GUIDE: Now begins the World Rally Championship - all before the start in Monte Carlo

This year's Rally World Championship starts in Monte Carlo on Thursday. Swedish promise Oliver Solberg makes his first start as a permanent factory driver. Here is SVT's guide to the rally - where it is possible to chat with our delegates.

When:

January 20-23.

Where:

Montecarlo.

The stables and the drivers in this year's WRC:

Hyundai:

Ott Tänak (carter Matti Järveoja), Thierry Neuville (Martijn Wydaeghe), Dani Sordo (Candido Carrera),

Oliver Solberg

(Elliott Edmonson)

M-Sport, Ford:

Craig Breen (Paul Nagle), Gus Greensmith (

Jonas Andersson

), Adrien Fourmax (Alexandre Coria), Sebastien Loeb (Isabelle Galmiche)

Toyota:

Sebastien Ogier (Benjamin Veillas), Elfyn Evans (Scott Martin), Kalle Rovanperä (Jonne Halttunen), Esapekka Lappi (Janne Ferm)

This is how SVT broadcasts from Monte Carlo:

Thursday 20/1:

SVT24/Play: 20.00-21.30.

SVT Play: 20.00-21.45.

Saturday 22/1:

SVT2/Play: 09.45-11.00, 14.00-15.00.

Sunday 23/1:

SVT Play: 10.00-11.00.

SVT2: 12.00-13.30.

SVT Play: 12.00-13.45.

Commentator:

Maria Wallberg

Expert:

Jonas Kruse

Reporter:

Johan Hedlund

Chat with SVT:

20/1: 15:00 - 15:30, Chat about the new hybrid cars and the World Cup season

20/1: 21:30 - 21:45, Play broadcast with chat after the first leg

21/1: 12:45 - 13:00, Chat after Friday's first stage

21/1: 17:00 - 17:15, Chat after Friday's last leg

22/1: 11:00 - 11:15, Chat after the rally's special stage 10

22/1: 15:00 - 15:15, Chat after the rally's special stage 12

23/1: 13:30 - 13:45, Chat after Power Stage

* Maria Wallberg, Jonas Kruse and Johan Hedlund are ready to answer your questions.

You can find the chat either on svtsport.se or in the duo app.

Expert Kruse ahead of this year's rally WC:

The new cars:

- The regulations will be a huge change.

These are brand new cars.

These are the same engines as before, but the new trick will be hybrid operation.

And you get 130 more horsepower when you get to hybrid operation.

But at the same time, a new driving style will be required for it.

The cars are a bit simplified, with, among other things, a simpler suspension and five gears instead of six.

But these are completely newly developed cars and the stables have no idea how they stand in the competition.

Everyone is tense on the first leg.

Oliver Solberg's World Cup chances:

– En bra start tror jag är viktigt. Kan låta som en klyscha, men han är bara människa och ser sitt namn på en fabriksbil för första gången, så jag tror det är viktigt. Det är en speciell upplevelse för en 20-åring som bara kört rally i fem år. Jag ser en smart Oliver Solberg framför mig, som gör en okej tävling i Monte Carlo. Sedan tror jag att han har en fördel av att han är ung, och har lättare att anpassa sig till att köra den här typen av nya bilar. Jag tror faktiskt att han kan vara med och utmana om VM-titeln redan nästa år.

Vem vinner i Monte Carlo:

- It's really impossible to say.

I'm curious about the M-Sport Ford which tested a lot.

Craig Breen is a new driver there and has had great conditions.

I hope they have taken a step forward, so that we have three factory teams competing against each other, as they have tended to have been a battle between Toyota and Hyundai before.

But it is an incredibly tough first leg of the rally.

It's rocks, it goes up and down and also in the dark with new regulations.

There can be big time differences and and the mistakes can have quite serious consequences when it comes to centimeters.

Who will be the new world champion:

– VM känns mer öppet än på många år. Den franska dominansen kommer att brytas när varken Sebastien Ogier eller Sebastien Loeb kommer att köra hela mästerskapet. Elfyn Evans kanske har det största favorittrycket på sig. Vi har även Ott Tänak, som vunnit innan men hade stora problem med bilen förra året. Och Thierry Neuville som stått på tur i flera år med fem VM-silver, säger SVT-experten Jonas Kruse till SVT Sport.