Most liked posts in thread: WRC: Rally Sweden (2014)

Steve · Jan 29, 2014

FWIW, there will be a MINI.

Steve · Feb 6, 2014

MiniCamaro said: ↑

I'm eager to see a good Youtube of this 1.7km (or whatever it was) stage. I'm assuming that was the one at the trotting park?

I have many ancestors in this part of the world. Plus, the landscape is just really, really pretty, imho. I wonder if Sweden has its own rally championship. That would be fun to follow a bit of on YouTube.

I don't get the "shakedown". Is that just the recce?

Go, go, Polo!
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No, the recce is ... the recce. They go out and drive all the stages and work on notes but they don't use their rally cars. The shakedown is basically a practice session in the rally cars, first time on the road off the transporters and a chance to fiddle a bit with setup.

Here's a heat from the first stage.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9UDS8dSMho]Rally Sweden 2014 - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Feb 6, 2014

And apparently this is Bertelli's (WRC2 driver) left leg...braking not good when you want to go fast:

Steve · Feb 5, 2014

Yay, this is happening!

Steve · Jan 31, 2014

Live TV coverage from Rally Sweden (WRC.com)

31 Jan 2014

WRC fans in more than 100 countries will have the chance to watch live television coverage from the stages of next week’s Rally Sweden (5–8 February).

The World Rally Championship promoter has revealed that following the success of Rallye Monte-Carlo, where three hours of live coverage were produced, up to 26 live stages will be available to broadcasters this season.

Three stages from Sweden will be televised live, starting on Wednesday night with the rally opening head-to-head Karlstad Super Special from 2004hrs (local time).

On Saturday there will be two chances to watch the VÃ¤rmullsÃ¥sen stage – which includes the breathtaking ski slope descent to the finish line.

The stage will run in the morning from 1025hrs, and then again from 1513hrs as the decisive Power Stage.

Countries where the live stages will be shown include Sweden (SVT), the UK and Ireland (BT Sport), Spain (Canal +), Italy (Fox Sports), France (Canal +), the USA (MAV TV), Latin America (Fox), Australia (Fox), Japan (J Sports) and Sub Saharan Africa (Supersport).

Follow this link for a full list of WRC broadcasters.
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Crashton · Feb 5, 2014

I want a set of those 145-80-15 please.

Dave.0 · Feb 5, 2014

Crashton said: ↑

I want a set of those 145-80-15 please.
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Yup I would love a set of those. I could have so much FUN today in the snow and ice.

Steve · Feb 6, 2014

Post-stage comments from Kris Meeke show he's taking this as a learning experience:

"Really tricky stage, so easy to make a mistake...you know now why you need coloured glasses to determine where the road is"

"Not worried about the time,this is the most fantastic experience...the most beautiful experience you can have in a rally car"

"Bit more grip, it's getting down to the mud and gravel in places...keeping everything within 90%"

"It's a learning experience on the second pass through...you get to understand how the stage deteriorates"

"To be honest, you can't expect more...if you try to run before you can walk you'll fall flat on your face"

Steve · Feb 7, 2014

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xvgBhkt0ms]Stages 3-7: Rally Sweden 2014 - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Feb 8, 2014

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVcQqvKJgDY"]Leg 2 (Ogier crash) - 2014 WRC Rally Sweden - Best-of-RallyLive.com - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Feb 8, 2014

Third Swedish win for Latvala (wrc.COM)

08 Feb 2014

Jari-Matti Latvala won Rally Sweden today for the third time to move to the head of the FIA World Rally Championship standings.

The Finn, who claimed his maiden victory here in 2008, beat Volkswagen team-mate Andreas Mikkelsen by 53.6sec after a tight battle through snowy forests in Sweden and Norway. Mikkelsen, who twice led the rally, secured his first WRC podium.

Third went to Mads Ostberg who finished just 5.9sec behind his fellow Norwegian to secure his fourth consecutive podium in the championship’s only true winter round.

“It’s my third win here and I’ve never won the same rally three times,” said Latvala, who was embraced at the finish of the final stage by father Jari. “It feels amazing to win here, it’s something very, very special.

“It’s a long time since my win in Greece last year. That was more about tactics and saving the car, but this is a high-speed event so it gives me confidence that I can also win high-speed rallies. I really needed a good result here,” he added.

World champion Sebastien Ogier, Mikkelsen and Latvala dominated the opening leg in their Polo R cars. When Ogier dropped more than four minutes yesterday morning after crashing into a snowbank, Mikkelsen moved to the front.

Two stages later Mikkelsen did the same and Latvala was ahead. Mikkelsen remained in close contact and they started today’s longest leg separated by 3.6sec. But when Mikkelsen plunged into the snow for a second time this morning, Latvala could relax.

“This is absolutely fantastic,” said Mikkelsen. “I really hoped for this at my home event with all my friends and family here and second is more than I could ever have dreamed of. This morning we were maybe fighting for a win but I made a small mistake and after that it was about keeping Ostberg behind us.”

