Sweden (WRC) J - 9-12 Feb 23

WRC gears up for high-speed thriller at snowy Rally Sweden

Posted: February 9, 2023 10:37 AM

The frozen forests of northern Sweden will be lit up by the red-hot pace of the FIA World Rally Championship's leading stars as the series arrives in Umeå for round two this week (9 - 12 February).

A founding round of the WRC, Rally Sweden is one of the oldest rallies in the world. It is also the only event on the calendar to take place entirely on snow and ice, with temperatures set to plunge as low as -10°C during rally week.

Winter rallying demands a unique approach. Drivers ‘lean’ their cars against snowbanks to guide them around corners, while studded Pirelli tyres bite into the ice to provide remarkable grip. Ironically, it’s one of the fastest rallies of the year - as proven last season when victor Kalle Rovanperä averaged a whopping 121.52kph.

Rovanperä will be doing everything in his power to go even faster this time around. With a world title to defend and a Sweden double in his sights, the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 driver will be first to traverse the roads of the Västerbotten region during Friday’s opening leg - and that will be a challenge in itself.

“It can be tricky to open the road on snow and it depends a lot on how the conditions will be,” he said. “We had a good result in Sweden last year and we will try to repeat it this time.

“Our pre-event test went really well, with perfect conditions and a thick layer of ice on the road. Hopefully it’s like that for the rally too, and we don’t suffer too much running first on Friday.”

Joining the Finn in a three-strong Toyota Gazoo Racing line-up are Elfyn Evans, winner here in 2020, and Takamoto Katsuta, who replaces part-time driver Sébastien Ogier to mark his points-scoring debut for the Japanese manufacturer squad. Italian privateer Lorenzo Bertelli debuts a rented Yaris but won’t score points for the team.

Thierry Neuville will look to build upon his Rallye Monte-Carlo podium with another strong showing this time out. The Belgian driver has good company at Hyundai Motorsport as team-mates Esapekka Lappi and Craig Breen have both scored podiums in previous Rally Sweden editions.

For part-time driver Breen, the event marks something of a homecoming as he replaces Dani Sordo behind the wheel of Hyundai’s third i20 N. He drove for the team from 2019 to 2021 but spent last season with rivals M-Sport Ford. Now, after a year away, he’s back.

"With it being my first competitive event in the car, this will be a challenge," admitted the Irishman. "Ultimately, my main goal is to enjoy the experience."

Ott Tänak, who re-joined M-Sport Ford from Hyundai late last year, is eager to prove the potential he has aboard the Puma Rally1.

The Estonian driver steered the car to victory on a local rally last weekend, where conditions were similar to what he’ll face this week. That has given Tänak the confidence that he, along with young team-mate Pierre-Louis Loubet, can challenge for the top positions.

“Personally, I feel much more confident on snow, so we’ll see how we compare to the other guys,” Tänak said. “If it’s icy it’s better to be out earlier on the road, and if it’s very snowy it’s the other way around. So, it really depends on the conditions, we’ll just have to see what the weather does. Either way, we are ready for the action - we have no choice!”

The rally begins from Umeå on Thursday evening. Crews then tackle 18 stages covering 301.18km before Sunday afternoon’s finish.

Hyundai Motorsport Preview: Round 2 – Rally Sweden

Posted: February 8, 2023 10:50 AM

Hyundai Motorsport will journey north to Rally Sweden next week for the second round of the 2023 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), looking to continue the momentum from a solid start to the season in Monte-Caro.

As the only snow event on the 2023 WRC schedule, Rally Sweden offers a unique test for both man and machine. Despite the terrain, the profile of the stages makes the event one of the fastest rounds on the calendar. The studded winter tyres provide remarkably high levels of grip in the icy conditions, while large snowbanks can be utilised by the drivers to assist cornering. However this can be a risky game; when the temperature is slightly warmer, the banks can disintegrate on impact and leave cars stranded in the deep snow.

The 2022 edition of Rally Sweden was a strong outing for the Alzenau-based team; Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe secured second place to bring home the debut podium finish for the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid. All three crews will be aiming to show consistent pace and battle for victory in Umeå next weekend (February 9-12).

