Sweden (J) - 13-16 Feb 20

FIA JUNIOR WRC GETS UNDERWAY AT RALLY SWEDEN

Posted: February 14, 2020 6:27 AM

The 2020 FIA Junior WRC Championship gets underway at this weekend’s Rally Sweden – with 16 of the sport’s most promising young talents going head-to-head for one of the biggest prizes in motorsport.

Since the junior series as we know it first started, only the 2011 FIA WRC Academy can boast more entries and it goes without saying that this year’s championship is expected to be extremely close-fought.

Taking to the wheel of identical EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta R2T19s equipped with Pirelli’s Sottozero ICE tyres, it all gets underway this weekend with the youngsters keen to showcase their skills on the FIA World Rally Championship’s only true winter rally.

Due to unseasonably mild weather impacting the rally route, a reduced schedule will see the crews tackle 180 competitive kilometres across 11 stages in Sweden and neighbouring Norway – and it has never been more important to be quick out of the box!

And with the potential for a relatively thin layer of ice, the crews will also have to pay close attention to their strategy, set-up and tyre management – especially when it comes to ensuring they retain as many studs as possible over the entire loop.

Rally Sweden has formed a part of the Junior WRC three times, and all three times there has been a Swedish winner – Per-Gunnar Andersson in 2006, Dennis Rådström in 2018 and Tom Kristensson in 2019.

So it goes without saying that all eyes will be on the Swedes once again this year – Kristensson looking to do the double against strong competition from last year’s Swedish Junior Rally Champion, Pontus Lönnström.

Fellow Scandinavians include Sami Pajari who was pushed all the way to last year’s Finnish SM3 Championship by compatriot Lauri Joona, as well as the latest in a long line of Norwegian Solbergs – son of Henning and nephew of Petter, Oscar Solberg.

Estonian’s Ken Torn and Latvia’s M?rti?š Sesks are also no strangers when it comes to winter rallying and should not be discounted when it comes to challenging for the win.

Others may not be as used to snow and ice, but last year’s graduates – Raul Badiu, Fabrizio Zaldivar and Enrico Oldrati – will be able to draw on the experience they gained 12 months previously, and Ruairi Bell is no novice when it comes to the white stuff having rallied in Latvia since starting his career in 2016.

Fellow Brit Catie Munnings also got some recent experience of ice and snow when she took to the wheel of a specially modified Bentley Continental GT3 at Austria’s GP Ice Race earlier this month.

Returning to the rally car after being crowned the 2018 eSports Champion, Jon Armstrong will contest Rally Sweden for the first time in reality and it’s a similar story for Fabio Andolfi as the Italian looks to use his four-wheel-drive experience to his advantage.

Fellow Italians Tommasco Ciuffi and Marco Pollara will be making their world stage debut outside Rally Italia Sardegna, and all crews are keen to make a strong start to their 2020 seasons.

FIA Junior WRC Team Director, Maciej Woda, said:

“Firstly, on behalf of the entire FIA Junior WRC Championship, I would like to extend our gratitude and thanks to Glenn Olsson [Rally Sweden CEO] and his team who have been working around the clock to ensure this event goes ahead. Rally Sweden is such an iconic round of the FIA World Rally Championship, and always provides fantastically close-fought competition – especially in the Junior WRC and I’m looking forward to more of that this year.

“It’s always great to start the season here in Sweden, and this year we have 16 highly talented and motivated youngsters all keen to show what they can do on the snow, gravel and asphalt of the FIA World Rally Championship. The Swedish stages offer a unique challenge and it will be interesting to see if anyone can topple the two locals this year. This will be a rally of strategy, and those who are quick out of the box and on the ball when it comes to tyre strategy could well come out on top.”

DRIVER QUOTES

42 Tom Kristensson / Joakim Sjoberg
“So happy and proud to be back in the championship again and Rally Sweden! Great job from the organiser to make this happen. It is a pleasure to be back in the car and with the M-Sport Poland team. We are looking forward to getting in the car and going for a new amazing season!”

43 Martins Sesks / Renars Francis
“I’m back with my co-driver Renars, with who we achieved the ERC U27 title in 2018 and hopefully we are back even stronger and faster to fight for FIA Junior WRC victory. I already had good speed in Sweden last year and these unpredictable roads suit us, because we have been driving something similar back in Latvia. Overall we are feeling very hungry for the rally and a good result!”

