M-Sport World Rally Team’s Elfyn Evans and Ott Tänak will be pushing to close the 2015 FIA World Rally Championship with a strong result at this weekend's Wales Rally GB.

The season finale is one of the most iconic events of the year and the Welsh stages are revered by drivers and spectators alike.

The stages might not be the most technical on the calendar, but it’s the conditions that make M-Sport’s home rally one of the most uniquely challenging events of the year. Unpredictable weather can bring sun, rain, fog, ice and even snow.

Those who want to challenge for the top positions require an ability to read the muddy roads. 

M-Sport’s young squad have that knowledge and they’ll be looking to use it to their advantage next week.

Evans grew up on these stages and the Gartheinog test runs just five miles from his home. 

At his side, co-driver Daniel Barritt has more than a decade’s worth of experience in Wales and the pairing will be looking to use that knowledge to the best of their ability.

In the lead up to their home event, M-Sport has conducted an extensive pre-event test. Evans and Tänak shared three days at M-Sport’s private testing facility in Greystoke before heading to North Wales for a further three days alongside Lorenzo Bertelli.

Evans, who is seventh in the overall standings, said: “It’s always nice to end the season at home and Wales Rally GB has a fantastic atmosphere. 

"The home crowd really gets behind us and I’m really looking forward to experiencing some of the best stages in the world for the second time with a world rally car.

“We had a good run to fifth place last year and I want to at least equal that this year.

Tänak, who is 10th overall, added: “We are ready to have a good event in Wales. The last three times I have been there have been with the Ford Fiesta RS WRC so our experience is strong. We’ve been able to confirm the notes at high-speed and, in this sport, experience really does count for a lot.

“The Welsh event is always a challenge, no matter what the weather, but I really enjoy it."

M-Sport will also run the Ford Fiesta RRCs of Yurii Protasov and Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari as they bring their respective WRC 2 campaigns to a close.

Protasov currently holds second place in the standings with Al-Kuwari fifth. Once drop scores are taken into account, both drivers are in a close fight for the series’ runner-up spot.

The rally started yesterday and is due to end on Sunday.