The 2014 World Rally Championship comes to conclusion this weekend with Wales Rally GB and BT Sport, ITV4, S4C and Motors TV will bring fans all the action from this spectacular season finale.
Always one of the highlights on the world motorsport calendar, the legendary Welsh forests are ready to welcome a star-studded 160-car entry to British leg of the WRC season, the 13th and final round of the championship, with its fast, tree-lined twisting forest tracks greeting the drivers across the three-day event.
Classic Welsh rally roads in Dyfi, Gartheiniog and Hafren Forests will provide the backdrop for the season finale, which compromises of 23 competitive stages, totaling 191 miles, all run on a mix a traditional gravel forest tracks and fan-friendly parkland roads.
Building on the huge success of last year’s event, which based itself exclusively in north Wales, this year’s spectacular rally is set to provide another stern test for the best drivers in the WRC field.
Heading the entry list is the recently crowned 2014 world champion Sebastien Ogier, who will be the man to beat in Wales this weekend in his Volkswagen, having won the event last year.
But the gifted Frenchman, who prevailed in his two-way fight for the title against team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala, isn’t the only past winner targeting further success.
Finnish drivers Latvala and M-Sport’s Mikko Hirvonen have both lifted the coveted Peall Trophy and are sure to provide stiff opposition, with Hirvonen having an extra incentive this weekend in what will be his final rally before retirement from the sport after a 10-year career.
No British driver has won their home rally since the late great Richard Burns’ completed a hat-trick of triumphs back in 2000, but with Elfyn Evans and Kris Meeke among this season’s front-runners, another famous home victory may not be that far away.
Not since the heady days of Burns and his fellow British rally legend Colin McRae have home fans had so much to celebrate and look forward to ahead of Rally GB.
With Kris Meeke getting ever closer to his maiden WRC win and Elfyn Evans fast becoming a serious challenger, there are two British drivers in the hunt for glory.
Since joining the Citroen works team at the start of this season, Meeke has notched up four podiums and taken the fight to Ogier on many occasions.
Evans is a local hero in his native north Wales and, while the 25-year-old from Dolgellau is still being groomed for future stardom, he’s already proved his potential with stage wins and no fewer than five top six finishes to date in 2014.
He will be hoping to repeat last year’s success, where he sent the fans home happy by taking WRC2 honours and finishing eighth overall, and now armed with an M-Sport prepared Fiesta RS WRC, a podium isn’t out of the question.
Adding the competition, the new Hyundai Motorsport team makes its Wales Rally GB debut and its top gun Thierry Neuville has already made his mark by winning in Germany, while ex-Formula 1 star Robert Kubica is another to watch.
The battle for the outright championship may have already been decided, but there are plenty of other scores to settle on the Welsh forest stages this weekend.
Rally fans are spoily for choice this weekend as four different broadcasters – BT Sport, ITV4, S4C and Motors TV – will be screening extensive coverage of Wales Rally GB, so there is no excuse to miss out on all the thrilling action from north Wales as the 2014 WRC season draws to a close.
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BT Sport will be the place to watch comprehensive coverage of Wales Rally GB as it covers the climax to the World Rally Championship season for the first time this weekend.
There will be nightly highlights of each leg from every rally on BT Sport 1, while Sunday’s final Power Stage of the year in Brenig, which itself brings the entire WRC season to its conclusion, will be broadcast exclusively live on BT Sport 2 from 11.45am.
BT Sport will use the world feed presenting and commentary teams for its coverage, comprising of Kevin Piper, Paul King, Jon Desborough and Julian Porter.
The channel’s coverage over the weekend will also be following the fortunes of former England cricketer and BT Sport presenter Graeme Swann each evening, with an hour-long documentary of his exploits at Rally GB to follow shortly after the event.
Poised to drive on the same roads as all the leading WRC contenders, Swann will compete at the event in a Ford Fiesta R2 that will be run alongside the M-Sport team that enters two Ford-backed cars in the top WRC class for Elfyn Evans and Mikko Hirvonen.
Swann’s training, preparation, as well as the big race week itself will be filmed by BT Sport for an exclusive documentary to be aired later this autumn.
The former England international, a passionate motorsports fan, has featured in various BT Sport programmes this year, including MotoGP Tonight and Caribbean T20 cricket coverage.
“I just cannot wait to get started,” said Swann. “I am champing at the bit to train, get my licence and learn the car and the famous Wales Rally GB course.
“Growing up close to Silverstone meant cars and bikes were never far away from me. I’ve raced sports cars in the past and am never too far away from races and Grand Prix but this is a whole new level for me. Stay tuned to BT Sport to follow my journey.”
In addition to daily coverage, two bumper special editions of BT Sport’s magazine series Motorsport Tonight, presented by Abi Griffiths and Tom Gaymor, will include regular updates and reports from days two and three of the rally with reporter Iwan Thomas based in Wales, as well as a full review of the motorsport season, starting at 4.30pm on Saturday and 4.15pm on Sunday.
Rally fans can watch exclusive video content and reports on the latest news from the event throughout the weekend via the BT Sport website.
BT Sport signed a new one-year TV deal to cover the WRC prior the first round in Monte Carlo back in January and the series is part of the channel’s expanding international motorsports portfolio, which also includes exclusive MotoGP coverage, as well as DTM and IndyCar.
Not a BT Sport subscriber? Find out how to get BT Sport via bt.com/sport
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ITV4 will bring rally fans terrestrial coverage of all the exciting action from the final round of the 2014 World Rally Championship season in Wales.
As in 2013, the channel’s coverage of this British motorsport institution consists of two 30-minute highlights programmes on Saturday and Sunday mornings looking back over the previous day’s action.
