Rally Preview

This week the FIA World Rally Championship will swap the French Riviera for the snow-bound forests of southern  Scandinavia when it heads to Sweden for round two of the 16-round series, the Swedish Rally. The event, commencing  with a ceremonial start on Thursday 2 February from its base in the small university town of Karlstad, is the only  true winter rally in the WRC.

While it’s not unusual for temperatures in the area to plummet to minus 30°C at this time of year, full snow  conditions are by no means guaranteed. Last year the event was run in relatively mild conditions, giving a real  mix of road conditions, including snow, ice and sections of frozen gravel.

The Swedish Rally remains a specialist event that demands a totally different approach from other rallies. With  top speeds approaching 200kph, the ability to use the snow banks is essential and drivers ‘lean’ their cars  against them on the exits of fast corners to help guide them round at maximum speed. To increase the grip, cars  are run on narrow snow tyres fitted with tungsten carbide tipped studs that cut down through the icy surface to  provide maximum traction. Local knowledge of the conditions still counts for a lot though – in fact only one  non-Scandinavian driver has won the event in the last 53 years, Sebastien Loeb in 2004.

Former world champion and Swedish Rally legend Stig Blomqvist deserves special mention, as this will be his 40th  time competing on this event.

Team Previews:

1. Kronos Total Citroen
2. OMV-Peugeot Norway
3. BP-Ford
4. Stobart VK M-Sport Ford
5. 555 Subaru
6. Red Bull-Skoda Team

1. Kronos Total Citroen

After a fantastic result in one of the most challenging Monte Carlos in years, the Kronos Total Citroën World  Rally Team finds itself at the foot of the Northern face of the championship. For this untypical event, which the  Belgian team urges to discover, one 2006-Xsara will be entered for the two times World Champions Sébastien Loeb  and Daniel Elena, and a second one for their teammates Xavier Pons and Carlos Del Barrio. Like in Monte Carlo,  Daniel Sordo and Marc Marti will also be present. The Junior World Champion will compete behind the wheel of a 2005-Xsara, rented by Kronos Racing to the Spaniard. Like before the Monte Carlo, most of the preparation work on  the Xsara WRC has been conducted by Citroën Sport. It consisted in adapting the 2006 car to the Swedish special  stages, especially the front and rear differentials. After a test session at mid-December, Sébastien Loeb found a  balanced and reactive car, showing a good handling. As usual, after finetuning the set-up, the BFGoodrich range of  ‘Ice' tyres has been tried methodically. The Kronos Total Citroën WRT and its crews are ready.

Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: Loeb on his Monte accident and recovery: "On spot, I really believed that everything  was over! I insulted myself mentally. I thought about the lead we had built during the first leg, about the  championship which wasn't starting the best way... in a word a big disappointment. Then we rang the team and they  asked us how damaged the car was and then 'Bing'! As I had never competed in SupeRally before, I simply didn't  think about it at all. I realised it wasn't really over yet. I ran back down to the car to check it carefully and  Daniel [Elena - my co-driver] started to calculate how much time penalty my mistake will cost us. Our motivation  went up again. The next day when we left the service park, we were quite pleased as the good side of this  situation was that we had almost nothing to lose. It was 'no limits' - just to stay on the road and set good  times. Actually, this recovery and this incredible finale made this Monte Carlo the most exciting we experienced."  Sweden: "You really have to fight to loose as less time as possible, with studded tyre that the fresh snow stops  from working efficiently and with a car difficult to handle."

Xavier Pons/Carlos Del Barrio: "I like this rally which I know quite well now. Of course for a Latin driver, the  conditions aren't the best to perform. But I really enjoy driving on these very fast roads. It will be the  championship's second round and I hope to score valuable points in spite of the fact I've never driven a WRC in  such conditions and that I have everything to learn of the Xsara on snow.  hope to progress throughout the rally.  I feel really well in the team where everybody is very welcoming. The advice of Seb' and the trust that Marc van  Dalen has given me make me want to do the best I can. I've understood what this extraordinary team is expecting  and I will try not to deceive anyone."

