Will Hankook tires decide the winner of Rally Sweden?

The scene is surprising at first glance. Having started the last special stage of the Arctic Rally in the lead of the general standings, Kalle Rovanperä lost around forty seconds over the final kilometres of the event to … Tuukka Kauppinen and his Toyota Yaris Rally2. The difference in performance between the two Japanese Yaris was compensated by tires that were not as efficient for the two Finns. Kalle Rovanperä had a hard time getting his Hankooks to work on the snow, while his compatriot's Michelins worked wonderfully.

"It's a shame that the last special stage was so snowy," the double world champion was furious. "With these tires, you can't do much. You have to drive incredibly slowly, and even then there were some really hot moments. The contact patch is so small with these studs that it feels like you're driving with summer tires." For Hankook, there could not have been a worse time to raise doubts among pilots as the Rally from Sweden, also contested on snowy roads.

“Winter is a short period and last year it ended so quickly that developing the tyres for Monte Carlo and Sweden was a big challenge.” explained Manfred Sandbichler, Hankook's competition director in Monaco. "We had some difficulties in completing our test programme. I am 100% confident and we know that the dry will be the best starting point for us. We do not expect any problems." 

Sweden, a big test for Hankook

The confidence displayed by the Korean manufacturer is surprising, especially after the first mixed test carried out in December on the Rallye du Dévoluy. The effectiveness of studded tires had already been highlighted by the drivers before the Monte-Carlo. So, will a reliable solution have been found by the start of the Rally Sweden ? Teams and drivers advance cautiously. Conditions on a rally like this can be tricky, as if fresh snow falls on the icy base it can impact the performance of the drivers at the front, as will be the case for Elfyn Evans on Friday. " analyzes Jari-Matti Latvala, Toyota team principal. " I hope the conditions are stable and then it will be a rally that all our drivers can enjoy. With each different surface we face at the start of this season, there are new tyres to learn, so our testing before the event was important to give our drivers an understanding of how to get the most out of them during the rally. »

« Opening the road could make the start of the weekend difficult if there is a lot of fresh snow like last year. " explains Elfyn Evans, condemned to open the road during the first stages due to the lack of Sébastien Ogier, winner of the Monte Carlo. “On the other hand, if there is ice it could work in our favour; we will give it our all in any case. There is a lot to learn at the start of the year on the new Hankook tyres and it is no different for Sweden. So far the feeling is quite different to before and we have to try to adapt to it and make the most of it.” “It will be a big challenge with the new tyres for this event, which means the feeling in the car will probably be a little different to what we had on this surface before, but I will try to adapt to it.” Takamoto Katsuta adds.

Collective caution is required before taking to the road in Sweden on Thursday evening, on an event that traditionally causes damage. Last year, there were only four Rally1 drivers left in the running for victory at the finish and Adrien fourmaux had climbed onto his first podium.

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