World Rally Features

With the drivers having to contend with dusty tracks, gravel and rocky terrains in the WRC, it's vital that their tyres are able to withstand the elements. Therefore, Pirelli and the 555 Subaru World Rally Team use EMIs on all the WRC events.

Complete event timetable for this weekend's Propecia Rally New Zealand - the fourth round in the 2003 FIA World Rally Championship. Wednesday 9 April: Scruteenering - Turners Auctions, Gladding Place, Manukau City Thursday 10 April:

What is the flat-patch platform? What is it used for? Why is it there? Find out here... Set up using spirit levels, the 'flat patch' provides an area that is 100 per cent level.

The jetsetting lifestyle of an international rally crew is never easy. Just ask the two Skoda motorsport crews of Toni Gardemeister and Paavo Lukander, and Kenneth Eriksson and Tina Thorner.

After more than three years of research and development, the AST Fastime Co-Pilote rally watch has been launched, the uniquely stylish and functional timepiece heralded by world-class sportsmen as the ultimate watch for rally co-drivers.

Complete event timetable for this weekend's Telstra Rally Australia - the penultimate round of the 2002 FIA World Rally Championship: Thursday 31 October: Start 1830 Perth SS1 1842 Langley Park Super 1 2.20km Serv A 1850 Langley Park 20 minutes

Sanremo is renowned for its pleasant mid-September temperatures yet, up in the Ligurian hills where the rally's stages are run, weather conditions are often more severe and can change rapidly without much warning.

Leg 2 of Rally Finland yesterday included one of the most famous stages in the World Championship - the epic 34km Ouninpohja course.

For the first 12 stages of the rally, all 555 SWRT cars have been fitted with Pirelli PZero XR Tyres. The X family of tyres is used on events where rocks and stones are the biggest problem and is the same type used by the team in Cyprus.

There are more river-crossings on Rally Argentina than on any other round of the WRC. This year, crews have to tackle 58. 15 of them are dry, while the remaining 43 are water splashes.

Petter Solberg, the man they call 'Hollywood', got the chance to live the dream last weekend when he flew to Los Angeles for a promotional trip hosted by Subaru America.

For European-based rounds, the Peugeot Sport road show is mainly freighted by truck.

Complete event timetable for this weekend's Cyprus Rally - the fifth round of the 2002 FIA World Rally Championship: Thursday 18 April: 1800 Ceremonial Start, Lemesos Friday 19 April:

Chris Patterson is the co-diver to Gwyndaf Evans in the GSE Motorsport MG ZR that is taking on the challenge of the Junior World Rally Championship.

Gwyndaf Evans and co-driver Chris Patterson debuted the GSE Motorsport developed MG ZR rally car on the recent Monte Carlo Rally, and having sampled the new car - and the new Junior World Rally Championship - Gwyndaf gives his thoughts on the MG and the future...

The MG ZR rally car, crewed by Gwyndaf Evans and Chris Patterson and developed by GSE Motorsport, is competing in the first season of the FIA Junior World Rally Championship (JWRC).

When you think about a crash helmet, you could be forgiven for thinking that it is no more than a piece of safety equipment. But that's not the case for the world's top rally drivers who treat this piece of driving equipment as if it was a work of art.

''Nobody is more determined than I am to see Michelin build on its record of seven Safari wins since 1991''.

Back in the 1920s, crash helmets were only ever worn by racing motorcyclists and, even though a few motor racing drivers made early adaptations, head protection was not widespread for many years.