2. OMV-Peugeot Norway

The result of the OMV Team Stohl/Minor in Monte Carlo (4th overall
place) has raised expectations of the OMV  Peugeot Norway World Rally Team. Four days prior to the second WRC-run of the season tests on snow surface were  completed in Norway. Thus Stohl and Solberg were able to complete 150 kilometres on ice and snow on Sunday on a four-kilometres-long test course, thereby emulating perfectly “Swedish” conditions. Naturally, the main focus was  on the tyres: only 135 mm wide and equipped with 330 spikes of a length between 5,5 and 7 mm.

Manfred Stohl/Ilka Minor: Stohl on testing: "The organisation of the tests was impeccable. Bozian Racing is doing  a thoroughly perfect job and the people in charge in Norway were incredibly friendly and cooperative." "The tyres  will decide this rally for although everybody will use the same kind of tyres there are huge differences as far as the durability of the spikes is concerned." Manfred Stohl will start Sweden in third position on the road. Stohl:  "This is no disadvantage given the icy temperatures. Still, my goal for Sweden remains a top-8 place, for you have  a lot of local heroes competing here who know each metre and have trained on this surface since they started  rallying. But my feeling for the car is getting better by the day."

Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud: Sweden is almost a home rally for Norwegian Henning Solberg. It is the eighth time  off the starting ramp in Karlstad for the OMV driver. Therefore he has high expectations on his second outing with  the OMV Peugeot Norway WRT. Solberg: "Monte Carlo was completely unchartered territory and we made the wrong  choice of tyres several times. That shouldn’t happen to us in Sweden. I know this rally inside out and want to be  up front with the best. The tests have shown that I’ve got the right feeling for the car."

3. BP-Ford

As Finns, opening round winners Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen and team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo  Lehtinen will feel comfortable in the snow and ice that makes this one of the most specialised rounds of the year.  Both will drive the 2006-specification Ford Focus RS World Rally Car which won on its first full competitive  outing in the French Alps earlier this month to power Grönholm and the BP-Ford World Rally Team into the lead of  the drivers' and manufacturers' standings.  Both tested in Sweden before Christmas, the first time either had  climbed behind the wheel of the new car. 

Marcus Grönholm/Timo Rautiainen: It is Grönholm's favourite rally, and one that he was won three times from 13  starts, and he would love nothing more than to celebrate his 38th birthday on the winners' podium on Sunday  afternoon.  "There's no doubt, the best way to celebrate my birthday would be with champagne on the winner's  podium, but we have a lot of work to do before I can think about that," he said.  "Sweden is the best rally in the  championship when the conditions are good.  To drive flat out on the snow and ice with such good grip from the  studded tyres is really enjoyable.  The car seems to float across the surface. "It's not so different driving on  snow and ice compared with gravel. On the longer stages it is important to look after the tyres because if the  studs start to pull out or move around, then you have to ease the pace.  I had a good feeling with the Focus RS in  the test and I hope to regain that during the shakedown ahead of the start on Thursday morning," he added. The  cold weather should ensure that the frozen snow banks which line the forest tracks are there to provide a safety  net for drivers.  Drivers often 'lean' their cars into them to guide them around corners at maximum speed. "I  don't try to use them that much but when you enter a corner too fast they can be a help.  The problem is that a  driver can't rely on them.  If temperatures aren't cold enough to freeze the snow properly, instead of bouncing  off the banks, cars can be dragged into the snow or plough through them and off the road," added Grönholm.

Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen: This will be Hirvonen's fourth start in Sweden and the 25-year-old is confident of  a strong result.  "I really enjoy this event and I will push hard from the start," he said.  "I think it's  possible to fight for a podium.  If there is fresh snow overnight on Thursday, then we have an excellent start  position for Friday.  It will allow the new snow to be cleared off the road and give us a cleaner drive. "In  winter conditions a driver can afford to let the tyres do more of the work than on gravel.  You can slide the car more than and the studs are so good that in some places the grip is just as good as on a loose gravel surface,"  added Hirvonen.

4. Stobart VK M-Sport Ford

Just over a week after finishing one of the toughest rallies of his short career, 18-year-old Cumbrian Matthew  Wilson will step up to the plate again for round two of the World Rally Championship in Sweden.

Matthew Wilson/Michael Orr: “Unlike the last round in Monte Carlo, I have got a vague idea of what to expect from  this rally. I did three snow rallies in Finland a little over a year ago, so I have driven on the stuff before.  Again, it’s going to be an amazing experience to arrive at the second WRC round knowing that I’m part of it all.  One of the differences to Monte will be the speed, it’s so quick in Sweden – nothing like some of the slower  hairpins on round one. This will be flat-out motoring. When I drove on snow in Finland the thing which amazed me  most was the grip. Everybody tells you it’s the same as gravel, but until you’re in there and drifting the car at  some incredible speeds, you can’t believe it. It’s probably the braking that really gets me, though. Because the  snow builds up in front of the wheel to slow you down even more, you can brake harder and later than you would  ever have thought possible. It’s going to be another fantastic experience!”

Kosti Katajamaki/Timo Alanne: “I don’t have any experience of driving the Ford Focus RS WRC, but I have driven a  World Rally Car before, when I tackled the Finnish Championship last year. The entry for this event is very strong  this week, so it’s hard to predict what would be a good result. Really I need experience of the car, so a finish  with some good times in the stages would be nice for me.”

5. 555 Subaru

The Subaru World Rally Team will enter two Impreza WRC2006 cars in the Swedish Rally. Having contested the event  seven times in previous years, Petter Solberg finally achieved his dream of winning the rally he considers his  ‘home’ event last year. He is aiming to repeat the win this year. Chris Atkinson will drive the second car, his  first competitive outing in the Impreza WRC2006. Chris made his Swedish Rally debut last year, his first rally  with the Subaru team. In other news Subaru announced that Chris Atkinson will contest Rally Ireland this year, a  candidate event for inclusion in the 2007 World Rally Championship.

Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: "At the moment it’s very exciting to see how the car and set-up perform in competitive  conditions. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a chance to show how good the car was in Monte Carlo, but the feeling is  good. I hope we have a good chance to get the same result as last year in Sweden. This would just be brilliant as  there will be a lot of people I know and a lot of support from Norway. I view this rally just like Rally Japan –  as my home event."

Chris Atkinson/Glen MacNeall: "We’re obviously looking forward to the Swedish Rally, as it’s one of the most  enjoyable rallies of the year for a driver. However it’s still a specialist event and although we’ll be aiming for  a good result, we’ll still have to tread carefully. This will be my first rally with the new car, although I got a  good feel for it when we tested in Sweden earlier this year. I’m quite happy with the performance but we’ve got a  lot more learning to do. For this rally, a realistic goal is to get in the top six. There will be a lot of local drivers who know the conditions and roads well, however we’ll aim to be towards the front."

6. Red Bull-Skoda Team

the team is looking to repeat or even improve upon the results of Monte Carlo, where both cars were able to finish  and score points. If anyone is able to achieve that goal, it has to be Mattias Ekstrom. The 2004 DTM champion is a  huge fan of rallying and has already shown in the past that he is very proficient at his snowy home event. He won  the production class in 2004 and finished tenth overall in 2005 driving a Skoda Fabia WRC.

Mattias Ekstrom/Stefan Bergman: "I am very motivated for this year's event, I know the car and the stages as well.  Consequently it should be possible to improve last year's result and finish in the points."