Neuville has amassed four podium finishes in Sweden, including a win in 2018. Alongside co-driver Wydaeghe, the Belgian will be hoping to deliver another strong result after securing third overall in Rallye Monte-Carlo. The opening round of the season was an important learning experience for Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm, as they worked on finding their footing within the team. Like Neuville and Wydaeghe, the Finns know what is required to stand on the podium in Sweden.

Craig Breen and James Fulton will helm the third Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid in Sweden. 2023 marks Breen’s return to the squad after a year away. With a relatively new face in the co-driver’s seat in the shape of Fulton, the Irishman will be aiming to get plenty of kilometres under his belt during his first rally behind the wheel of the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid.

All three crews have conducted pre-event tests on the surface ahead of Sweden. Hyundai Motorsport has entered Lappi and Ferm into the SM-Ralli Kuopio (February 3-4), second round of the Finnish Rally Championship to further their preparations.

Hyundai Motorsport Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul said: “Although we came away from the season opener in Monte-Carlo a bit frustrated by our pace, we can be relatively satisfied with the situation in the championship. Thierry and Martijn did an excellent job to get onto the podium, and Esapekka and Janne got plenty of valuable time in the car. Heading now to Sweden, our goal is to show improvement and enable our three crews to compete for the podium places. All of our drivers have had success in Sweden before, and since Monte-Carlo they have been working with the engineers and mechanics to get the setup of our Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid right for these tricky conditions. Hopefully we can find the right balance and leave the event with a strong result and a solid haul of points for the championship.”

Crew Notes: Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (#11 Hyundai i20 N Rally1)
Neuville claimed victory at Rally Sweden in 2018
Belgian duo kicked off 2023 season with third place finish at Rallye Monte-Carlo

Neuville said: “The roads of Rally Sweden are very fast, so the key is to find a good line and carry as much speed as possible through the stages. We showed that we can be competitive on snow and ice last year, so it is our hope that we can be quick again in Sweden this time around. Consistency across the weekend will be vital, which is always easier when the car is comfortable to drive, meaning setup will be very important. Road position can also play a factor; if it is cold and icy, then it is best to be early in the starting order. However, if there has just been some fresh snow, then it is better to be on the stages later on. We want to be fighting for the podium positions from the start to finish, and of course we will try to beat as many of our main competitors in the championship as possible.”

Crew Notes: Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm (#4 Hyundai i20 N Rally1)
Finns powered to podium result in Sweden last season
Pair to compete in Finnish Rally Championship round as part of preparations

Lappi said: “Rally Sweden has always felt like a second home event for me because it is very similar in profile and surface to the fast Finnish roads that I know best. I believe that we will be getting proper winter conditions this year, allowing us to have lots of fun between the big snowbanks. The second pass in Sweden is always special due to the narrow ruts that require you to quickly adapt your driving. Preparations for the rally will be important, so we must make the most of the pre-event testing and our Finnish Rally Championship experience. If we can bring everything together, we will be back on the podium again like we were last year.”

Crew Notes: Craig Breen/James Fulton (#42 Hyundai i20 N Rally1)
First event of the season for Irish crew
Breen finished second at 2018 edition of Rally Sweden
Breen said: “Rally Sweden is always an event that I enjoy, and a place where I have been able to bring home some of my best results in the past. We only have one rally a year where we get to drive in true winter conditions with the studded tyres, so that makes Sweden even more special. The stages will be very straight and very fast, meaning you need to be committed to be quick. With quite a few stages taking place in the dark, it’s really important to make sure the pace notes are accurate. In an ideal world, I would love to leave Sweden having stood on the podium again, but with it being my first competitive event in the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid, this will be a challenge. Ultimately, my main goal is to enjoy the experience.”

WRC2 Overview

Rally Sweden will mark the first outing of the year for Hyundai Motorsport N’s two entries in the WRC2 category. The team’s line-up in the class is unchanged from last season, with Teemu Suninen/Mikko Markkula and Fabrizio Zaldivar/Marcelo Der Ohannesian competing behind the wheel of the Hyundai i20 N Rally2.

