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WRC - 2019 FIA World Rally Championship Rally Sweden - Preview

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08.02.19

The preview of the 2019 WRC Rally Sweden

The FIA World Rally Championship resumes next week on Rally Sweden (February 14-17), the only full snow and ice event of the year. The stages showcase a winter wonderland spanning two countries – Sweden and Norway – with the drivers using special studded tyres designed to cut through the snow and bite into the more solid surface underneath. The result is a surprising amount of grip and average speeds tend to be high. There are also special technics for driving on snow: the competitors use the big snowbanks that line the roads to lean on and guide the cars through the corners as fast as possible.
 
With three different manufacturers in the Top 3 at the end of the season’s inaugural event in Monte-Carlo, the high level of competition and unpredictability of the championship is clear to see. Reigning FIA World Rally Champion Sébastien Ogier leads the standings after taking the win for Citroën, but he is closely followed by his main title rivals from last year: Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) and Ott Tanäk (Toyota). M-Sport Ford will pin their hopes on Sweden’s own Pontus Tidemand, former FIA WRC 2 champion, who will start only his second rally at the wheel of the Ford Fiesta WRC. The battle on the snow-laden Scandinavian roads looks set to produce another thrilling leg, where the start position is likely to have an influence: the first drivers in the order may face the challenge of fresh snow, while those further down could benefit from a cleaner surface and more grip.
 
One of the biggest motorsports stars in Sweden - Marcus Gronhölm – makes a one-off return. The Finn, FIA World Rally Champion in 2000 and 2002, who retired at the end of 2007, will be back at the wheel of a Toyota Yaris WRC, co-driven by his loyal navigator Timo Rautiainen. And another legendary pair will also try to demonstrate that they lost none of their skills on snow and ice: 9-time FIA World Rally Champions Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena. Rally Sweden will be their second outing on Rally Sweden of six this season in the Hyundai.
 
Alongside the strong contingent of FIA WRC 2 entrants, the new FIA WRC 2 Pro category will stage its second leg in Sweden, with local hero Mads Østberg from Norway driving the Citroen C3 R5. A brand new turbocharged R2T Ford Fiesta will be revealed at the FIA Junior World Rally Championship season’s launch event with thirteen youngsters entered for Sweden, the first rally in a five-round calendar that continues in Corsica, Sardinia, Finland and Great-Britain.
 
THE 2019 ROUTE
 
There are no significant changes in the 2019 Rally Sweden itinerary compared to last year. The city of Torsby, close to the Norwegian border, is the rally base once more but the rally will start with a superspecial stage in Karlstad, further south, which traditionally kicks off the action on Thursday night. The same stage is repeated at the end of Saturday. Friday crosses the border into Norway, with two loops of three stages, plus a superspecial stage closing the action back in Torsby. The best-known stages, including Hagfors and Vargåsen - home of the iconic Colin’s Crest - are scheduled for Saturday, while the rally concludes on Sunday with three stages: two runs over Likenäs, followed by the Torsby Power Stage. In total, the competitive action covers 319.17 kilometres over 19 stages.
 
Swedish National Television SvT will feature nightly reports and highlights and all stages are available via WRC All Live on the online WRC+ platform.

RALLY DATA
 

Total distance:

1,460.59 km

Stage distance:

316.80 km (21.7%)

Number of stages:

19

 
MEDIA ACCREDITATION
 
The Accreditation Centre is located in the Media Center in the Service Park at the Torsby airport. The opening hours are:
 

Tuesday 12 February

14:00 - 20:00 hrs

Wednesday 13 February

08:00 - 20:00 hrs

Thursday 14 February

07:00 – 22:00 hrs

 
RALLY SWEDEN TIMETABLE AND MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES ORGANISED BY THE FIA
 

Wednesday 13 February

 

Mandatory media safety briefing, Photographers’ Room

17:00 hrs

 

Thursday 14 February

 

Shakedown (P1)

