Twisty and treacherous

The snaking roads of the Isle of Corsica in the Mediterranean, plays host to the twistiest asphalt event of the year. The asphalt is often bumpy and bordered by cliffs, precipitous wooded drops and dry-stone walls. The action is fast and furious amongst the wooded mountains and often through narrow Corsican villages above the rallies base of Ajaccio. Access roads are limited, but spectator numbers not vast, so getting to the action is easier than on many other events.

The rally has proved very treacherous in the recent past with Martin, McRae and Makinen having massive accidents. Unfortunately Corsica infamously signalled the end of the great Group B era in 1985 following the fatal accident of Henri Toivonen and co-driver Serge Cresto.

Championship decider?

With only two rounds of the championship to go, the 2004 champion maybe decided on the island. Few drivers are likely to cope with the pressure of chasing points around these tricky stages. 2003 saw a rare mistake by Loeb whilst under pressure from Solberg, Martin, Duval and Sainz. All five drivers led in 2003 before Solberg emerged victorious thanks to his service team (who rebuilt the Subaru after a huge shakedown accident), a cool head and his Pirelli (wet weather) tyres.