Sardinia has welcomed the WRC since 2004. Before that, the infamous Rally Sanremo with its winding asphalt roads on the Riviera hosted the Italian round of the World Championship. In contrast, fine, sandy gravel awaits the rally drivers on the Mediterranean island. The centre of proceedings is the coastal town of Olbia on the north-east coast. The service park is located at the harbour, where the rally also starts and finishes.

The cars race through picturesque, hilly landscapes and along the breath-taking Costa Smeralda. In 2011, part of the route will take in the Oristano province in the west of the island for the first time. The tests are fast, but require extreme concentration from the drivers as a result of the countless tight corners.

The route is covered with a fine layer of sand, which hides a hard surface with longitudinal ruts. This tricky surface develops during the second round of stages, if not beforehand. Another test for both man and machine are the high temperatures.