Natalie Barratt develops a new 'Accent'

Britain's top female rally driver, Natalie Barratt, is preparing for her World Championship debut in a works-prepared Hyundai Accent WRC this week.

Barratt will compete in the Accent for the first time on this week's Catalunya Rally, held over the smooth and switchback asphalt roads above the Costa Brava in north-east Spain.

She will then tackle the Acropolis Rally (13-16 June) in Greece, Europe's hottest and roughest gravel rally, before entering her home round of the World Rally Championship, the Network Q Rally of Great Britain (14-17 November), held in the wet and muddy forests of south and mid-Wales.

Co-driven by Roger Freeman, the car Barratt will drive is a 300bhp Hyundai Accent WRC, built and prepared by MSD - the Milton Keynes-based team that runs the official Hyundai Castrol World Rally Team. Although privately entered, Barratt will receive full technical support from MSD and run on Michelin tyres.

Barratt has already tested the four-wheel drive silver Hyundai in the UK and will conduct a further test in Spain, on roads representative of the Catalunya Rally special stages, prior to the start of the race.

Having made her World Rally Championship debut on the 1998 Rally GB, Natalie Barratt has gained a vast amount of experience - by contesting 20 World championship events. Moving into a World Rally Car is a logical step in Natalie's rallying career and is designed to give her even more experience.

Barrattt said: "I don't underestimate how demanding driving a World Rally Car on a World Championship event is going to be, but the sooner I gain experience the better."

"We've been talking with Hyundai for some time and I'm delighted we have been able to confirm this three-event programme. The Hyundai Accent WRC will be an ideal car in which to make my world rally debut. It's strong, reliable and a lot faster than anything I have driven before."

She concluded: "We'll have time to test before the start of Catalunya, but the real learning will be achieved during the event. You can't imagine how much I'm looking forward to the start of my first event with Hyundai!"