Ostberg struggled for confidence initially in his first loose surface rally in a DS3, but came to terms with the car and saw off the Ford Fiesta RS cars of Mikko Hirvonen and Ott Tanak.

Hirvonen finished 1min 27.4sec behind with Tanak delivering possibly the drive of the rally to take fifth after more than a year away from the championship. He was 33.6sec behind Hirvonen.

Ogier recovered from 20th to finish sixth, overhauling Henning Solberg in the penultimate stage. Pontus Tidemand, Craig Breen and Kris Meeke completed the leaderboard, Meeke bouncing back after losing seven minutes and sixth place when he slid into the snow this morning.

Elfyn Evans was on course for ninth until crashing his Fiesta RS in the final stage, while Martin Prokop retired this morning when he went off and became stuck in the snow.

Hyundai duo Juho Hanninen and Thierry Neuville finished down the order after respectively damaging a wheel and breaking the front right suspension on their i20 cars yesterday and Robert Kubica was 24th after three lengthy spells in the snow.

Round three is Rally Mexico which is based in Leon on 6 - 9 March.
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Angib · Feb 10, 2014

Another way to jump Colin's Crest. In a Volvo 240, no less. With alcohol consumed nearby, if not actually in the car.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HP--odhSJk]Crash Volvo - 2014 WRC Rally Sweden - Colin's Crest - Jump [HD] - YouTube[/ame]

Crashton · Feb 10, 2014

Man he gets big style points. They may be lubed up, but those fans got him going.

Steve · Feb 3, 2014

Sweden's snow virgins (WRC.com)

03 Feb 2014

This season is a year of new challenges for many and Rally Sweden will bring one of the biggest tests for Kris Meeke, fellow Briton Elfyn Evans and ex-F1 ace Robert Kubica.

None have ever tackled a full snow event with studded tyres, and all three are happy to admit the experience gained by three days behind the wheel in the forests of Sweden and Norway will be more important than the result at the end.

All three sampled the white stuff during last monthâ€™s Rallye Monte-Carlo. But there are few similarities between an asphalt event with snow patches and a loose surface full snow rally and skinny studded tyres bolted to the car.

â€œAt least the team knows what kind of difficulties I will be up against. I am going to concentrate on learning and forget about the actual result,â€ admitted Citroen DS3 driver Meeke.

â€œI know Iâ€™m quick on asphalt and gravel, but I have no real idea about how Iâ€™ll manage on snow. Itâ€™ll be down to me to learn about everything: the car, the tyres, and so on.

â€œOur rivals have a lot more experience than we do. They will undoubtedly go very fast. Iâ€™ll just have to put that out of my mind so I can learn and progress at my own pace. And above all, avoid making any mistakes,â€ added Meeke, who finished third in Monte-Carlo.

Evans was an impressive sixth in the season-opener and the Welshman hopes to tap into the experience of M-Sport team-mates and twice Rally Sweden winners Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen.

â€œWeâ€™ll be looking to harness their experience as much as we can,â€ admitted Evans. â€œTheyâ€™ve already been really helpful. After Monte and during the test we have exchanged a lot of questions. Their advice will be invaluable to us and Iâ€™m sure theyâ€™ll continue to share their knowledge throughout the event.

â€œWeâ€™ve had a really good test which has helped a lot with the confidence, but obviously the rally itself will be a completely different experience. Even the recce will be new to us â€“ discovering how to best prepare the notes for these kinds of conditions.

â€œI think that the type of snow we encounter will be key. At the moment, it looks like itâ€™s going to be fairly mild in VÃ¤rmland so that could make it quite tricky and we will need to ensure that we take care to look after the studded tyres,â€ said the Fiesta RS pilot.

Tackling the frozen wastes of Sweden is about as far removed from a Grand Prix track as you can get, but Kubicaâ€™s rally career so far has been one built on vertical learning curves.

â€œI don't know what to expect, but the snow-covered stages will certainly provide a new and exciting challenge. Given my unfamiliarity of the surface, we know that this will be a difficult event,â€ he said.

â€œOur priority is to concentrate on learning the new stages and conditions, but I am really looking forward to the rally and he new challenges that lay in wait,â€ added the Polish Fiesta RS pilot.
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Crashton · Feb 3, 2014

My thought is all 3 are very good & will handle the snow well. How I'd love to See Kubica on the podium.

At least an off into a snow bank doesn't hurt as much.

Steve · Feb 4, 2014

A couple preview vids:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJ09sx61f0w]2014 WRC Rally Sweden Preview - YouTube[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qr5hx-vOWkY]Rally Sweden 2014 Promo - YouTube[/ame]

Crashton · Feb 4, 2014

Nice, any idea what the snow conditions are like for this years event?

Steve · Feb 4, 2014

I read they had a lot of snow recently but it's already melting. Haven't seen a forecast.

minirab · Feb 4, 2014

Hot damn, probably my favorite after Finland.

Crashton · Feb 4, 2014

My favorite, love the snow rallies.

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