The Catalunya Rally - round six of the Junior Rally Championship - is held over wide and fast mountain roads around the seaside town of Salou, to the south of Barcelona. Suzuki Swift Super 1600 drivers Urmo Aava and P-G Andersson are currently first and second in this very close championship, which is widely-regarded as the stepping stone to the very top level of world rallying. Aava, from Estonia, has a chance of clinching the Junior title in Catalunya, but he will have to rely on his key rivals hitting bad luck as well

The all-asphalt rally got underway this evening with a ceremonial start at the seafront in Salou, featuring all 84 competitors crossing the ramp in front of thousands of excited fans. The real action starts tomorrow (Friday) with the first of 18 special stages totalling 352.87 competitive kilometres.
The roads in Catalunya are the closest that rallying comes to circuit racing, with flowing corners that require a very precise racing line. Drivers must cut all the corners carefully in order to achieve the quickest stage times. However, this is not without risk as stones and gravel at the sides of the roads can easily cause punctures. Another problem is the traditionally uncertain Spanish weather. At high altitude, fog and rain can make the stages extremely difficult - adding yet another challenge to what is already a complex event.

This morning, the Junior competitors all completed a short shakedown test on roads similar to those they will experience on the rally. Both Suzuki drivers were happy with their cars and reported no problems.

News from Urmo (1st in JRC points table):
"like asphalt rallies and this is an event that quite suits my driving style, as it is very fast and flowing. It is just a question of finding a good rhythm and sticking to it. This morning's shakedown went well, but it was completely dry and I don't know what the weather will be like during the rally. As long as it's the same for everybody then it shouldn't matter, but the priority for me is just to finish the event as well placed as I can be for the championship. I'm not thinking about anything else, because my lead of four points is not especially big. There is everything to play for!"

News from P-G (2nd in JRC points table):
"My aim on this rally is pretty clear: I need to be in the top three and in front of Urmo to make sure I have a chance of winning the championship. That puts a bit of pressure on me, but I think I perform well under these circumstances. The biggest question mark for me here will be the weather: I've actually never driven the Swift on wet asphalt before, so that could be interesting! We don't need to worry too much about tactics here - we're just going to go for it! "

News from Nobuhiro 'Monster' Tajima, team principal:
"The second asphalt event of the year is very different from the first, requiring a very neat and precise driving style. With two drivers fighting for the title it's understandable that they will both want to go flat-out - but it's equally important that they guard against punctures and finish the event. It will be a big challenge!"