The WRC travels to Argentina this week for an event that generates a special ambience unmatched anywhere else during the season. Rally Argentina is South America's only round in the 16-event series and while the passionate Latin American fans generate a party mood along the route, drivers face probably the most varied roads of the year.

It is surrounded by colour and the atmosphere crackles as an estimated 1.4 million spectators launch a weekend-long fiesta out in the pampas. The scenery is stunning, too, ranging from vast expanses of open plains north of the host town of Villa Carlos Paz to the mountains west of the town where rocky ribbons of road wind through a dramatic moon-like landscape. Add in an opening speed test at Buenos Aires' iconic River Plate soccer stadium and the recipe is there for a South American sizzler.

In total, the rally covers 1383.14 kilometres, which includes 346.55km of competitive stages and 1036.59km of liaison.


Special notes:

The rally is based close to sprawling city of Cordoba, which nestles in the foothills of the Sierra Chicas mountain range, about 700km north-west of Buenos Aires.

It is one of the hardest events to prepare for: the 22 special stages feature some dramatic changes in altitude and include some narrow, loose gravel tests high in the mountains combined with flat-out harder-packed sprints in the valleys.

Conditions can vary dramatically from stage to stage. It is autumn in South America, and that could mean the drivers have to contend with rain, wind and fog as they charge through the mountain passes. As with Rally Mexico in March, the high altitude of some tests means the air is thinner, and that can starve the rally car engines of power.

Many of the special stages will be familiar to the crews, because they have been included in the event in previous years. The tests run through Cordoba's three valleys: Punilla, Calamuchita and Traslasierra.

One major change, however, is the inclusion of a Superspecial inside the imposing River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires, an event that will mark the start of the rally on Thursday 3 May. Up to 55,000 passionate rally fans are expected to create a festival atmosphere inside the legendary football venue, which is known by locals as 'The Monumental'.


FIA World Rally Championship news:

Sebastien Loeb took the lead in the 2007 FIA World Rally drivers' championship following his win on the Rally de Portugal.

Loeb now has 38 points, one more than Marcus Gronholm, who dropped to second, after finishing fifth as a result of that 5 minute penalty four weeks ago (something that affected all the 06 spec Focus runners). In the Manufacturers' championship there was no change at the top - although the Citroen Total WRT cut the gap to BP Ford from 15 points to 8.

The big news since the Rally Portugal was the announcement by Ford that it has found the reason why the rear side windows on its 06 spec Focus' did not comply with the regulations in terms of thickness on the Rally de Portugal.