Last updated 19:42, Thursday, 29 May 2008

ROCKY mountain tracks, punishing heat and physically demanding cockpit conditions are the hallmarks of the Acropolis Rally of Greece which began yesterday and ends on Sunday.

GREEK DUST: Mikko Hirvonen in last year’s Acropolis Rally

It is widely regarded as the toughest challenge in the FIA World Rally Championship.

It is a trial in which BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team, leader of both the manufacturers' and drivers' standings, has excelled to claim six wins in the last eight years with the Focus RS World Rally Car.

Success in Greece, round seven of the 15-event series and one of the championship's classic fixtures, demands a blend of strength, reliability and speed.

Drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen and team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila will hope to reproduce the form which powered them to second and third in Italy two weeks ago to keep Ford on top in both title races.

Air temperatures often exceed 30ºC, placing high demands on engines and gearboxes. Because the winding roads and hairpins make this a relatively slow rally meaning little cooling from the through-flow of air.

Twenty-seven-year-old Hirvonen finished third in both 2006 and 2007 and five starts have given him plenty of experience of what lies ahead.

He said: “The Acropolis is usually the hottest in the championship but having been to Jordan where temperatures were close to 40ºC, I don't think we will experience that kind of heat here.

“Although Jordan was also abrasive, I think Greece will be more so. There are plenty of loose rocks, especially during the second pass of stages, and the road base is hard bedrock. That's why the rally has earned its reputation as a car-breaker.”

Latvala, fourth in the drivers' standings, made his World Rally Car debut in a Focus RS in Greece in 2003 when he was just 18.

The 23-year-old said: “That was a very special moment. It was only my second world rally and I was so tired from the heat because it was a new experience for me in the hot conditions. My car was totally reliable and I finished 10th, which at 18 years old was amazing.

"This is my fifth start but I expect it to be just as tough. Last year's rally contained a 48km stage which gave us difficulties with tyres.

“This year that test has been split into two so it should be easier for tyres, cars and drivers.

“My podium in Italy has given me great confidence after Argentina and Jordan weren't so good for me, and I believe I can take that pace to Greece."

Abu Dhabi's Khalid Al Qassimi and Michael Orr will drive a third team Focus RS on a rally that the 36-year-old driver finished in 2004 and 2006.

He said: "A lot has changed since then but it's still a very rough rally. Although there are several new stages, Michael has a lot of experience here.”

As part of the sport's new regulations, BP Ford Abu Dhabi will have just one tyre pattern from Pirelli.

The Scorpion gravel tyre will be available in hard compound only. Because anti-deflation mousse is also outlawed this year, the Scorpion includes reinforced sidewalls to offer increased protection against punctures. Teams are not allowed to hand-carve additional cuts into the rubber and each car can carry two spares.