Junior World Champion Creighton kicks off his WRC2 programme in Sweden
Posted: February 15, 2024 5:37 AM
Reigning FIA Junior World Rally Champion William Creighton kicks off his WRC2 campaign this week as he tackles the high-speed snowy stages of the second round of the FIA World Rally Championship, Rally Sweden [15-18 February].
Creighton will tackle his first competitive event behind the wheel of an M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2 as he takes up his prize for winning last year's Junior WRC title. He and co-driver Liam Regan will begin their 2024 season in Sweden, the first of a seven-round World Rally Championship programme, supported by the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy.
Last weekend [10 February] the pairing was able to head to Lima, to tackle LBC Ruschen as a warm-up for the WRC qualifier, tackling the event as an official opening car to enable them to recce the stages beforehand.
Bedding themselves into the super-fast stages, Creighton was able to acclimatise to the Fiesta on an unfamiliar surface and gain experience of the high snowbanks, lines required and handling characteristics of the Rally2 car on an icy surface.
Over 95 kilometres of special stages were covered during the day, enabling Creighton to grasp a good understanding of what's to come in the week ahead coupled with a pre-event test on Monday [12 February], Creighton feels ready to get stuck into one of the most specialist events in the WRC calendar.
“It's been really good to get some valuable seat time in the Fiesta on a surface that we only get to drive on once or twice a year,” said Creighton.
“Of course, it’s a big leap from the Fiesta Rally3 that we used last year but some things remain relatively similar so the last week or so has been all about finding out how to adapt my driving to the Rally2 Fiesta and see how to get the most out of myself and the car in the snow”.
Starting his WRC2 campaign on an unfamiliar surface carries its challenges, but Creighton secured the Junior WRC win in Sweden in 2023, proving that he is well-versed at adapting to the surroundings. However, going up against some of the fastest drivers in the world in the WRC2 category is a significant leap and his first round of the season will be all about learning for the Irishman.
“There is no doubt that the Fiesta Rally2 is a fantastic car, but Sweden will be all about learning for me. The WRC2 category is amazingly strong as it is but then you add the Scandinavians into the mix who drive on this stuff [snow] day in and day out and it becomes tough to fight for positions. So, in reality we are looking to just have a clean and consistent run over the course of the rally and put everything into practice that we have learnt with the tests. I've no real expectations and I just want to enjoy this one. I have some fantastic support from the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy and a fantastic car underneath me, so a solid finish is the gameplan this time around.”
Rally Sweden offers around 300 kilometres of competitive action spread across four days. After Shakedown on Thursday [15 February] the opening super special stage kicks off the event, before two full days of high-speed driving provide the bulk of the mileage. Sunday houses just three stages, including the Wolf Power Stage to round out the event.
Winter challenge awaits WRC leaders Neuville/Wydaeghe at Rally Sweden
Posted: February 15, 2024 5:34 AM
Thierry Neuville is bracing himself for the ultimate winter challenge as he starts Rally Sweden (15 – 18 February), round two of the season, as the FIA World Rally Championship leader.
Neuville soared to the top spot at Rallye Monte-Carlo last month. However, the Belgian's dominance at the season-opener may prove a double-edged sword this week. Nestled in the north of the country and based out of Umeå, conditions are near-perfect for an exhilarating winter rally, though not necessarily ideal for Neuville.
Snowfall leading up to the event means that starting first in the running order during Friday's opening leg could force Neuville’s Hyundai i20 N Rally1 to act as a snowplough, clearing the lines and enhancing grip for the following drivers.
“We are expecting a lot of snow and very cold temperatures in Sweden,” Neuville explained, “This was something that was manageable last year, but has been a bit more difficult previously. Because of this, we will need a lot of precision and reactivity from the car to be able to throw it from one corner to the other and maximise effectiveness.”
