Really winter conditions for the Swedish Rally?

The photos are always beautiful. They are also often misleading. On these, there is in fact so much white that there is no room for doubt. This is Sweden.

After several years of struggle juggling the mild weather, the rain or the desertion of winter, the Swedes courageously decided to move 600 km north of their historic site of Karlstad.

During the first edition in Umeå last February, the idea seemed to have borne fruit. Will that be the case again this year?

There is no error, it is indeed the rally of Sweden during the 2020 edition. Conditions should be better this year (Photo Francois Flamand / DPPI

The pretty colored houses, the paths lined with walls of powder, the immaculate carpet... the postcard appears idyllic for the holding of the only real winter rally on the calendar.

For the decor and to the delight of image hunters, there should indeed be no shortage of snow on the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia. On the specials, it’s a different pair of skis.

In addition to the thickness, what also matters is the temperatures and in this area winter is a little weak in the province of Västerbotten. A quick look at the forecast for the week shows that it's not cold... for a native and compared to what we have the right to expect from this remote corner in the North.

The most surprising thing is to see nights that are “warmer” than days during which the mercury should not drop below -7/-8 C°. Will the paths be icy enough to support the passage of cars? The movement of many 4-wheel drive vehicles will cause the appearance of a particularly rough surface with rails and ruts.

In 2016, the mild weather caused the cancellation of more than 100 km of special. This should not be the case this year even if dirt appears in the specials (Photo Bastien Baudin / DPPI

The presence of a historic rally will not help the situation. The problem recurs edition after edition and yet the organizers persist in setting up this understudy event.

The latter is a source of income and it also offers a spectacle for the public who pay for access to the ES and the service park. This financial windfall is certainly important for this meeting to remain economically viable, but it has an impact on the progress of the “modern” which recovers roadways even more destroyed by cars taking different trajectories. This is the “ball and chain” that the crews responsible for opening the road will have to drag during the resumption of the morning loops.

On roads devoid of everything that should make the charm of a Swedish rally in February, that is to say ice and snow, Kalle Rovanperä and others will have to evolve on the portions of frozen ground, especially during the 2^es passages?

This will impact the condition and performance of the studded tires supplied by Pirelli. Will the tips hold up? Will this increase the risk of a puncture? After a Monte-Carlo in conditions worthy of a Tour de Corsica, will Sweden resemble an RAC (sorry a Wales) covered in white?