Pacenotes

These details include the distance between each feature, the degree and severity of bends, adverse camber, crests and hill jumpings, surface type and conditions, potholes, special instructions to the driver, etc.

In order that the sheer quantity of detail is useful to a rally team, pacenotes are written in a tight shorthand which is read out loud by the navigator (usually called "co-driver") to the driver en route.

Pacenotes for a typical world-class rally stage might run to many pages, and the road book for the event might be several thick bound volumes.

On some events, the organisers provide an official set of pacenotes, and often the rules ban reconnaissance (recce), meaning these notes are the only ones to be used.

A top rally driver will implicitly trust their co-driver, and be fully committed according to the information they are told.

When pacenotes are read, the co-driver will not translate into the fully worded text given above, but instead will keep some abbreviations, such as 'K' for a bend or kink.

The co-driver will read the notes at such a pace that the driver will always have enough to go on, but not so far ahead that they will have forgotten it by the time the feature is encountered.