Rally Sweden – A route that sparks debate

Last year, at Rally from Sweden, Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota) had won at an average speed of over 121 km/h. On several sections, 130 had been exceeded, but it was on Sunday that records were set with times in excess of 141 km/h, which is maddening given the grip conditions. At the end of the test WRC, the comments had been quite negative regarding the interest of the course, but indulgence had prevailed.

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It was in fact the first time the rally had come to Umeå after 68 editions further south, in Värmland. The team running this round had also experienced setbacks by being forced to change their route at the last moment because of reindeer herders in the region. Starting practically from scratch, they sometimes chose straight paths or had them traced some which proved boring for the competitors. With 12 months ahead of them, they had the opportunity to rectify the situation.

The comments at the end of the reconnaissance showed that the challenge was not met. “ We're taking back some of what we used last year and it's... okay, explained Thierry Neuville. I was surprised to discover the new kilometers and the impressions of my teammates are in line with what I think.

First shakedown run completed ✔️

⏱️ 3:00.0 – 2nd fastest through so far

"I've been sick all week and I'm not feeling so good, but hopefully we'll be able to manage. The snowbanks are really hard. It's quite fast in there & it's a tricky shakedown but we had a clean run. ” pic.twitter.com/8Sq0wxbHvC

— Thierry Neuville (@thierryneuville) February 9, 2023

Some of the new sections are ridiculously fast with only a few turns and it's definitely not fun to ride. When you are a pilot, you are looking for challenges like in Rovaniemi for example. During the reconnaissance, I said to myself “I hope it will be more interesting in the race”.

The Belgian also pointed out another aspect which will play an important role during the weekend. “ We are in the middle of the forest and no car has driven on these paths, he detailed. So there is no ice, only powder, which means that dirt will quickly appear. »

« There is reason to be disappointed, confirmed Kalle Rovanperä. The stages from last year that we are not going to repeat these days were better than the ones that were introduced. Of course, there is always a turn at the end of the straights, but some parts are too fast and boring. » Despite these very mixed comments, this should not prevent the competitors from hitting the boulevards of the Swedish Rally this evening.