The rally made its debut on the WRC calendar in 2004 and has quickly proved to be a popular addition to the series, with a compact series of well-organised, high-speed gravel stages through the Sierra de Lobos and Sierra de Guanajuato mountains and plains around the cities of Guanajuato and Leon.

After the asphalt of Monte Carlo and the (patchy) snow of Sweden, Mexico is the first of three consecutive rounds outside Europe and the first of seven consecutive gravel events. And as loose surface roads are the dominant terrain in the series - hosting 10 of the 15 rounds - Rally Mexico will offer the best form-guide yet for the season ahead.
 

Rally Mexico is the highest round in the series. Most stages are over 2000m above sea level and the first leg climbs to more than 2700m on hillsides awash with cacti and water crossings. But while the altitude may be breathtaking for the spectators, the thinner air is doing the same to the engines of the rally cars, which can lose up to 30 per cent of their usual power.
 

But despite the lack of power, the special stages are generally fast and flowing and average speeds last year topped 96kph. They roads are mostly hard-packed gravel, although some are sandier and at this time of year the road surface is expected to be dry and loose. Rocks feature heavily here and boulders are regularly uncovered or flicked onto the road by cars ahead, so drivers have to balance high speeds with caution.

The rally’s dry and dusty roads can make ‘sweeping’ an issue for the first cars through each new stage. Those drivers running first and second are faced with the worst of the loose and sandy top layer, which is quickly swept away to the benefit of the cars behind. Drivers will tackle the first day’s stages in championship order, meaning Mikko Hirvonen might be at an initial disadvantage, while on days two and three the rally leader will go first. This is a change to last year’s system, when the top-15 ran in reverse order, and may lead to some tactical manoeuvring as drivers deliberately drop places to avoid being first on the road.One of the most interesting aspects of this year's event will be tyres; specifically, how Pirelli's new control tyre for loose surfaces - Scorpion - performs on its first WRC outing.

 As gravel is the most common surface on this year's championship, the importance of the all-new tyre cannot be underestimated. Pirelli says that the new Scorpion's deeper tread block, reinforced sidewall and run-flat technology will be up to the task. But the fact remains that Mexico will be the first time that the tyre will have to deal with rocky terrain, on long stages that can become particularly difficult during the second run. And don't forget - there's no anti-deflation mousse this year.
 

This year's itinerary is virtually identical to 2007 with just a few small variations to some stages. It has the shortest route ever for a WRC event, covering just 830.83km with a remarkable 43 per cent of that being competitive.

The rally begins on Thursday evening with a spectacular ceremonial start in the historic city of Guanajuato, which last year was packed with more than 60,000 fans. The opening two days comprise two identical loops of three stages before two passes over a super special stage at Leon's race circuit. The track also hosts a double run on Sunday morning to bring the rally to a close.
 

On last year's event, defending world champion and 2006 Rally Mexico winner Sebastien Loeb clinched his 30th WRC victory. The Frenchman began the final day with a one-minute lead over Finland's Marcus Gronholm and managed his pace perfectly to record a winning margin of 55.8 seconds and become the first driver in WRC history to win 30 rallies.

His success marked a debut win for the Citroen C4 WRC on a gravel surface and set up the fascinating two-way battle with Gronholm for the 2007 drivers' championship.

Marcus Gronholm finished second to maintain his world championship lead, while Finland's Mikko Hirvonen completed a double podium finish for BP-Ford