Volkswagen Motorsport dominerar Rally Sweden efter torsdagens etapp, trippelt Polo i topp med regerande världsmästaren Ogier som snabbast av alla på snö och is just nu.
Inför fredagens etapp skiljer det mindre än 1,5 minut mellan första och 13 bil och imorgon kommer det att bli åka av. Tre riktiga specialsträckor ska köras två gånger och till det två gånger Hagforssprinten och en runda till på Karlstad travbana. Upplagt för en grymt spännande rallyfredag.
Pontus, på engelska, efter torsdagens etapp och niondeplats.
– It’s been a good day for us. We need to make a few changes with the driving and the set-up of the car to best cope with these conditions, but I think we have put down a good base. We’ve had a good, clean run through all of the stages, and now we can look to build on that tomorrow.
Här tidsavstånden i topp-13 samt övriga svenska deltagare.
1) OGIER, 39:56.5
2) MIKKELSEN, +5.8
3) LATVALA, +12.2
4) TANAK, +14.8
5) ØSTBERG, +22.5
6) HIRVONEN, +22.5
7) NEUVILLE, +32.0
8) HÄNNINEN, +42.0
9) TIDEMAND, +44.6
10) MEEKE, +46.6
11) KUBICA, +59.9
12) EVANS, +1:11.2
13) SOLBERG, +1:24.0
23) ÅHLIN, +3:21.1
25) ADIELSSON, +4:44.7
36) BLOMBERG, +9:48.6
39) ROMAN, +28:42.7
Ledande Ogier under uppehållet mitt på dagen
– To be first onto the route at a winter rally in Sweden is always difficult. As such, I was not sure what position we would find ourselves in come the evening. Anything in the top three would have been great. I am really extremely happy that we are actually leading the rally. The conditions were remarkably good, and better than we had expected. I am very happy with my own performance. It was a perfect day for us, and to have won three special stages from this starting position is a dream result. We now go into day two full of optimism.
Andreas Mikkelsen efter SS4 idag, nu är han tvåa i rallyt.
– That was definitely the best day I have had since I joined Volkswagen. I won three stages and led the rally – and all on my own doorstep. Then there were the many Norwegian flags, my family and friends who came here to cheer me on. You obviously want to put on a particularly good show with all that support. The conditions were not easy today. I actually held a slender lead going into the final special stage of the day, but decided to save my tyres for tomorrow morning. As such, I lost a bit of time. My goal remains a podium finish. I will certainly not risk everything, but anything is possible.
Jari-Matti Latvala trea, här kommentar från uppehållet.
– I coped very well with the fast, flowing sections today. However, I unfortunately lost too much time on the short, winding stages. I had problems finding enough grip and a good rhythm on them. Séb and Andreas really set fantastic times. Andreas, in particular, was virtually unbeatable in his native Norway. Tomorrow is a new day, and I start from a good position in third. Maybe I can mix things up a bit at the top of the standings.
Ott Tänak som utmanat folkvagnarna under dagen, ligger fyra
– It’s been such a long time since my last WRC drive, so it really is a fantastic feeling to be back driving this car. Everything is working perfectly. I immediately had a good feeling with the car and we’ve just continued to keep that pace throughout the day.
– I don’t think I’m ready to push yet, but we will see. Tomorrow I want to have a risk free drive. We’ll see some longer stages and we’ll need to think about looking after the tyres. No matter how tempting it would be to push, we need to be smart.
Mikko som är femma
– It’s been a good day for us. On the first stage [SS2] I was a little bit cautious as I really didn’t want to make the same mistake as last year, but other than that everything has been OK.
– Our times have been a little bit up and down when compared to the leaders so we will have to wait and see what tomorrow brings. Our pace has been improving throughout the day, so hopefully we’ll be able to continue what we started and end tomorrow in another strong position.
Evans som är tolfte bil
– It’s been a difficult day, but also a very valuable one. We made a small mistake on the first stage [SS2], but other than that we’ve had a completely clean run of stages which gives us a really good base to build on. I’ve certainly learnt a lot, and I’m looking forward to building on that again tomorrow.
Robert Kubica på plats 11.
– It’s been a difficult day with some very challenging stages, but I think that we have learnt a lot and I am very pleased with our performance. For a first time here in Sweden, and having never been to an event like this before, I don’t think we could have done much more.
– The most difficult aspect has been to judge how much grip there is. Sometimes you can see a surface change, but with no experience, you have no idea what to expect. The most important thing for us now is to continue as we are and ensure we make it to the end of the event. Rally Sweden only comes around once a year, so I am determined to make the most of this weekend – improve my skills, and become a better driver in these conditions.