Ironically, roads deemed difficult to even stand on will set the stage for one of the fastest rounds of the season. Competitors rely on tungsten-tipped steel-studded Pirelli tyres to bite into the ice, providing crucial grip. Additionally, they ‘lean’ on the snowbanks lining the stages for added stability through corners.
Ott Tänak, last year's victor with M-Sport Ford, enjoys a more favourable starting position of fourth. He, along with Finnish driver Esapekka Lappi, rounds out a three-strong line-up of freshly liveried Hyundai Motorsport cars.
Toyota Gazoo Racing is aiming to improve its winter rally performance after struggling to match Hyundai and M-Sport Ford in Umeå last season. Elfyn Evans leads a trio of GR Yaris Rally1 cars into the event, accompanied by Takamoto Katsuta and Finnish prodigy Kalle Rovanperä, who returns to action for the first time this year after clinching back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023.
Adrien Fourmaux and Grégoire Munster headline M-Sport Ford's Puma Rally1 entries for the 300-kilometre fixture, which kicks off on Thursday evening and concludes on Sunday. Special stages three and six have been renamed #42 Brattby in memory of the late Craig Breen, who set the fastest times on both runs aboard his #42 Hyundai i20 N in 2023.
Rally Sweden also hosts the opening round of the FIA Junior WRC, for which a record-breaking 19 crews have registered in identical Ford Fiesta Rally3 cars provided by M-Sport Poland.
All systems go for 2024 FIA Junior WRC
Posted: February 15, 2024 5:33 AM
The eagerly awaited 2024 FIA Junior WRC season kicks off this week at the legendary Rally Sweden (15 – February).
Based out of the university city of Umeå, Rally Sweden welcomes the largest FIA Junior WRC line-up in two decades, with a record-breaking 19 crews registered for round one. They will pilot identical Ford Fiesta Rally3 Evos, exclusively equipped with Pirelli tyres and Wolf Lubricants, through the frozen forests of the Västerbotten region.
As the only pure snow and ice fixture on the FIA World Rally Championship calendar, Rally Sweden presents the ultimate winter challenge. Studded tyres are essential and provide remarkable grip as drivers 'lean' their cars against the snowbanks at ultra-high speeds.
Diego Domínguez finished as last year’s championship runner-up, and the Paraguayan will be aiming to put all of his past experience to good use in pursuit of the top spot. Other returnees include Eamonn Kelly, Roberto Blach and Tom Rensonnet.
However, the 13 Junior WRC newcomers will be hot on their heels, with hotshots including Romet Jürgenson, Bruno Bulacia, Norbert Maior and Mille Johansson all eager to prove themselves on the global stage.
Crews will have to be on form from the outset. 'Wolf Stage Wins' mean a single championship point is awarded for every stage victory throughout 2024 as the drivers fight for a life-changing prize which includes an arrive-and-drive package to contest four European rounds of the 2025 WRC in an M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2 car.
Also up for grabs this season is the ‘Craig Breen Spirit of Rallying Award’, named after the 2011 champion who tragically passed away last year. At the season's conclusion, an independent judging panel will select the recipient based on who they feel best epitomises the never-give-up attitude and passion for the sport that Breen was universally admired for.
The rally begins on Thursday afternoon and includes 18 special stages totalling more than 300km before Sunday afternoon’s finish.
Maciej Woda, FIA Junior WRC Championship Manager, said: “Rally Sweden is a truly magical event on a surface which every rally driver must master if they are to progress to the top echelons of the sport. Add to that the huge field of M-Sport Poland-built Ford Fiesta Rally3 Evo cars, and I think we’ve got all the ingredients for a very, very exciting week.
“Predicting a winner from the 19-car entry is an impossible task, but I can't wait to see the battles unfold out on the stages. Above all, I hope that every crew enjoys their experience of this extraordinary rally.”
Hyundai Motorsport Preview: Round 2 – Rally Sweden
Posted: February 15, 2024 3:19 AM
Hyundai Motorsport is aiming to continue its strong start to the season on the wintery roads of Rally Sweden (15-18 February), the second round of the 2024 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC).
