I tre dagar var det full cirkus långt in i Limaskogarna. Teamet kom med sina lastbilar fullastade med testmaterial och från tidig morgon tills långt efter att solen gått ner pågick körningen.
Sébastien Ogier, Jari-Matti Latvala och Andreas Mikkelsen körde varsina sträckor på skogsvägar som var helt optimala med tjock is och höga snövallar.
In three days it was full WRC-circus far in the Lima forests (small village Limedsforsen about 210 km north of Karlstad). The team arrived with their trucks loaded with test materials and from early morning until after the sun went down the wrc-cars was going on the run.
Lima MS hade hand om kringarrangemanget och såg till att allt flöt friktionsfritt så förarna enbart kunde ägna sig åt sin rallybil och att få den att gå perfekt.
The Swedish motor club Lima MS was in charge of the event and made sure everything went smoothly, so the drivers could only devote himself to his rally car and get it to go perfectly.
Förarkommentarer på engelska inför Rally Sweden
Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1
– As with any rally, the winner come the end of the Rally Sweden will be the person who drove fastest, whilst at the same time making the fewest mistakes. Despite this, it is always very special for me to drive in Sweden. No other round of the WRC is held entirely on ice and snow, and I love that. It looks as though we are going to have very good conditions this year. There is a lot of snow on the ground in Sweden, and the cold temperatures in Scandinavia have transformed many sections of the route into skating rinks.
– I am looking forward to it, and to a fast rally. The only thing that could possibly ruin my fun a little would be fresh snow. That would be a slight disadvantage for the first drivers on the route. All the same, I head to Sweden full of optimism, as the win at the Rally Monte Carlo has given me even more motivation. You could say that the conditions at the Rally Sweden are actually far more predictable than the ‘Monte’, and they will definitely not be as demanding for us drivers.
Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2
– I learned to drive rally cars on snow and ice. Even as a kid I used to bomb across frozen lakes, so I feel right at home at the Rally Sweden. Early on in my career, the Rally Sweden was actually my very favourite rally, but I now feel comfortable on any surface. With the old Polo R WRC, I always had slight understeer on snow. However, tests show that our new Polo R WRC has improved in this regard. I am particularly looking forward to the ‘Frederiksberg’ and ‘Vargåsen’ stages in Sweden, because you can find a good rhythm on them and these two stages feature some big jumps.
– The second place at the Rally Monte Carlo also gives me cause for optimism. That was better than I expected. Should I win in Sweden, it would underline my title aspirations. Despite this, I am well aware that, as well as Sébastien, Andreas and the likes of Mads Østberg will also be in contention for the win. You always have to reckon on those guys here.
Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
– I associate a lot of positives with the Rally Sweden. Last year I finished on the podium for the first time there. The main features of the Rally Sweden are the fast special stages lined by snowbanks on the roadside. If you find the right snowbanks, which you can lean on, you can gain a lot of time and find yourself up there with the front-runners. If you get it wrong and hit a snowbank that is too soft, your rally can be over just as quickly.
– I start third on the first couple of days, and the first drivers out will have a disadvantage if there is a lot of snow on the route. As such, I hope the roads are icy, rather than covered in snow. Should that not be the case, I will be aiming for a top-five finish. At the moment, people keep asking me whether I can win with last year’s Polo R WRC. I am convinced that I can and, given the right conditions, the prospect of a maiden win is entirely realistic.