44 Ken Torn / Kauri Pannas
“What makes Rally Sweden so special? While racing through the winter forests of Sweden, you could not miss the cool crowds next to the stages – grilling, relaxing and cheering for their favourite drivers. Oh, and when comes to the extra speed, one could not miss studded tires!”

46 Sami Pajari / Marko Salminen
"My second WRC event, and first for this year. For myself it's really nice to be able to compete on Rally Sweden as it's one of those legendary rallies from my childhood. It’s sad that we're not able to drive all the nice stages that should have been in the rally, but still really looking forward to putting a smile on my face."

47 Raul Badiu / Gabriel Lazar
“I am really happy and excited to be back in FIA Junior WRC for 2020. We had a good test in Norway in proper winter conditions, the Fiesta R2T in combination with the Pirelli tyres feel great, add to this the experience from last year and we are prepared for what will be a very challenging rally where there is no room for mistakes. We will focus on doing our best rhythm and have as good a start of the season as possible.”

48 Pontus Lonnstrom / Stefan Gustavsson
“I’m looking forward to start the season on my home event. It’s going to be a tough rally with really tricky conditions. We have done a test with the new car and it feels good.”

49 Jon Armstrong / Noel O’Sullivan
“I am very excited to get my Junior WRC campaign underway on Rally Sweden, it is a bit unknown what the conditions are going to be like for everyone competing in the rally. I wish we could have a full winter rally and perfect conditions but it is great that the event is running even if it is a shortened route. I will need to wake myself up before I go into stage one with some familiarity runs over shakedown with the new M-Sport Ford Fiesta R2T. I am going to give it my best effort and see where we end up at the finish.”

50 Lauri Joona / Ari Koponen
"Rally Sweden has a lot of high-speed sections and small challenging sections. We look forward to this competition since I have been here many times watching but now compete for the first time. Rally Sweden will definitely be more challenging due to the weather conditions."

51 Fabrizio Zaldivar / Fernando Mussano
“Rally Sweden is one of the most amazing rallies I've driven, last year was my first experience on snow and it was quite okay for the first time but this year we would like to push more and be fighting for the podium. It's quite easy to make a mistake in this rally so we need to be careful, brave and don't go just flat out.”

53 Ruairi Bell / Darren Garrod
“Rally Sweden is an event I’ve been looking forward to for a long time, not only because it marks the start of the season, but also because of the unique nature of the big snow banks and very high speeds on ice! Although, with the changes in temperatures and the lack of snow, it’s hard to gauge what this year’s rally will be like. Either way, I can’t wait!”

54 Enrico Oldrati / Elia de Guio
“Elia and I are really looking forward to driving on white roads again. For me this will be the third time in Sweden and it is also my favourite event as it is a huge challenge to make pace notes and have commitment on such high-speed undulating icy-roads. It’s also a tremendous challenge for us in R2 cars for the critical conditions of this year. We need to carry on improving and learning to be better against the fierce competition in Junior WRC this year.”

55 Tommaso Ciuffi / Nicolo Gonella
“This is a new rally for us; it is the first time on snow and in Italy we don’t have these fast roads. I think that Rally Sweden will be difficult for the weather conditions but we are really excited for this event. Good luck to everybody.”

56 Marco Pollara / Maurizio Messina
“We are very excited for this new season in FIA Junior WRC. For every driver it is the dream of a lifetime to participate in a WRC event. We are preparing ourselves the best we can and we hope to do well. I wanted to thank our ACI Sport federation for this opportunity and congratulate M-Sport Poland for the organisation of the championship, we really appreciate it.”

57 Catie Munnings / Ida Lidebjer-Granberg
“I'm incredibly excited and grateful for this opportunity to start my first WRC event in Sweden. I know it will be a big step up for me, and the competition this year is incredibly high, but it is definitely the right way to progress to the next level and gain some invaluable experience. Rally Sweden will be a challenge for me, everything is new - I’ve never driven a rally car on snow or with studs, it’s a new car for me, new team and new co-driver - but I feel more motivated than ever to make the most of this opportunity. The FIA Junior WRC is one step further to achieving my dream, and I can't wait to begin!”

M-Sport - EAGER TO ‘SNOW’ WHAT THEY CAN DO

Posted: February 7, 2020 7:26 AM

M-Sport Ford World Rally Team’s EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta WRCs are preparing to tackle the second and only winter round of the FIA World Rally Championship at next week’s Rally Sweden. With mild weather creating challenging conditions, the rally will run a reduced schedule but the team remain eager to show what they can do.

