The only snow-and-ice event of WRC begins Thursday: Rally Sweden

David Bodapati February 12, 2019

859 2 minutes read

Rally Sweden begins on Thursday. An FIA imageTorsby (Norway), 12 Feb 2019: The FIA World Rally Championship resumes with Rally Sweden from February 14 to 17, the only full snow-and-ice event of the year. The stages showcase a winter wonderland spanning two countries – Sweden and Norway – with the drivers using special studded tyres designed to cut through the snow and bite into the more solid surface underneath. The result is a surprising amount of grip and average speeds tend to be high. There are also special technics for driving on snow: the competitors use the big snowbanks that line the roads to lean on and guide the cars through the corners as fast as possible.

With three different manufacturers in the Top 3 at the end of the season’s inaugural event in Monte-Carlo, the high level of competition and unpredictability of the championship is clear to see. Reigning FIA World Rally Champion Sébastien Ogier leads the standings after taking the win for Citroën, but he is closely followed by his main title rivals from last year: Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) and Ott Tanäk (Toyota). M-Sport Ford will pin their hopes on Sweden’s own Pontus Tidemand, former FIA WRC 2 champion, who will start only his second rally at the wheel of the Ford Fiesta WRC. The battle on the snow-laden Scandinavian roads looks set to produce another thrilling leg, where the start position is likely to have an influence: the first drivers in the order may face the challenge of fresh snow, while those further down could benefit from a cleaner surface and more grip.

One of the biggest motorsports stars in Sweden – Marcus Gronhölm – makes a one-off return. The Finn, FIA World Rally Champion in 2000 and 2002, who retired at the end of 2007, will be back at the wheel of a Toyota Yaris WRC, co-driven by his loyal navigator Timo Rautiainen. And another legendary pair will also try to demonstrate that they lost none of their skills on snow and ice: 9-time FIA World Rally Champions Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena. Rally Sweden will be their second outing on Rally Sweden of six this season in the Hyundai.

Alongside the strong contingent of FIA WRC 2 entrants, the new FIA WRC 2 Pro category will stage its second leg in Sweden, with local hero Mads Østberg from Norway driving the Citroen C3 R5. A brand new turbocharged R2T Ford Fiesta will be revealed at the FIA Junior World Rally Championship season’s launch event with thirteen youngsters entered for Sweden, the first rally in a five-round calendar that continues in Corsica, Sardinia, Finland and Great-Britain.

THE 2019 ROUTE

There are no significant changes in the 2019 Rally Sweden itinerary compared to last year. The city of Torsby, close to the Norwegian border, is the rally base once more but the rally will start with a Super Special Stage (SSS) in Karlstad, further south, which traditionally kicks off the action on Thursday night. The same stage is repeated at the end of Saturday. Friday crosses the border into Norway, with two loops of three stages, plus a superspecial stage closing the action back in Torsby. The best-known stages, including Hagfors and Vargåsen – home of the iconic Colin’s Crest – are scheduled for Saturday, while the rally concludes on Sunday with three stages: two runs over Likenäs, followed by the Torsby Power Stage. In total, the competitive action covers 319.17 kilometres over 19 stages.

Swedish National Television SvT will feature nightly reports and highlights and all stages are available via WRC All Live on the online WRC+ platform.
RALLY DATA