The World Rally Championship (WRC) has always been one of the most demanding and challenging motor sport competitions on the planet. Rallies take place on diverse terrain, including gravel, tarmac, snow and dirt. The governing body, the F?d?ration Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), manages routes, stages and final locations of the 16 rallies held annually around the world.

At each rally, teams are allowed three days for reconnaissance (or recce), one day for technical checks (or scrutineering) and three days for competition. The rally is divided into three legs and typically has between 15 and 25 stages.

The manufacturer-backed factory teams, such as Ford and Skoda, will arrive on location weeks before the start of competition for on-site preparation. The competing World Rally Cars start the event according to their ranking, with the leader of the driver?s championship running first. Often there are up to 90 cars taking part in a rally. Filling out the field are Junior World Rally Championship drivers in smaller, lower-powered cars, Production Car World Rally Championship teams and privateers.

The Recce (pronounced: rekee)

In order to compete at such incredible speeds, drivers and co-drivers familiarize themselves with every turn of every stage before the start of a rally. The recce, or reconnaissance drive allows each team to drive each leg in a standard road-car (fitted with extra safety equipment) in the three days preceding a rally. It is here that the co-driver jots down detailed pace notes for use on the stage itself.

The Stages

The stages are the competitive sections of the rally, where the drivers and co-drivers drive as fast as possible to achieve the quickest time. Stages take place on private roads or public roads, which are closed to the general public while the rally is in progress. A typical rally will have about 25 stages over three days. The stages are linked by public roads on which competitors must obey all local traffic laws. Each day contains about 250 miles of driving, a third of which are driven competitively. Stages vary in length from five to 37 miles, with the cars? times being recorded after each stage to the tenth of a second.