09:00 - 10:30 hrs

Shakedown (P1 + P2P + P2)

10:30 – 12:00 hrs

Shakedown (P3 & non-priority drivers)

12:00 - 13:30 hrs

‘Meet the Crews’, Service Park, Torsby

12:00 hrs

FIA Press Conference, Press Room, Torsby

13:00 hrs

Autograph session, Indoor grand stand C, Färjestadt, Karlstadt

18:15 - 18:45 hrs

Opening ceremony incl. presentation of the drivers, Färjestadt, Karlstadt

19:00 hrs

Start of the Rally, Färjestadt, Karlstadt

20:04 hrs

 

 

 

Friday 15 February

 

First car arrives for regroup, service and Media Zone, Torsby

11:19 hrs

First car arrives for final service and Media Zone, Torsby

17:40 hrs

‘Meet the Crews’, Service Park, Torsby

During the 45’ service

                                                                                                                                             

Saturday 16 February

 

First car arrives for regroup, service and Media Zone, Torsby

10:38 hrs

First car arrives for final service and Media Zone, Torsby

19:50 hrs

‘Meet the Crews’, Service Park, Torsby

During the 45’ service

 

 

Sunday 17 February

 

Regroup, Ambjörby

08:30 hrs

Prize-Giving and podium ceremony, Service Park, Torsby

13:00 hrs

FIA Press Conference, Press Room, Torsby

14:00 hrs

 
* The FIA Junior WRC Championship invites you to their launch presentation in the FIA Junior WRC hospitality on Wednesday 13 February at 17:15 hrs (Service Park, Torsby).

FIA PRESS CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE
 

Thursday 14 February

Mads Østberg (NOR), FIA WRC 2 Pro Champ., Citroën Total

 

Eerik Pietarinen (FIN), FIA WRC 2 Pro Champ., Škoda Motorsport

 

Takamoto Katsuka (JAP), FIA WRC 2 Championship

 

Johan Kristoffersson (SWE), FIA WRC 2 Championship

 

Tom Kristensson (SWE), FIA Junior WRC Championship

 

Sean Johnston (USA), FIA Junior WRC Championship

 

Esapekka Lappi (FIN), Citroën Total World Rally Team

 

Thierry Neuville (BEL), Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team

 

Pontus Tidemand (SWE), M-Sport Ford World Rally Team

 

Ott Tanäk (EST), Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team

 

Marcus Gronhölm (FIN), GRX Team

 
 

Sunday 17 February

Winning FIA WRC 2 Pro Championship crew

 

Winning FIA WRC 2 Championship crew

 

Winning FIA WRC Junior Championship crew

 

Top three crews in the overall classification

 

Representative of the winning competitor
 

                                                          
MANUFACTURER ENTRIES, RALLY SWEDEN
 

Citroën Total WRT

Sébastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia (#1)

 

Esapekka Lappi / Janne Ferm (#4)

 

 

Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT

Andreas Mikkelsen / Anders Jæger (#89)

 

Thierry Neuville / Nicolas Gilsoul (#11)

 

Sébastien Loeb / Daniel Elena (#19)

 

 

M-Sport Ford WRT

Elfyn Evans / Scott Martin (#33)

 

Teemu Suninen / Marko Salminen (#3)

 

Pontus Tidemand / Ola Fløene (#7)

 

Lorenzo Bertelli / Simone Scattolin (#37)

 

 

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Ott Tänak / Martin Järveoja (#8)

 

Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila (#10)

 

Kris Meeke / Sebastian Marshall (#5)


PRIVATE WRC ENTRIES, RALLY SWEDEN
 

GRX TEAM

Marcus Gronhölm / Timo Rautiainen (#68)

JANNE TUOHINO

Janne Tuohino / Mikko Markkula (#92)

 

 


FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP CLASSIFICATIONS
 
The provisional classifications for all the WRC Championships is available on the following link:
 
https://www.fia.com/events/world-rally-championship/season-2019/standings