HEREFORDSHIRE rally driver Scott Partridge will be competing against the best in the world at this weekend's Day Insure Wales Rally GB.

Rally fans will be heading across the county's border into Wales to watch the event on Saturday and Partridge driving his Subaru Impreza will be hoping for success.

Partridge will have tough competition as a battle royal between World Championships title contenders takes place with reigning champion Sebastian Ogier, current championship leader Thierry Neuville and the fast charging Ott Tanak all keen to take the victory.

Estonian driver Tanak has put himself in a strong position by winning the last three WRC events in his Toyota Yaris WRC, while both Ogier and Neuville have hit problems and the pace of the Toyota with its new engine have caused his rivals to look over there shoulders.

But with Toyota now leading the manufacturers championship coming in to Wales Rally GB.

Drivers will be competing in Mid Wales on Saturday (October 6) with drivers entering the first stage at Myherin near Llangurig at 8.35am before returning for a second time at 2.52pm.

Tanak, Jari Matti Latvala and Esapekka Lappi will form a strong team Toyota team, while last year's winner Welshman Elfyn Evans will be keen to repeat the performance in his M-Sport Fiesta WRC.

The Dolgellau driver has had a mixed year of results and will be keen to put on a show in his local forests.

There is a strong British contingent in the WRC 2 ranks, with the likes of Chris Ingram fresh from a superb ninth overall in the recent Rally Turkey, local boy Tom Cave in a Hyundai i20 R5 and these are joined by British Rally Championship regulars David Bogie, series leader the impressive Matt Edwards, Rhys Yates.

This year's rally sees the BRC join the WRC and although its a low entry of 60 cars the quality is immense.

The event also sees another change of format, after Thursday evening's opening event at Tir Prince, Friday sees a new opening loop with tests in both Clocaenog and Brenig forest's before a difficult 17km test in Penmachno before an all new stage in the Slate mountain in Ffestiniog. Following a mid-day service back on Deeside the three forest stages are repeated

Saturdays leg is the longest of the event, after a 5.30am start, the morning loop will consist of the classic Welsh stages in Myherin, Hafren, Dyfi, Gartheiniog and Dyfnant, before the popular regroup and tyre change in Newtown

The afternoon loop sees all the stages repeated apart from Dyfnant before returning to Deeside at 8pm

Another route shake up on Sunday leaves a sting in the tail and the all new Great Orme Llandudno test, the opening two tests are in Gwydir forest complex, the Gwydir test will also be the power stage, leaving crews 3 more tests before the finish so if retirement comes over the last 3 tests any points scored will not apply, next up will be the first of two runs of the notorious tarmac of the Great Orme test which then continues into the streets of Llandudno, another run of the Elsi test before the final test back on the Orme, followed by the Llandudno finish.

Has in previous years the very popular National rally will run over