Chasing the most accurate and representative conditions ahead of the event, Esapekka Lappi and Teemu Suninen will conduct a pre-event test on location this weekend. Discovering the conditions and how they could impact set-up and tyre management, the team will learn all they can before heading direct to the rally which gets underway with a one-day reconnaissance on Wednesday.

M-Sport Ford has a strong track record at the Swedish fixture – with six victories and 24 podiums at the highest level since 1997, and five wins and 13 podiums in the premier support series since 2010. Looking to replicate those successes next week, the team’s ‘Ladder of Opportunity’ is well represented and the Blue Oval accounts for 44 percent of the entry.

Running the Fiesta WRCs as well as two Ford Fiesta R5 MkIIs in the WRC 2 category, Rally Sweden also marks the start of this year’s FIA Junior WRC Championship – a one-make feeder series in which 16 of the sport’s brightest future stars will go head-to-head in identical Ford Fiesta R2T19s prepared by M-Sport Poland.

Team Principal, Richard Millener, said:
“Rally Sweden is an iconic event in the FIA World Rally Championship, and I think we’re all grateful to Glenn [Olsson, Rally Sweden CEO] and his team for all their hard work in ensuring it goes ahead in what have been some very challenging conditions. It’s not been easy with the mild weather, but the organisers have been extremely proactive over the last few weeks – working closely with the teams and the FIA and ensuring everything’s in place to deliver another close-fought rally. It will be a very different event to what we’re used to, but the main thing is that we will have an event.

“Historically this has always been a strong rally for us, and we’re confident of another strong showing next week. Esapekka and Teemu both did well here last year – Esapekka claiming the runner-up spot and Teemu leading a rally for the first time in his career. The Fiesta was also very competitive with five stage wins, and we plan to replicate that this year. Due to delays with the event finalisation, the team will get their first taste of the conditions at a pre-event test this weekend – but that should give us an accurate and up-to-date view of the expected conditions; and we’re ready show what we can do.”

LAPPI / FERM
Claiming a solid fourth place at the season opener in Monte-Carlo last month, Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm will be looking to build on that performance next week. Rally Sweden is a successful event for the Finns who have never finished lower than fourth in their three previous encounters with the snow-covered stages. Finishing second at the event last year, the pairing were just shy of the podium in 2018 and secured a top-three position in the WRC 2 category when making their Rally Sweden debut in 2016.

Previous starts: 3
Best result: 2nd (2019)
Esapekka Lappi said:
“I’ve had some good results at Rally Sweden – especially last year when we finished second on our second event with a new car so let’s see if we can do the same again this year! Of course the competition will be strong and no one really knows what the conditions will be like, but we will give it our best.

“We’re testing this weekend when we’ll get our first indication of what to expect. The Swedish stages are always fast, which I enjoy, but there could only be a small layer of ice which will make tyre management pretty important when it comes to retaining the studs for the whole loop. Fourth on the road could be a decent position, but let’s wait and see.”

SUNINEN / LEHTINEN
Rally Sweden is a strong event for Teemu Suninen who delivered a breakthrough performance on the frozen stages last year – stage-winning pace seeing him lead an event for the first time in his career. And with experienced co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen alongside him – a man with two wins and five podiums at the Swedish fixture – Suninen will be looking to combine his speed with renewed consistency this year.

Previous starts: 4
Best result: 8th (2018)
Teemu Suninen said:
“Last year we found a good set-up for the soft snow and rutted conditions, and it worked really well for us – leading after the first full day and showing good speed throughout the weekend. This year the plan is to show that same speed consistently and without mistakes.

“Of course a lot will depend on the weather. It’s great that the organisers have been able to make the rally happen, but we will have to wait and see what the conditions are like. I’m hoping for snow, and we’ll have a test this weekend to prepare. Whatever the weather, we will give it our best and I hope to be in a good battle.”

Hyundai Motorsport Preview: Round 2 – Rally Sweden

Posted: February 7, 2020 6:00 AM

Hyundai Motorsport heads to Sweden for the second round of the 2020 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) ready to tackle a reduced 11-stage itinerary for this year’s edition of the rally.

Despite unseasonably warm weather in the region, rally organisers have confirmed that the event will go ahead with changes to the planned scheduled to accommodate the conditions.

A four-day itinerary will cover around 180km of special stages with maximum championship points on offer for teams and crews. Hyundai Motorsport will be aiming to continue its winning ways with three crews lining up in the Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC cars.

Rallye Monte-Carlo winners Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul will be hoping to score a hat-trick of victories, having also won in the final event of the 2019 season, Rally de España. The pair were on imperious form in this season’s opening round, taking the team’s first-ever win in the Principality.

Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja will return to the cockpit of the #8 car in Sweden following their crash in Monte-Carlo. The Estonians are fighting fit and ready to show their pace at a venue where they were victorious twelve months ago.

Irishmen Craig Breen and Paul Nagle re-join the team for their third outing, having contested two events in 2019: Rally Finland and Wales Rally GB. The crew will drive the #16 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC. All three crews have tested in Sweden in the run-up to the event, although conditions are still subject to change as the weather gods determine the precise nature of this year’s Rally Sweden.

Team Principal Andrea Adamo said: “We appreciate the concerted efforts of the organisers and the FIA to make Rally Sweden happen. The conditions are uncharacteristically warm for this time of the year and we acknowledge the challenges that have been faced in preparing for the rally, with safety at the forefront of the decision-making process. We head to Sweden on the back of a victory in Monte-Carlo but knowing that we have some areas of improvement in our performance level. We don’t expect this event to be straightforward but we will focus on managing the things in our control to deliver the best result we can.”

Crew Notes: Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (#11 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)
Championship leaders will target their second Rally Sweden win
Crew have previously been on Swedish podium in 2015, 2018 and 2019

Neuville said: “An ideal Rally Sweden would have lots of snow, huge snowbanks, very icy roads, the perfect conditions for us to go fast with full confidence to get the most out of the car. When the road is properly frozen, the studs get good grip and you can go flat out. Obviously, if there will be less snow than previous years it could be quite tough to do the stages. Our tyres are very thin and very high, so they won’t work the same on gravel stages and it’s going to be really tricky. Without the snowbanks, the rally gets faster and faster, and less interesting, so we keep our fingers crossed for a lot of snow to arrive.”

Crew Notes: Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja (#8 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)
Estonians fit and ready to tackle the second round of the season
Crew won Rally Sweden in 2019

Tänak said: “Since Monte, I have been feeling better every day. We learned a very good lesson, and we know now that each time we have to drive a new section, we really need to focus more than ever before. Driving in Sweden is always very special, particularly when we get some frozen, icy conditions. The grip from the spiked tyres is extremely high and gives a great feeling. It will be important for us to get back some points and to improve step-by-step. It will be our first time on loose surface with Hyundai, but I hope we can deliver a good result.”

Crew Notes: Craig Breen/Paul Nagle (#16 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC)
Third event with Hyundai Motorsport after Finland and Wales GB in 2019
Breen scored best-ever WRC result in Sweden, second place in 2018

Breen said: “I am very humbled to have the chance of getting behind the wheel of the Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC again. It’s been a long time since Wales Rally GB, so I’m excited and anxious. From the first moment I drove the car, I felt a lot of confidence and that I could drive my own natural way. Sweden is a rally I enjoy; I scored my best-ever result in the World Championship there a few years ago. Hopefully the conditions will be favourable for us and the cold will arrive in the region for us to have ‘proper’ roads. Regardless, when I am back in my happy place driving a WRC car, I will have a nice weekend.”

WRC 2 overview
Rally Sweden will represent a home event for one of the Hyundai Motorsport WRC 2 crews. Norwegian Ole Christian Veiby and Swedish co-driver Jonas Andersson will have the opportunity to compete on their home roads with stages on the revised schedule still to be run across the border into neighbouring Norway.

The crew won the WRC 2 category in Sweden last year and will be hoping to make a positive impression after a disappointing result in Monte-Carlo. Nikolay Gryazin and Yaroslav Fedorov will also be hoping for a more consistent performance in Sweden after making their debut in the Hyundai i20 R5 at the opening round.

Veiby said: “Rally Sweden is one of the highlights of the season. It’s very much a home rally, one of the stages even goes through our family forest. I was watching there since I was a little kid, so it means a lot. There are lots of supporters, friends and family; to see so many Norwegian flags is really special. To drive on proper snow conditions is, I think, one of the best things to do. The grip level can even sometimes be better than gravel, especially with studded tyres. The target for the rally is for sure a victory. We were a bit disappointed about Monte-Carlo; I think the car worked really well so hopefully it will also do that in Sweden. I’m looking forward to it!”

Gryazin said: “Sweden for us means quite a lot because it’s winter. Back in my country, we drive in the cold a lot. We had a valuable experience in Monte-Carlo, adapting to a new car in tricky conditions. I feel more confident now and I hope the result reflects that. This will be my second time in Rally Sweden. It will be difficult to compete against the local crews, but I am determined to secure a good result and to see how the Hyundai i20 R5 performs. It has definitely shown good pace in all conditions so I hope we will have a positive weekend – whatever the conditions.”