The Finnish duo delivered a series of strong performances in 2022, which included an impressive victory at Rally de España. Now with plenty of experience within the Rally2 machine, the pair will be hoping to mount a WRC2 title challenge in 2023. 21-year-old Zaldivar showed promising pace alongside co-driver Der Ohannesian last season and will be targeting a positive start to his campaign in Sweden.

Suninen said: “Ever since the beginning of my career, Rally Sweden has been one of my favourite events. As it is our first time on snow in this car, testing will be very important for us. However, I hope my previous experience in wintry conditions will help me find a good feeling in the Hyundai i20 N Rally2. The stages themselves are relatively technical but with fast sections. It will be very tight, so we must be on the limit from the start to be competitive. We will also need to be brave and confident if we want to end the rally on the podium, and that is our target.”

Zaldivar said: “I am very excited to be driving in snow again! Coming from a country with no snow, competing on this surface is always very special to me and I have great confidence in our Hyundai i20 N Rally2. This will be my first time in Umeå; I have no previous experience of the stages. I just hope there is enough snow to be able to enjoy the stages on both the first and second passes. Our aim for the weekend is to improve stage by stage and above all gain more confidence on this surface, which will surely allow me to obtain better times between each runs.”

Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing Manager Andrea Cisotti said: “It will be exciting to see our Rally2 cars out on the stages for the first time this year in Sweden. Teemu and Mikko showed last season that they are capable of battling at the front of the WRC2 field, which we hope they can continue next weekend. Fabrizio and Marcelo will be focused on development and improvement across the four days of the event; we know they have good pace, so a strong result is definitely within their reach. We wish both crews the best of luck for the rally.”

Weekend at a Glance

Rally Sweden begins on Thursday with a shakedown and a lone evening stage, Umeå Sprint (5.16km)
The itinerary on Friday boasts two loops of three stages separated by a flexi service, followed by another pass of the Umeå Sprint stage
Saturday is the longest day of the event in terms of distance, with its seven stages totalling 126.22km
Three tests bring the event to a close on Sunday, including the 10.08km Umeå Power Stage.

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing in search of more Swedish snow success

Posted: February 8, 2023 10:47 AM

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team aims to continue its strong record of success on the snow and ice of Rally Sweden when round two of the 2023 FIA World Rally Championship takes place from February 9-12.

Sweden was the scene of TGR-WRT’s first victory in 2017 when Jari-Matti Latvala – now Team Principal – claimed a shock win in only the team’s second event. Since then the team has taken three further wins in the rally’s last three editions, including the first victory for the GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID one year ago in the hands of Kalle Rovanperä.

That result kick-started Rovanperä’s run to his first drivers’ championship, and the Finn will again arrive in Sweden this year effectively leading the race for the title. Last month he completed a one-two finish for TGR-WRT on the season-opening Rallye Monte-Carlo behind Sébastien Ogier – who heads the standings but does not include Sweden in his part-season programme.

Takamoto Katsuta therefore steps up to be part of the main three-car line-up for the first time, alongside Rovanperä and Elfyn Evans – who won in Sweden in 2020. Having often rallied on snow and ice in Finland as part of his training through the TGR WRC Challenge Program, Japanese driver Katsuta also has a strong record in Sweden, taking a breakthrough WRC2 win there in 2018 and finishing fourth overall last year.

TGR-WRT will still have four cars in action in the top category in Sweden, as Italy’s Lorenzo Bertelli becomes the first customer driver to compete in the GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID.

Part of the inaugural WRC season 50 years ago, Rally Sweden is the only true winter round on the calendar. Last year it moved to a new home in Umeå: the largest city in northern Sweden and closer to the Arctic Circle than it is to the country’s capital of Stockholm. As well as providing a greater guarantee of the extreme conditions the rally is known for, the move also brought even quicker roads. Special studded tyres bite into the surface to provide impressive grip; helping make this one the fastest rallies of the year with drivers ‘leaning’ their cars on snow banks by the sides of the road to carry more speed through corners.

