This year's rally, which starts in Cardiff on 14 November, is under extra scrutiny following an accident last year in which 13 people were injured.

The Ford Focus of Spain's Carlos Sainz slid off the road during a special stage in the forests of west Wales and hit a radio car.

Motorsport's governing body, the FIA, is sending an extra observer to monitor safety this year.

The MSA - the sport's organiser in the UK - has come up with a series of plans hopefully to ensure better safety for marshals and spectators in future.

• Marshals now have to be registered, with some basic training, have to be over 16 and will be restricted to a particular area on a special stage.

• A new ticketing plan for spectators, whose numbers are limited to 150,000 over the four days, will guarantee anybody who buys a ticket early has a car park place and a viewing spot.

• Increased and improved viewing areas will also be introduced over the coming years in an attempt to stop rally fans wandering into dangerous areas.

Colin Hilton, chief executive of the MSA, has warned that the rally has no divine right to a place on the calendar.

The Safari Rally has already been scrapped for next season and world rally bosses are ooking to cut the number of events in Europe to make way for new venues.

World class

Hilton said: "We have to accept that the Rally of Great Britain and the British Grand Prix are under continual threat.

"The reason is not just because there are other nations which want to run a world rally or stage a Grand Prix.

"We have got to become world class, we have got to be a benchmark if we wish to keep these events in the UK. We cannot be complacent about this."

Fred Gallagher, clerk of the course for the Network Q Rally of GB, said: "The teams are committed to keeping the WRC to a 14-round maximum.

"Africa, Japan, mainland Asia and the United States should have a place if the championship is to be worldwide so it means we have to be on the top of our form if we want to stay."