This year's World Rally Championship draws to a close with the Wales Rally GB, held in the Welsh forests.

Britain in early December always presents a spectacular challenge, particularly as the route of the all-gravel event has been significantly modified for this year. For the first time since 2001 competitors will visit the classic stages of mid-Wales such as Sweet Lamb and Myherin on the opening day of the rally, with a remote service halt in the market town of Builth Wells.

Taking place during the first weekend of December, the weather is likely to be a major factor. Rain and fog are a distinct possibility, with an outside chance of snow as well. The stages held in the early morning and late evening will be run entirely in the dark, providing yet another big trial for the competitors. Good night vision is an essential attribute, as well as the ability to see through fog, which can reduce visibility to fewer than 10 metres in places.

However, one of the most demanding aspects of the event will be the constantly-changing levels of grip from the wide variety of gravel surfaces found on the rally. The roads tend to get quickly covered by a layer of mud, but this mud is rarely consistent in the amount of adhesion it offers. Some corners become slippery and insidious, while others can still be taken flat-out.

Thanks to a number of rapid straights and sweeping bends, Wales Rally GB is an extremely quick event, with average speeds on some stages approaching those of the legendary Rally Finland. A number of hazards can catch out drivers who are unaware of the peculiarities of the terrain, so it helps to have accurate pace notes and some local knowledge.

Britain's round of the World Rally Championship will not only conclude the 2008 season, but also Suzuki's first full year of top-level rallying with the SX4 WRC. Suzuki heads into the event with plenty of confidence after securing its best-ever result at the previous round in Japan, with both cars finishing comfortably inside the top six to claim driver and manufacturer points.

The SX4 WRC also continued its impressive run of reliability on the Japanese event: a good omen for the demands of the Wales Rally GB.

In fact, Rally Japan shares a number of characteristics with the British event such as high speeds, muddy roads and adverse weather. The useful work carried out in Japan will certainly help the Suzuki World Rally Team when it comes to Great Britain, an event that the manufacturer has contested before as part of the Junior World Rally Championship.

The SX4 WRCs handled by Suzuki drivers Toni Gardemeister and P-G Andersson will start off with the same base set-up as they had in Japan, benefitting from the latest evolutions to the suspension, dampers and engine. Depending on conditions, the drivers are likely to adjust the ride height for the second run through the stages - when deep ruts could form in the soft surfaces. As was the case in Japan, all the cars will use Pirelli's soft-compound Scorpion control tyres.

The rally gets underway on Thursday night December 4th at 18:00 with a ceremonial start in the Welsh capital of Cardiff. The crews then face 19 stages of dramatic action before the finish back in Cardiff on Sunday afternoon.