Yves Matton: “Sportingly, it was still worth it”

Why the Rally of Sweden could it have taken place in very non-winter conditions?

Ten days before departure, we had a very constructive meeting with the organizers, the promoter and the teams. At that time, the forecasts we had could allow this event to be launched, but on a shortened route and in driving conditions that were not going to be easy. We thought that for the future of snow rallying which we need as part of the championship strategy, this was the best option.

Was this the right decision?

I think it was the best choice in the range of options available to us. The weather allowed us to have two short days, but with road conditions that were acceptable. The format was close to a super sprint, but as long as the challenge data was known from the start, it did not pose a problem. Sportingly, it was still worth it.

The event was far from having all the attributes of a round of a world championship...

It is certain that what we witnessed this weekend is far from what we expect from Rally Sweden. We will not do it again under these conditions. We accepted this compromise, because we want to stay in Sweden. Not coming could have had a crippling impact on the organizers of the event and that is not what we want.

How can we ensure that this doesn’t happen again?

We have spoken with the organizers and are awaiting a proposal so that, in the future, we can ensure that we compete in the snow rally that corresponds to what is expected. There are three main possibilities: stay based in Torsby but go further north to find snow, move to higher altitudes, or move further north. It’s up to them to come back to us with solutions.

Weren't there also risks in terms of the safety of the crews by sending them on gravel specials with studded tires whose useful life remained uncertain?

I will respond by saying: “What were the drivers’ comments before the start and what were they during the rally? » In the end, we had more favorable conditions than we initially expected and kept the same tire quota, but for half the mileage. Therefore, I have not had any alarmist comments.

Have you considered planning a snow race elsewhere than in Sweden?

I'm not saying there isn't a possibility elsewhere, but at the moment that's not our approach. The Swedish Rally is part of the tradition, of the DNA of the championship, so our primary objective is to find a solution with this event. Perhaps we should have done this before, especially after the 2016 alert. We could have anticipated. This has not been the case, so let’s act now.

Should we give all the points at the end of this Rally Sweden?

In the support categories, the drivers choose to nominate certain events and it would not have been correct to attribute a percentage to those who selected Sweden. Then, all the competitors knew the format before starting, so they had plenty of time to adapt their race strategy based on that.