MOTORING: BRITAIN'S top female rally driver, Natalie Barratt, made her World Championship debut in a works-prepared Hyundai Accent WRC at the weekend.

Natalie competed in the Accent for the first time in the Catalonia Rally, held over the smooth and switchback asphalt roads above the Costa Brava in north-east Spain.

She will next tackle the Acropolis Rally (June 13-16) 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 (November 14-17), held in the wet and muddy forests of south and mid-Wales.

Co-driven by Roger Freeman, the car Natalie drove was 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, Natalie received full technical support from MSD and ran on Michelin tyres.

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

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

Speaking before the weekend contest, Natalie 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 the 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 Catalonia, 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."