[Racer Duck]

Just 53 days after ending its FIA World Rally Championship winning season with victory in Britain, back-to-back manufacturers' champion Ford launches its title defence on the legendary Rallye Monte Carlo (24 - 27 January). Much is new for 2008 in the Blue Oval squad with a new team identity, a striking new colour scheme for its all-conquering Focus RS World Rally Car and an exciting new driver line-up which blends youth and experience.

The newly-named BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team heads into the opening round of the 15-event series with the same-specification Focus RS that lifted the 2007 title. Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen, who finished third in the drivers' championship last season after winning three events, will be joined by fellow Finns Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila, who have been promoted to the official works team after two years in the privately-entered Stobart VK M-Sport line-up. At just 27 and 22-years-old respectively, both have youth in their favour but also have plenty of experience with 70 and 52 WRC starts to their names.

Once again based in Valence, Rallye Monte Carlo is essentially an asphalt event on technically straight-forward roads but unpredictable weather can make it devilishly difficult. Drivers can face dry roads, streaming wet asphalt and treacherous ice, with the threat of snow on higher ground. They can often encounter all on the same stage as the route climbs and descends inhospitable mountain cols, switching from southern facing roads sheltered from extreme weather to exposed northern ones.

The rally can be won or lost on a good or bad tyre choice. Each group of speed tests can contain stages which offer vastly different conditions and must be tackled on rubber chosen more than three hours before the action begins. There is no perfect choice for such weather, especially with new regulations restricting the options available. Frequently the secret for success is selecting compromise tyres which lose least time in the 'wrong' conditions.

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