The rally will begin on Thursday evening with a short ‘sprint’ stage in Umeå, which is run again on Friday following two loops of three stages: Brattby and Sarsjöliden to the west were driven on Saturday and Sunday respectively last year, while Botsmark to the north is new. Saturday’s repeated loop of three stages begins with two new tests: Norrby and Floda, which is the most northerly stage of the rally and also the longest at 28.25 kilometres. A double-length version of the Umeå stage rounds out the day, and will also serve as the rally-ending Power Stage on Sunday following two passes of another new test, Västervik.

Quotes:

Jari-Matti Latvala (Team Principal)
“Our result on Rallye Monte-Carlo was a fantastic start to the season for us and gives us a good feeling going to Rally Sweden. This is a rally that I think we all look forward to – and one I always wish I could be driving myself. I have some very good memories from Sweden and so does our team, including our first win together back in 2017. Last year we enjoyed the rally being in Umeå for the first time with some good snow coverage: Kalle was able to win from first on the road but his chances will again depend on the conditions and whether or not there’s a nice layer of ice. If there’s a lot of snow to sweep it can be more difficult for him, and it could be that Elfyn – who also really enjoys these conditions – could be in the better position to fight. I know Taka also loves the snow, and although it’s his first time being nominated to score points for the team, we will not be putting any extra pressure on him; we just want him to continue the work he did last year.”

Kalle Rovanperä / Jonne Halttunen
Kalle Rovanperä (Driver car 69)
“It was great to start the season well in Monte Carlo with a good feeling and with good points for the championship. We hope to continue the same way in Sweden and to enjoy the rally. We only have one event like this each year and it’s always cool to have the studded tyres on the car and push hard between the snow banks – it’s something special. We had a good result in Sweden last year and we will try to repeat it this time. It can be tricky to open the road on snow and it depends a lot on how the conditions will be. Our pre-event test went really well, with perfect conditions and a thick layer of ice on the road. Hopefully it’s like that for the rally too and we don’t suffer too much running first on Friday.”

Elfyn Evans / Scott Martin
Elfyn Evans (Driver car 33)
“Overall, Rallye Monte-Carlo was a good start to the year even if our result was disappointing with the pace that I think we had. Now we head to Sweden and a completely different challenge. Even with the snow and ice, it’s still one of the fastest rallies on the calendar and especially since the base moved a bit further north last year; I think the stages are even faster and we will have some new ones on this year’s route that we are yet to discover. It’s a rally where it’s almost impossible to have a perfect car all the time, because the grip you have can change a lot within one loop of stages, but we were able to work through various options in our test.”

Takamoto Katsuta / Aaron Johnston
Takamoto Katsuta (Driver car 18)
“I’m really excited for Rally Sweden. Driving on snow feels very familiar and comfortable for me and I really like these conditions. Being one of the team’s three nominated drivers will maybe bring a little bit more pressure than I’m used to but this position is where I have really wanted to be. I’m sure there will be challenging moments but I will try to manage them and bring good points for the team. I will just do my best and this is no different to before. In testing on snow the feeling in the car has been incredibly good; I would say the team has made quite a big step since one year ago and hopefully this gives us more confidence in Sweden. Of course, the other teams are also improving and developing so we will need to be ‘full attack’!”

M-SPORT FORD CHASE SUCCESS IN SWEDEN

Posted: February 8, 2023 10:44 AM

Having secured a strong start at last month’s season opener, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team are keen to make an impression as they chase success on next week’s Rally Sweden.

Finding a new home in Umeå last year, the Swedish fixture ventured north in search of colder climes and the Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1s are set to be let loose in their gravel guise for the first time this year.

A traditional Rally Sweden can see temperatures fall as low as -20?C with hard-packed snowbanks allowing crews to guide their cars around corners at speed, and incredible traction from Pirelli’s Sottozero Ice tyres which bite through the snow to capture grip on the hard ice below.

