Drivers expecting tough Acropolis

For the third year in succession, the event is based in Athens and uses stages around the Parnitha mountain near the Greek capital. Following a hard winter, the roads are rougher than ever on what's regarded as the WRC's car-breaker.

Added to that, temperatures nearing 40 degrees will work the cars and tyres harder than any other event this season.

Reigning world champion Sebastien Loeb admitted he'd never seen the Acropolis in a rougher state.

"On the recce, sometimes the road was looking like the rally had already been through," he said. "It's going to be a very big test for the car, especially the suspension and the tyres.

"The long stage (Aghii Theodori, Saturday morning) is going to be very hard for us. It's rough for long sections, the rocks are very big."

Ford's Mikko Hirvonen echoed those sentiments and added that the event would potentially pose the biggest challenge yet to Pirelli's control tyre.

"It's going to be one of the hardest ever. It's hot and abrasive, and on some of the long sections going up the mountains it's going to be the ultimate test for Pirelli."

Two of the stages required major modifications, with a water pipe explosion causing disruption to the middle of the Assopia test, and a protest from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) forced the organisers to shelve the first three miles of the Avonlas stage.

A spokesperson from the event said: "We had a major fire in the area last September and the WWF is sure this has forced some animals and birds from their habitat in the mountain down into the area of the start of the stage. We respect that and we have re-routed the event accordingly."

The event gets underway with a ceremonial start at the Parthenon this evening.