Set in and around the city of Umeå, Rally Sweden is the only snow event on the calendar, boasting a number of specific challenges for the crews to tackle. The most prominent are the snowbanks that line the stages. They can both help and hinder drivers – use them correctly and it can assist turning, but hit them too hard and they will engulf the car and halt a crew’s progress. The balance of speed and precision is therefore key when navigating the stages.
To add further difficulty, the roads of Rally Sweden are some of the fastest on the WRC schedule, with the studded tyres used at the event providing high levels of grip on the icy surface. Pair this with long days and night-time stages and it creates a gruelling and unpredictable test.
Three experienced crews will be representing Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team in the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid. Two-time event winners Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja travel to Sweden following a consistent performance at Rallye Monte-Carlo to compete alongside Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe, who are looking to add to their win tally following victory at the season-opener.
Esapekka Lappi will be back behind the wheel of the car for the first time since Rally Japan, as he kicks off his part-time campaign with co-driver Janne Ferm. All three crews have taken part in a pre-event test in Finland to acclimatise to the conditions they will be facing in Sweden.
The 300.1km-long itinerary of the event commences on Thursday with a 5.16km night stage, before heading into Friday’s seven stages. Saturday presents the longest total stage distance of the weekend, as 125.96km will be covered across the day’s seven stages. Three stages on Sunday close the weekend, with Umeå (10.08km) acting as the Power Stage. Across the event, there are four new stages and an altered running order in comparison to 2023.
In honour of the late Craig Breen’s dominance across SS2/5 Brattby at last year’s event, the 10.76km stage has been renamed as #42 Brattby. Breen took the victory on both runs of the stages by 3.8 and 7.8 seconds respectively.
Hyundai Motorsport President and Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul said: “Rally Sweden is the only snow event on the calendar, and after the mild conditions at Rallye Monte-Carlo it is the first time we will experience this type of surface since last year. We want to continue the momentum from our victory at the first round, and we know we have the potential with Thierry and Ott based on their wins here previously. It will be Esapekka’s first event since Rally Japan last year and we are excited to see a new lease of life in him as he embarks on his part-time campaign. Sweden is special for us because of Craig’s podium here last year, so it’s really nice to see his memory honoured in the renaming of Brattby. We want the best finish possible, so to end the weekend on the top step is our ultimate aim.”
Crew Notes: Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (#11 Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid)
Belgian crew go to Sweden with a win at Monte-Carlo under their belt
Neuville previously finished on the top step in 2018
Neuville said: “We are expecting a lot of snow and very cold temperatures in Sweden. This was something that was manageable last year but has been a bit more difficult previously. Because of this, we will need a lot of precision and reactivity from the car to be able to throw it from one corner to the other and maximise effectiveness. Snowbanks are obviously a huge risk, especially when temperatures are higher than usual. When it’s freezing, they are a feature you can rely on to help you get a better position to go faster. Clean driving, tyre management and road positions are all factors that can make it very challenging, but from our experience last year, the first day was very equal. I have always enjoyed Rally Sweden, so we will target a strong result.”
Crew Notes: Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja (#8 Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid)
Solid start for the Estonians saw them finish fourth at Rallye Monte-Carlo
Tänak hoping to capitalise on performance and claim podium spot
Tänak said: “Sweden is a really nice rally that’s mostly about pure performance. The roads are easy and flat, so it’s no real stress to the cars and this makes it easier to maximise the pace. Previously it’s been great in Umeå, and I would like to see big snowbanks and icy roads once again. Snowbanks are more of a support than a risk in Sweden. Most of the time you can use them to your advantage to push the limit, so if the snowbank takes you, you are probably too far over the limit. The stages in complete darkness are always a bit of a challenge. You don’t see very much, sometimes just where the lights show. That, paired with driving on snow, means you can go sideways unexpectedly. On the other side, snow is quite a good reflector, so I would say it’s easier than driving in places like muddy Wales. The target is to do well. We won it last year and will try our best to be battling at the front again.”