In recent years milder conditions have provided further challenges with loose snowbanks in place of compacted snow, and protruding gravel demanding expert tyre management as crews work to safeguard their tungsten-tipped studs across ever-changing conditions.

Claiming victory on the event in 2019 with a total of six stage wins across the weekend, Ott Tänak is no stranger when it comes to excelling on winter rallies; and he claimed his first of three Sweden podiums, as well as his very first stage win, while behind the wheel of Ford machinery on ice.

The Estonian is preparing for Rally Sweden by contesting this weekend’s Otepää Talveralli in his native Estonia. After a successful pre-event test in Östersund last week, Tänak intends to maximise his time in the Puma while experiencing a variety of conditions before shakedown commences on Thursday morning.

After a commendable start to the season, Pierre-Louis Loubet readies himself for a very different challenge in Sweden. With limited experience on snow and ice, the young Frenchman focused on gaining knowledge and experience during his pre-event test and will look to his teammate for guidance before negotiating the stages.

The FIA Junior World Rally Championship also kicks off its debut event in Sweden with nine M-Sport Poland-built Ford Fiesta Rally3s going head-to-head in the hands of rallying’s rising stars. Amongst the ranks is Grégoire Munster who develops his Ford portfolio after contesting Rallye Monte-Carlo with the Ford Fiesta Rally2 in the WRC2 category.

The 2022 Junior WRC Champion, Robert Virves, will also compete in Sweden as he claims his first of four prize-drives behind the wheel of a Ford Fiesta Rally2. The young Estonian is making his WRC2 debut as part of the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team.

Richard Millener, Team Principal, said:
“As our only true winter rally, this event has always been a highlight. There’s nothing quite like a classic Rally Sweden with drivers leaning their cars on snowbanks at mind-blowing speeds; and even when the temperature hovers above zero we’re never short of action with tyre management becoming an essential skill.

“Nowadays the conditions can change overnight and there’s always an element of the unknown when going to most winter rallies; so we’ve tried to prepare for that with a range of different conditions during our pre-event test. We spent two days in Östersund which is along the same longitude as Umeå, and Ott will be competing in Estonia this weekend. Whatever the conditions we’re expecting a big difference between the first and second pass, so that experience in changing conditions should hold our crews in good stead.

“Ott made a really good start to the season in Monte-Carlo as he got to grips with the Puma. We’ve been working on a few things with him since then, and I hope we will see the results of that next week.

“This will be a completely new challenge for Pierre-Louis but I’m sure he’ll benefit from Ott’s expertise, and it’ll be great to get him some more time on a surface less familiar to him. He delivered some really strong performances on loose-surface events last year, so I hope he can use that to his advantage – even if Sweden is a bit colder than Greece and Sardinia!

“I’m also excited to see how some of the sport’s future stars fair on the snow and ice with M-Sport Poland getting this year’s Junior WRC underway and last year’s champion, Robert Virves, joining the team for the first time this season.”

Ott Tänak, said:
“This has been our first opportunity to try out the car on snow and ice. Some things seem to be there, and we are gradually growing in confidence. This is why it’s critical to do this rally in Estonia, to get some more experience across different conditions, and we’ll find out how far away we are from the right set-up.

“Personally, I feel much more confident on snow, so we’ll see how we compare to the other guys. If it’s icy it’s better to be out earlier on the road, and if its very snowy it’s the other way around. So, it really depends on the conditions, we’ll just have to see what the weather does. Either way we are ready for the action, we have no choice!”

Pierre-Louis Loubet, said:
“I’m very happy to be going to Sweden. This will be my second time there, but my first time on the new event in Umeå. I’m looking forward to the experience and aim to deliver a good, clean rally which will be the most important thing for me next weekend.

“Everything is still very new for myself and Nicolas, so it is important to gather as much experience and knowledge as possible and use that to build confidence ahead of the upcoming gravel events. Let’s try our best to deliver a good result and enjoy this new experience!”

Rally Guide / Details / Event Website

Posted: January 2, 2023 4:24 PM

Rally Sweden WRC
www.wrc.com