Citroen Total World Rally Team

WRC's dominant team has held aloft a championship title every year since 2003, last year with Citroen superstar Sebastian Loeb clinching the drivers' crown. The Citroen C4 is a winning package alright, but the retirement of long-time boss Guy Frequelin could derail them. The equivalent in F1 would be Renault losing Flavio Briatore - unthinkable. However, the raw talent of Loeb and second driver Dani Sordo should steer then back to the podium.

BP-Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team

They might the current champion manufacturer, but the Cumbrian-based team will be reeling from the retirement of Marcus Gronholm a year earlier than they were expecting. Mikko Hirvonen played a solid second fiddle to Gronholm in the Focus, but is the Finn ready for a lead role? Neither he nor promising youngster Jari-Matti Latvala are tarmac experts, so Ford will be looking for precision wins on the snow and gravel.

Subaru World Rally Team

The Oxfordshire-based team will be aggressive from the get-go, but the results won't come until the team reveal their new car later in the season. Based on the new Impreza hatchback (not a saloon, controversially), it's being tested now by ace Estonian Markko Martin, persuaded out of retirement for this crucial role. Experienced drivers Petter Solberg and fast-maturing Chris Atkinson will be fighting to put Subaru back on the top after a lukewarm couple of seasons.

Suzuki World Rally Team

This is Suzuki's first full year in WRC proper after debuting their nimble SX4 in Corsica last year. The team might be on a learning curve, but their new signing, Finn Toni Gardemeister, has 10 years of WRC experience under his seatbelt. Suzuki are making the leap from the Junior WRC, taking their double championship-winning driver Per-Gunner Andersson with them. May not win, but the trophy cabinet should see a few Ford and Citroen scalps by the end of the year.

Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team

Think of this as Ford's B-team, much like Red Bull has Toro Rosso in Formula One. The Focus ain't quite up to the standard of cars run by boss Malcolm Wilson's A-team, but in their debut last year the Stobart boys scored points in every rally and even hoisted Henning Solberg onto the podium in the Rally Norway. All UK attention will be on Brit Matthew Wilson (yep, the boss's son), who is now consistently in the points. Joined this year by seasoned Italian campaigner Gigi Galli, expect fire where before came sparks.

Munchi's Ford World Rally Team

It's an Argentinean ice-cream chain, since you ask. A customer team run again by Malcolm Wilson's Cumbrian-based M-sport, the lead driver is Argentine national rally champion Federico Villagra. The Focus is a 2006-spec car, as used last year by the Stobart crew, which will ensure it'll at least be able to snatch tail-end points.