Crew Notes: Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm (#4 Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid)
Finns to make first start of the year at Rally Sweden
Crew showed strong pace at the event in the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid last year
Lappi said: “Rally Sweden is an event I definitely enjoy and a great place for me to start my season. I think if the conditions are as expected, then starting towards the back is a big advantage, as the fresh snow will be ploughed away by the first cars and the grip will be higher. However, if it’s really cold, more around minus 20, then you might have a lot of snow powder flying in the air, which makes visibility worse for those later in the running order. Another key feature of Rally Sweden is the difference between the first and second passes of the stages. On the first, the road is usually smooth and you can approach it normally, but on the second there can be big ruts that demand you to adapt your driving style quite a lot. Our goal might change during the weekend, it depends where we are, but hopefully we are fighting for the podium.”
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing takes on WRC’s snow spectacular
Posted: February 15, 2024 3:17 AM
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team hopes to add to its success on snow and ice when it contests the only pure winter event in the FIA World Rally Championship, Rally Sweden, on February 15-18.
It was in Sweden where TGR-WRT scored its first victory – in only its second event – back in 2017 with Jari-Matti Latvala, now Team Principal, behind the wheel. In all, the team has won four times from six starts in Sweden and will target a strong result in round two of the 2024 season after beginning the year with a double podium at Rallye Monte-Carlo last month.
Two-time world champion Kalle Rovanperä will commence his 2024 WRC programme on Rally Sweden, where he previously claimed victory in 2022. He lines up alongside Elfyn Evans, who took his first win with the team in Sweden in 2020, and Takamoto Katsuta, who has also tasted success on the event in the past.
A fourth GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID will be driven by Lorenzo Bertelli as part of TGR-WRT’s customer programme. Rally Sweden is one of the Italian driver’s favourite rallies, and where he took part in his first event with the team one year ago.
Following its debut at Rallye Monte-Carlo, a total of seven GR Yaris Rally2 cars will compete in WRC2 in Sweden. Sami Pajari (Printsport) is joined on the entry list by Georg Linnamäe (RedGrey Team), Mikko Heikkilä (TGS), Roope Korhonen (Rautio Motorsport), Jan Solans (Teo Martín Motorsport) as well as the TGR WRC Challenge Program duo of Yuki Yamamoto and Hikaru Kogure.
Since 2022, Rally Sweden has been based in Umeå, the largest city in northern Sweden and a short trip across the Gulf of Bothnia from Finland where TGR-WRT is based. The event’s move north – it now takes place closer to the Arctic Circle than to the capital city Stockholm – has helped to ensure extreme winter conditions and also brought even faster roads. With special studded tyres that bite into the surface to provide impressive grip, this is one the quickest rallies of the season, with drivers ‘leaning’ their cars on snow banks by the sides of the road to carry more speed through corners.
As last year, the rally will begin with a short ‘sprint’ stage in Umeå on Thursday evening. This will be repeated at the end of Friday following two loops of three stages: the Brattby and Floda tests are identical to last year, but much of Norrby is new. Saturday has a similar format with a trio of repeated tests beginning with the all-new Vännäs, followed by the familiar Sarsjöliden, while Bygdsiljum includes some of last year’s Botsmark stage. A double-length version of the Umeå stage rounds out the day and, as in 2023, will also be run as the rally-ending Power Stage on Sunday when it follows two passes of a revised Västervik test.
Quotes:
Jari-Matti Latvala (Team Principal)
“We had a solid start to the season at Rallye Monte-Carlo and now we are looking forward to Rally Sweden, which is a little bit like a home rally for our team: it’s where we got our first victory back in 2017 and the winter conditions are something familiar for us. Last year it was a bit more difficult, so we have really tried to prepare well this year because we want to be back in the fight for the victory. Taking part in the Arctic Rally alongside our testing in Finland has helped us to be as ready as we can be. Kalle starts his season in Sweden and can be really strong on this kind of event, and his starting position should help him to fight at the front. Elfyn has also won in Sweden before and we’ve focused on making sure he can have the best performance possible in the conditions he’ll face nearer the front of the order. Taka can also be strong on snow and had very good speed last year, so I hope it can be a good event for all our drivers.”
