The rally starts and ends with a superspecial based inside the Algarve Stadium. The layout of the stage is good and the asphalt is very smooth. The route takes us outside of the stadium, behind one of the grandstands, and then back in again, so that'll be interesting for the fans. The jump would probably be more at home on a motocross track than a rally stage - it is flat, like a tabletop!

Essentially the first leg is slightly more flowing than the tests on leg two. This stage starts with quite a big descent, but from 5km to the end we're climbing up a hill. It's fairly open in parts, but technical and twisty in other places. That pretty much sums up the whole rally. The stage crosses the highway at one point, so that will be a good place for people to watch from. This stage has been used for the past two years, before the rally was part of the world championship, so the drivers who have been here before might have an advantage, especially on our first time through there. Even though we've recce'd the stages, it's no substitute for having been through there at full speed like Mikko Hirvonen (Ford), Dani Sordo (Citroen) and Daniel Carlsson (Citroen) have.

This stage is similar in nature to SS2 and also climbs uphill most of the way. There is a 3km stretch of asphalt in the middle of this test. When we reach that part, we don't need to change our technique too much - we still have to be very smooth through there and we don't want to be going in too hot. Obviously we'll have less grip because we'll be on gravel tyres. There's one particular corner in there that is asphalt covered in a layer of gravel, so we'll have to be very cautious in that section.

This is the last stage before service on day one and also rounds off the leg in the evening. It is more twisty and technical than the two tests that precede it. If anything, it is more in keeping with the stages on leg two of the event. Even though it is only 16km, it feels a lot longer because there is quite a lot going on. It's a very difficult stage with which to end the first day. The stages on this leg all seem quite similar, there aren't many distinguishing features, apart from a few watersplashes.

On leg two, the road ducks and dives all over the place, so we'll need a car that is very precise. The first stage of the day has a bit of everything in it. It is like having the whole world championship rolled into one stage and it is probably the most difficult stage of the lot. This day's stages generally have a harder, rockier base than leg one, which was more like a red gravel surface. So day two is likely to work the tyres much harder. This stage is entirely new for everyone, so even the drivers who have done this rally before won't have an advantage.

The next two stages are quite similar in nature. They have both been used before in previous Rally Portugals. They are both to the north west of the rally base at the Algarve Stadium.

The first part of this stage is tight and twisty like the other stages, but the last six or seven kilometres of this stage are absolutely flat out. It's completely at odds to what the rest of leg two has been like and is probably the easiest part of the second day. So at least we get to have a nice rest near the end!

This stage is completely new. The gravel tests on Sunday take us into an area known as Serra de Mu ou Caldeirao, which is mid-way between the locations of legs one and two. The surface on this stage is probably more similar to that found on leg one. The second half of the stage contains lots of crests and is tricky.

A reworked version of a stage that was used in the rally during 2005 and 2006. It starts very fast and then there's a junction left onto loose asphalt. Midway through the stage we go past a garbage dump and a motocross track. Then there's a water splash before it opens out to a fast finish. It's a busy event, the road is always changing and we'll be working as hard as ever.