Martin cagey on prospects in Portugal.

Former Subaru, Ford and Peugeot WRC works driver, Markko Martin has refused to make any predictions on where he will finish on the Portuguese WRC candidate event this weekend, when he makes his return to competitive driving.

Martin hasn't competed on a rally since his accident on the Wales Rally GB last September, which claimed the life of his co-driver, Michael Park. The Estonian, who will be partnered by Alister McRae's former long term co-driver, David Senior, will be using a Group N Subaru Impreza, the first time he has driven a production car since the mid-1990s.

"The stages here have a bit of everything; slow and fast, rough and smooth. I think for the FIA World Rally Championship, it's a good mix of stages - an interesting selection," he noted following the recce. "I haven't driven a group N car for 10 years though, so I don't know quite what to expect on these stages."

Weather forecasts predict rain for the duration of the event but from Martin's points of view, running first on the road, this may not necessarily be a problem. "I wouldn't mind some rain, as it's quite loose on top, so maybe it would pack the surface. Otherwise, it could be quite difficult," he added.

Martin will go up against a host of WRC stars, including Daniel Carlsson, who won the event in 2005. "There is not as much loose gravel and sand on top of the roads in places as last year," he commented. "The bedrock is showing more and this will probably be more abrasive."

Another WRC regular stepping into Group N machinery is former Skoda driver, Janne Touhino, who visits Portugal for the first time.

"The stages here are very nice; technical, with very fast and twisty sections within the same stage. This makes it quite interesting for the drivers - it means you have to concentrate very hard," said the Finn. "But it will definitely be a fun rally. For the top drivers, they will go flat out. I drove Group N for the last time in 1999, so we see how we go! It will be interesting to see how the stages become if it's raining. Some local drivers told us parts can be very slippery, which may cause a few surprises."

Another name familiar to the WRC but not on the entry list is Daniel Sordo, who will be driving the Zero car, a Citroen Xsara World Rally Car. His role is two-fold and a fine balancing act; to check the stages for safety while verifying them at WRCar speeds.

"It is tricky to find the right pace," he explained. "Too fast and I cannot concentrate on checking for safety. Too slow and it is no good for checking the stages are good for the WRCar. Also, too slow and it is very easy to make mistakes."

Portuguese national champion, Armindo Ara?jo, who finished third in 2005, meanwhile is likely to head the challenge for the 'locals'. He is approaching the 2006 event in a very different way, in his Group N Mitsubishi Lancer Evo8, to '05.

"Last year, the focus was to score points for the Portuguese championship, so I did not push so hard and risk that," he explained. "But this year, I am going to push at maximum to see how my speed compares with the WRC drivers. My goal is to get into the WRC, so I need to see how I compare. If things go wrong here, then I have another six events to try to score points for the Portuguese championship for this year."

The event begins with a ceremonial start for the 74 car field this evening [Thursday March 16] at the Vilamoura Marina, before two full days of action over the stages to the north of Faro. The crews then return to the finish, at the impressive Algarve Stadium, which hosts the service park, on Saturday afternoon, at 17.45 [local time].