Kalle Rovanperä / Jonne Halttunen
Kalle Rovanperä (Driver car 69)
“It’s exciting to be starting our season with an event like Rally Sweden. I always enjoy driving on snow and it’s one of the best feelings you can have in a rally car. It’s been cool to get back in the car over the last week at the Arctic Rally and in our pre-event test. Sweden has been a good event for us in the past but last year we were not so strong, so this year we want to fight back. As it’s the only round on snow, it’s not easy to find the perfect car setup with only a few days of testing in those conditions. But I think we’ve found some useful things in our tests and we’ve been going in the right direction, so I’m looking forward to the rally.”
Elfyn Evans / Scott Martin
Elfyn Evans (Driver car 33)
“Driving on snow and ice is something unique and makes Rally Sweden a very specific event. In the past I’ve had some good performance there, and we’ve been working to try and improve my feeling with the car from last year’s event. Our pre-event running in Finland has been really useful to get some time on snow before Sweden: it’s given us the chance to try a few things and I think we have managed to make some good steps. The conditions can vary quite a lot during the rally, with gravel coming through on the second pass of stages, and that’s something key to get right. Starting second on the road with fast drivers behind will not be easy but we’ll do our best like always and try to get the most out of the weekend.”
Takamoto Katsuta / Aaron Johnston
Takamoto Katsuta (Driver car 18)
“Rally Sweden is always an exciting rally and it’s one of my favourite events on the calendar. Driving on snow and ice is something I have really enjoyed since I started rallying in Europe with the TGR WRC Challenge Program. Last year, I had pretty good speed in Sweden so I hope we can perform well again and get a good result also. This event is always a big challenge and there will be some fast drivers including Kalle starting behind us on the road, so it will not be easy to fight for the top positions. But I will try to push hard and do the maximum that I can.”
M-SPORT CREWS KEEPING COOL HEADS FOR RALLY SWEDEN
Posted: February 15, 2024 3:14 AM
After an impressive start to the season on the opening round at Rallye Monte-Carlo, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team re-centres itself ahead of Rally Sweden, undoubtedly one of the most challenging rallies of the 2024 World Rally Championship.
As the only full snow-and-ice rally in the entire season, Rally Sweden is always a unique adventure. One of the oldest rallies in the world, Rally Sweden’s first iteration was back in 1950, and remains an iconic and fan-favourite rally on the WRC calendar.
Famously dominated by Nordic natives due to the demanding and very particular driving style required to succeed, Sweden’s surfaces will undeniably put M-Sport’s mainland-European crews to the ultimate test. Despite being a full-snow surface event, conditions are still highly changeable as temperatures alter the road itself as well as the surrounding snowbanks. Often reliably helping crews round tighter corners, snowbanks can become deceptively dangerous in higher temperatures and risk trapping crews within their folds.
Tyre management remains crucial as ever, especially during the afternoon loop when exposed gravel can rip the studs from crews’ snow tyres, leaving them with significantly reduced traction.
Adrien Fourmaux started his season on top-form during Rallye Monte-Carlo, claiming an excellent fifth overall after a faultless weekend. He will look to bring this same approach to Sweden, where he has experience in both the Rally1 and WRC2 categories. His last outing on snow in the Puma in 2022 saw him set a handful of top-five stage times and he will look to benefit from a favourable starting position next week.
Grégoire Munster will take on his second Rally Sweden, after his debut last year in the Junior category behind the wheel of a Fiesta Rally3. He would claim an impressive fourth overall in class, setting himself in good stead for his first Rally1 start on snow. Using his day’s testing and existing experience in Sweden, Munster will look to have another consistent weekend after his strong performance in Monte-Carlo.