Team Principal Andrea Adamo said: “We saw an encouraging performance from our i20 R5 in Monte-Carlo, and we hope to confirm that also in Sweden. We expect to see a more confident and assured performance from our two crews in this event. For Ole Christian and Jonas, this is a home rally, and we know from their WRC 2 victory last season what they can achieve. Overall, we hope to see a more consistent and representative result, even with the challenges that we expect all crews will face.”

Weekend at a Glance*
The shortened Rally Sweden itinerary will begin on Thursday evening at the popular Karlstad trotting track
Friday will see a morning loop across the border into Norway with Hof-Finnskog and Finnskogen stages, before heading back into Sweden.
The day will finish with the Torsby Sprint stage near to the Service Park
Saturday will follow an identical route, with two passes over the Likenas stage completing the event on Sunday, the second of which will act as the Power Stage.

* Information correct at the time of the press release publication.

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing targets a third Sweden triumph

Posted: February 7, 2020 5:58 AM

The TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team will look to build on its positive start to the season when it heads to round two of the 2020 season, Rally Sweden: an event it has won in twice in the last three years. Drivers Sébastien Ogier – a three-time previous winner in Sweden – Elfyn Evans and Kalle Rovanperä will aim to follow up their strong debuts in the Toyota Yaris WRC on Rallye Monte-Carlo, where Ogier and Evans both finished on the podium and Rovanperä was fifth on his first appearance at rallying’s top level.

Rally Sweden is the only FIA World Rally Championship event held fully on ice and snow, but metal studs inserted into the tyres provide significant grip and help to make it one the fastest rallies on the calendar. Drivers can ‘lean’ their cars on snow banks at the side of the road to carry more speed through corners.

This year’s rally will proceed with a modified route after unseasonal conditions in the lead-up. As usual, a super special stage in Karlstad kicks off the action on Thursday evening. Friday features the Hof-Finnskog and Finnskogen stages in neighbouring Norway, plus the new Nyckelvattnet test on the Swedish side of the border. There will also be a short sprint stage finishing on the entrance to the service park in Torsby. Friday’s route will be repeated on Saturday, before two runs over Likenäs stage on Sunday, the second pass being run as the Power Stage.

For the first time, there will be five Toyota Yaris WRC entries on the same event. Takamoto Katsuta will contest the second round of his eight-round campaign through the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRC Challenge Program, while Jari-Matti Latvala will return in a privately-entered car with another of the team’s past drivers Juho Hänninen as his co-driver.

Quotes:

Tommi Mäkinen (Team Principal)
“Rally Sweden has been a successful event for our team so far and we will aim for another top result there this year. There have been some question marks over how the conditions will be, but I hope that the organisers will be able to put on a safe and spectacular rally as usual. Rallye Monte-Carlo was very positive for us as our new drivers all looked very comfortable in our car, and I am confident that they can all perform well in Sweden too. As we have seen before, road position can be very important on this event, but we will have to wait and see exactly how the conditions are next week.”

Sébastien Ogier/ Julien Ingrassia
Sébastien Ogier (Driver car 17)
“I definitely love Rally Sweden. It’s a magic event, the only one on full snow on the calendar, and driving on those roads is very special. I certainly hope to be performing well there again this year. I’ve had some good times there in the past, but it has been a bit more of a struggle in the last few years – I guess partly because of my start position, as coming to Sweden while leading the championship has been very challenging. This year will be slightly different so let’s see what we can do. Rallye Monte-Carlo was a very positive start for the whole team, and they have been performing very well in Sweden, so hopefully we are able to do the same this time.”

Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin
Elfyn Evans (Driver car 33)
“I’m really looking forward to Rally Sweden. The car was feeling really good in our winter testing on snow, so I’m hoping for another good event there. Rallye Monte-Carlo was overall a positive start for us in the Toyota Yaris WRC, even though our result could have been even better. Road position can play a big part in Sweden, depending on what sort of conditions we’ll find: if there’s a lot of loose snow, then there is a big advantage for those starting further back. But like any other rally, we’ll go in and do the best we can from the first stage.”

Kalle Rovanperä/Jonne Halttunen
Kalle Rovanperä (Driver car 69)
“I enjoy snow rallies a lot, so Rally Sweden should be a nice event for us. I think it should be easier for me than Rallye Monte-Carlo, but we will also need to push more to the limits there. Driving the Yaris WRC has been a lot of fun so far, and on snow it has been an amazing car to drive. We did the Arctic Rally in January in the Yaris and that was good preparation for us, but the conditions in Sweden could be tricky because there has been not so much snow, so we will have to see just how helpful it really was.”

