The World Rally Championship heads for Argentina this weekend, for one of the more challenging events on the calendar.

The event never fails to excite in a country where the tango mirrors the passion and fervour for life. It is surrounded by colour and the atmosphere crackles as more than a million fanatical Latin Americans flock out into the vast pampas of Cordoba province for a weekend-long fiesta.

The scenery is stunning too, ranging from huge expanses of open plains north of the host town of Carlos Paz to the mountains further west where rocky ribbons of road wind through a dramatic moon-like landscape.

Special notes:

With the 2008 edition of the event blighted by heavy rain the rally has been moved on a month in the calendar and organisers are hoping for better conditions. All cars will be using the reliable Pirelli Scorpion gravel tyre which will be challenged by the changing road conditions over the rally, from hard gravel and rocks to soft, sandy tracks.

FIA World Rally Championship news:

The main news following Portugal surrounds Wales Rally GB, which is now under threat after the Welsh Assembly Government revealed it was to end its funding of the event.

Talks are now set to go on to discuss the situation, which is centred around the fact that Wales Rally GB may not figure on the 2010 WRC calendar.

M-Sport, the team behind Ford's works programme, has revealed that it will shortly start work on a Super 2000 version of the new Fiesta, ahead of the introduction of new rules for the next-generation of World Rally Car. Testing is planned to start later in the year.

Citroen stayed behind in Portugal after the last round of the season to conduct a test of its hybrid C4 WRC. Dani Sordo spent two days at the wheel of the concept machine.

News from the Manufacturers' teams:

Citroen Total WRT:

[Sebastien Loeb, car #1 and Daniel Sordo, car #2]

Sebastien Loeb:

"It's the best start we've ever had to any season. In South America, we don't really have any other choice than to go for victory. Rally Argentina holds so many special memories for us, and that's not just because we have won the past four events. I really enjoy the stages and the spectators make the atmosphere unique. We know we can count on the same sort of welcome that we were given two weeks ago in Portugal, and it's always nice to see the passion of the people of the different countries we visit. There are spectators everywhere: at service, on the road sections and on the stages. You practically don't need a roadbook because the route is picked out for you by the crowds!

"That wasn't an easy win. Our hard compound gravel tyres weren't really suited to the conditions on certain stages and we nearly didn't make it to the finish. This year, we will have a soft version of the Pirelli Scorpion and that's a good thing. It will no doubt be more versatile, although it could wear very quickly if the weather turns out to be very hot. But Pirelli have done a first class