK Fiesta R2 Trophy champion Osian Pryce moving up to a Fiesta R5 with backing from Hills Ford, British championship stars David Bogie, Rhys Yates will also hope to push the front runners.

Chepstow’s Sacha Kakad will be in the hunt for the Group N honours in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10 after a mixed year in the BTRDA series.

The field will be headed by Matt Edwards and Ross based Paul Morris, who will be undertaking course car duties over the three days.

In all 66 cars line up for the International, with three days of fast and furious action in the Welsh forests with a superb super special on Saturday evening at Cholmondley Castle.

The event, yet again, offers a gruelling two long days with limited service available which will be a real test for man and machine.

Friday’s opening leg sees two loops of the wide fast forestry roads of Myherin, Sweet Lamb and a 35km test in Hafren plus Dyfnant Forest, reversed for the first time in many years,with the second run through Dyfnant in darkness, which, with its many firebreaks is not for the faint hearted.

Day two sees a return of the Pantperthog stage to go alongside the Dyfi & Gartheniog tests before a trip north for Aberhirnant then on to Cholmondley Castle.

Sunday’s final leg offers no less of a challenge, with the tight narrow slippery roads of the Clocaenog Forestry complex before an afternoon finish back on Deeside. The ever popular National Rally is back again with a capacity 100 car entry with local co-driver Cliff Simmons teaming up with Ben Friend in the Allglass backed Escort RS1800 and Rudi Lancaster, with Guy Weaver alongside, in the Ashmores Escort RS1800.

For all details and ticket prices go to www.walesrallygb.com

Rallying correspondent, Paul Willetts