Green light for Rally Sweden - Revised Itinerary

Posted: February 5, 2020 2:42 AM

FIA inspection confirms rally goes ahead.

Next week’s Rally Sweden (13 – 16 February), the second round of the FIA World Rally Championship, will go ahead following a positive inspection of the event route by the FIA on Tuesday.

Following unseasonably warm weather in the Värmland region of Sweden and across the border in Norway, FIA sporting delegate Timo Rautiainen inspected the special stages to check the conditions for the WRC’s only pure winter round.

His report was discussed by Rally Sweden organisers, the FIA, WRC Promoter and manufacturer teams this evening (Tuesday) and a route proposal has been agreed.

The rally will include competitive action on all four days as originally scheduled, with a modified itinerary to be finalised by organisers. The new timetable will feature about 180km of spectacular speed tests and full championship points will be awarded.

The rally will open on Thursday night with the traditional start ceremony and head-to-head special stage at the fan-favourite Karlstad trotting track.

Friday will feature a morning pass over Norway’s Hof-Finnskog and Finnskogen stages and the Nyckelvattnet test across the border in Sweden. The day will be completed by the Torsby Sprint stage, which finishes at the entrance to the popular event service park.

Saturday will follow an identical route and two passes over the Likenas stage will complete the event on Sunday. The second run through Likenas will form the live TV Wolf Power Stage.

“It’s fantastic to be able to confirm Rally Sweden will go ahead,” said event CEO Glenn Olsson.

“Many people have worked extremely hard over the last few days so that we can reach this position, and I’m delighted that fans, TV viewers and competitors will be able to enjoy one of the WRC’s most spectacular and fastest fixtures.

“We will welcome fans into the forests as planned. Those who are unable to attend the event in person will be able to enjoy live global TV coverage on Saturday and Sunday, as well as the live streaming of all stages on WRC+ All Live.”

Entry List

Posted: February 1, 2020 12:13 PM

Sweden (J) - 13-16 Feb 20 - ENTRY LIST

Rally Sweden preparation continues as planned

Posted: January 29, 2020 6:11 AM

The organisation behind Rally Sweden are running at full speed in preparation for the second round of the FIA World Rally Championship, which is to be held in the Värmland region of Sweden and across the border in Norway, between the 13-16 February.

Despite the recent unseasonably warm weather, the rally organisers are confident that the current forecasts of colder weather ahead, will bring frozen roads and also some snow before the event.

Rally Sweden CEO Glenn Olsson spent last week at the WRC season opener Rallye Monte Carlo consulting with key stakeholders, the FIA and WRC Promoter, as well as with the manufacturer teams, over the current conditions and the various scenarios foreseen. Both the FIA and WRC Promoter gave their unanimous support for Rally Sweden to continue, provided the weather conditions allow the safe running of the event.

“We will continuously report and consult with the FIA and WRC Promoter and if the weather develops as the forecast, we don’t see any problems in running the event as planned. The weather is unfortunately one aspect of the rally we can’t control, but our entire organisation is working hard to prepare for another great edition of Rally Sweden for both competitors and fans.” he said.

Hyundai Motorsport reveals line-up change for Rally Sweden - Craig Breen/Paul Nagle replace Loeb/Elena

Posted: January 27, 2020 7:50 AM

Hyundai Motorsport has announced a change to its initial driver line-up for the second round of the 2020 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Rally Sweden, which is due to take place February 13-16.

The team will field three crews in the Swedish event: Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul, Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja and Craig Breen/Paul Nagle. Breen will replace the previously announced Sébastien Loeb and will drive the #42 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC.

Team Principal Andrea Adamo: “We have taken the decision to add Craig Breen to our line-up for Rally Sweden alongside Thierry and Ott in a bid to field the most competitive package possible for the event with the best available options for road position. We opted to bring in Craig based on his performance in Sweden in 2018 when he finished in second place, and the potential he showed in our i20 Coupe WRC last season."

The team has been forced to postpone its planned pre-event test in Sweden, due to take place this week, because of a lack of snow and ice currently in the region. A revised test is being considered for February 5-7 in the area close to the rally with all three crews.

Rally Guide / Details / Event Website

Posted: November 26, 2019 4:23 AM

Rally Sweden WRC
www.wrc.com