William Creighton and Liam Regan, supported by M-Sport and the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy, will make their WRC2 debut in a Ford Fiesta Rally2 in Sweden as a result of their victory in Junior WRC in 2023. Claiming the Junior category win in Sweden last year, Creighton will carry this experience with him as he embarks on his first WRC2 appearance on snow and ice. The Irish pairing will take on their first rally with the team this weekend at Lima Rally, to gather some valuable traction ahead of next week’s challenges.
Rally Sweden will also mark the first round of the 2024 FIA Junior WRC, which consists of a total of five rounds throughout the 2024 season. In Sweden, M-Sport Poland will run a hugely impressive 19-car entry of up-and-coming rally talent, who will battle it out in a field of Fiesta Rally3s to see who comes out on top.
Richard Millener, Team Principal, said:
“Rally Sweden will be a difficult one for me as I will be watching from the sidelines in the UK, as a result of my second child being due in the middle of the rally! I have no doubt that the team and drivers will be able to replicate a similar performance to that on Monte-Carlo, so I am very excited to see what we can do. We have had another great test with each crew completing over 200km per day, the test team really did a fantastic job to give our drivers the best footing heading out to Sweden.
“It will also be a pleasure to see Will Creighton and Liam Regan make their debut with M-Sport in the Rally2 car, the prize from their Junior WRC win. Talking of JWRC, a special mention goes to Maciek Woda and his team at M-Sport Poland, who have secured a truly incredible 19 Rally3 cars to open this year’s junior championship. I cannot wait to watch that battle! Although I won’t be there, I am sure my replacement, a certain Malcolm Wilson, will be more than capable of looking after things!”
Adrien Fourmaux said:
“The challenge in Sweden will be quite interesting for me, it’s been two years since I’ve driven on snow! We only do one rally per year on snow, which has a very different driving style and car set up. But I really like to drive the car on snow, it’s a really nice feeling that we get at these speeds and it’s quite unique. So I’m really looking forward to it! The target will be to get our feeling back on snow, look at our pace compared to the more experienced crews, and see if we can get a good result like we did in Monte.
“We’ve done one day’s testing this week and the feeling was quite good. So we’ll see, it’s always difficult to know on the test how the rally is going to go as the conditions can be so different.”
Grégoire Munster said:
“The big challenge for Sweden will be getting to know the car on this particular surface. We had the chance to drive once on snow last year with the Fiesta Rally3, but this time we will be carrying much more speed into the corners. So there’s an additional challenge where we have to adapt the pace notes to the different speed with the Puma. We will also try not to get stuck in the snowbanks, which can happen so quickly!
“We had a good pre-event test, where we tried many different things. But we want to try to keep it simple, to just get the feeling with the car, drive the kilometres and get better on this surface. We just hope to finish the rally and make progression throughout the event.”
William Creighton said:
“I’ve competed in Lima a couple of times and I’ve always found it really beneficial to prepare before heading to Rally Sweden. I think it’s even more important this year as I step into the challenges the WRC2 category will bring with this new car, so I’m really happy to have this opportunity thanks to the MI Rally Academy. I’ve always enjoyed driving on the snow and we had good pace in Sweden last year. The aim is to get comfortable with the car and Lima presents a great opportunity to do that.
“I’m really happy to have a full WRC2 programme planned with the support of the MI Rally Academy and to have the opportunity to work with everyone at M-Sport. Liam and I have spent a week with the team at Dovenby Hall, which has allowed us to work with the mechanics and engineers so that we are well prepared for Lima & Rally Sweden.
“Participating in Junior WRC gave me great experience to build my pace in Sweden, which makes this transition to the WRC2 category much more manageable. The competition is so strong in WRC2 so I have to focus on my own event and making the step up before I look at the others!”
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