Saturday morning’s highlights show features Friday’s stages, which mixes the second and third days from last year, taking in classic central Wales roads in Dyfi, Gartheiniog and Hafren Forests, containing almost half the rally’s total competitive distance.
Sunday’s show focusses on the best of Saturday’s action, where most roads are familiar from last year but many will be used in the opposite direction, while short fan-friendly parkland stages are included with the Chirk Castle stage on asphalt.
Then on Tuesday evening, a one-hour programme will review the entire rally, featuring highlights of the final day’s stages which will decide the winner of the final round of the 2014 season.
Kevin Piper presents ITV4’s highlights programmes with commentary from Paul King and Jon Desborough, plus stage reports and interviews from Julian Porter.
The World Rally Championship returned to ITV after a six-year absence in early 2013 after the sport was left with no UK television partner at the beginning of that season.
All three ITV4 programmes will be available to watch via ITV’s catch-up service ITV Player for up to 30 days after transmission.
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S4C will also broadcast daily Welsh-language coverage in its Ralïo+ programmes throughout the weekend of Wales Rally GB 2013.
Ralïo+ will have a packed weekend of five programmes from November 13-16, all presented by Emyr Penlan, Lowri Morgan and Howard Davies.
This includes a special preview show on Thursday evening, evening highlights from Friday through to Sunday, plus delayed coverage of the rally finale, the Brenig power stage and closing ceremony at Llandudno, on Sunday afternoon in the S4C’s new live Sunday sports show Clwb.
Thursday’s preview show looks at the history and prospects of the international and Welsh drivers, with former British Rally champions Howard Davies and Gwyndaf Evans introducing viewers to the key stages, plus there will be highlights of ceremonial start to the rally itself on Deeside.
Over the weekend, Davies will report from the stages across Wales, while expert analysis comes from Evans and Phil Pugh, with Wyn Gruffudd on commentary duties.
Commenting on this year’s event, S4C Ralio+ presenter Emyr Penlan says: “The first North Wales based Wales Rally GB last year was a revelation. The setting and stages were just perfect and the crowds flocked in. I’m sure the car parks will be overflowing again this year. It says volumes about this location.”
“Don’t get me wrong, we loved being in South and Mid Wales, but this location is bringing in more people from all four nations of the British Isles.
“The mix is just right with challenging stages such as Clogaenog, Aberhirnant and Hafren Sweet Lamb, and Saturday’s RallyFest in Chirk Castle and Sunday at Kinmel Park.”
S4C’s Ralio+ website will feature all the latest news and updates from the event, with links to its social media sites and further details of its Wales Rally GB coverage.
To receive S4C outside Wales, you can watch it for free via satellite or online – on Sky 134 or via the S4C website or on Freesat channel 120, while all Ralio+ programmes are available to watch on catch-up via s4c.co.uk/clic.
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Motors TV will also provide UK viewers with daily coverage of the final round of the World Rally Championship in Wales this weekend.
The dedicated motorsports channel will air an exclusive half-hour magazine programme every evening, catching up on the day’s best action, including extra on-board coverage, with commentary provided by Colin Clark and Rebecca Williams.
Then on the following Friday, viewers can relive the whole rally with an extended event summary, featuring exclusive and previously unseen footage.
MotorsTV returned to covering the World Rally Championship this year with a mixture of daily highlights at selected events and rally review shows, having previously broadcast the series in 2011 and 2012.
As well as being available on Sky channel 447, free-to-view for non-sports package customers, and via Virgin Media channel 545, Motors TV is now available nationwide and free-to-air on Freeview channel 71.
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Thursday 13th November
The WRC Magazine
Preview: 1.00pm-1.30pm BT Sport 1 / 8.30pm-9.00pm BT Sport 2
Ralio+: Rali Cymru GB Preview
Preview: 10.00pm-10.30pm S4C
Friday 14th November WRC: Great Britain – Day 1 Highlights: 10.35pm-11.05pm Motors TV WRC: Great Britain – Day 1 Highlights: 11.00pm-11.30pm BT Sport 1 Ralio+: Rali Cymru GB – Day 1 Highlights: 11.00pm-11.30pm S4C
Saturday 15th November WRC: Great Britain – Day 1 Highlights: 11.00am-11.25pm ITV4 Motorsport Tonight Featuring Wales Rally GB updates LIVE: 4.30pm-8.30pm BT Sport 2 Ralio+: Rali Cymru GB – Day 2 Highlights: 6.30pm-7.00pm S4C WRC: Great Britain – Day 2 Highlights: 9.00pm-9.30pm Motors TV WRC: Great Britain – Day 2 Highlights: 10.00pm-10.30pm BT Sport 1
Sunday 16th November WRC: Great Britain – Day 2 Highlights: 11.25am-12.00pm ITV4 WRC: Great Britain – Power Stage LIVE: 11.45am-1.30pm BT Sport 2 Delayed: 3.00pm-4.20pm S4C Motorsport Tonight Featuring Wales Rally GB updates LIVE: 4.15pm-8.00pm BT Sport 2 Ralio+: Rali Cymru GB – Day 3 Highlights: 6.30pm-7.00pm S4C WRC: Great Britain – Day 3 Highlights: 10.00pm-10.30pm BT Sport 1 WRC: Great Britain – Day 3 Highlights: 10.35pm-11.05pm Motors TV
Monday 17th November WRC: Great Britain – Rally Review Highlights: 2.00pm-3.00pm BT Sport 1
Tuesday 18th November WRC: Great Britain – Rally Review Highlights: 8.00pm-9.00pm ITV4
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