Andreas Aigner/Timo Gottschalk: Andreas Aigner has to break completely new ground in Sweden after his first  assignment in Monte Carlo: "This means starting all over, I am an absolute beginner in Sweden, and I will have to  try an approach similar to Monte Carlo. It is most important not to make any serious mistake and stay in the  rally. I am particularly happy that Timo Gottschalk will be back after his ailment. I would like to take the  opportunity and thank Klaus Wicha for filling in for Timo in Monte Carlo."

Event Timetable

Thursday 2 February: Ceremonial Start

Start  Main Square, Karlstad          19.00

Friday 3 February: Leg 1 Hagfors - Hagfors

Start  Hagfors                        06.50
SS1    Fredriksberg 1          18.14km 08.01
SS2    Lejen 1          26.47km 09.01         
Serv A  Hagfors (30 mins)              10.28
SS3    Fredriksberg 2          18.14km 12.09
SS4    Lejen 2          26.47km 13.09         
Serv B  Hagfors (30 mins)              14.46
SS5    Vargåsen 1              39.95km 15.49         
SS6    Hagfors Sprint 1        1.87km 17.07
Serv C  Hagfors (45 mins)              17.37
Finish  Hagfors                        18.48

Saturday 4 February: Leg 2 Hagfors - Hagfors

Start  Hagfors                  06.50
Serv D  Hagfors (10 mins)              07.10
SS7    Hara 1          11.32km 08.00
SS8    Sundsjön 1              20.78km 09.06
Serv E  Hagfors (30 mins)              09.43
SS9    Likenäs          21.78km 11.37
SS10    Hara 2          11.32km 12.34
SS11    Sundsjön 2              20.78km 13.49
Serv F  Hagfors (30 mins)              14.36
SS12    Vargåsen 2              39.95km 15.39
SS13    Hagfors Sprint 2        1.87km 16.57
Serv G  Hagfors (45 mins)              17.27
Finish  Hagfors                        18.38

Sunday 5 February: Leg 3 Hagfors - Karlstad

Start  Hagfors                        06.30         
Serv H  Hagfors (10 mins)              06.50
SS14    Lesjöfors 1            10.49km 07.58
SS15    Rämmen 1                23.35km 08.30         
SS16    Malta 1                11.25km 09.21
Serv I  Hagfors (30 mins)              10.01
SS17    Lesjöfors 2            10.49km 11.29
SS18    Rämmen 2                23.35km 12.01         
SS19    Malta 2                11.25km 12.52
Serv J  Hagfors (20 mins)              13.22
Finish  Karlstad                        15.02

2006 Championship Standings

Full Standings http://www.rallye-info.com/points.asp

Drivers' Championship:

1st Gronholm  10
2nd Loeb    8
3rd Gardemeister  6
4th Stohl    5
5th Sarrazin    4
6th Atkinson    3
7th Hirvonen    2
8th Sordo    1

Manufacturers' Championship:

1st Ford  14
2nd Citroen  11
3rd Peugeot    6
4th Subaru    5
5th Skoda    3
__________________________________________________________________

Event Statistics

- Swedish time (GMT + 1) is the same as in France and in Western Europe

- Run for the first time in 1950, the Swedish Rally has been a winter fixture since 1965. Since 1967, it has  started and finished in the university town of Karlstad which is situated on the northern shores of Lake Vänern.

- This year, the city of Karlstad will only host the Rally show (Thursday February 2nd at 18.00), the ceremonial  start (same day at 19.00), the finish and final podium (Sunday February the 5th from 15.02)

- It’s in Hagfors, a town situated 100 km north of Karlstad that the single service park will be set up on the  local airfield (10 km west of the town) and where the overnight halts on day one and two will take place, on one  of Uddenholm sites, the local tool maker and main sponsor of the event.

- This will save for the drivers two journeys Hagfors/Karlstad per day. The overall length of the 55th edition of  the event has dropped to 1441.16 km including 349.02 competitive kilometres divided into 19 special stages (10  different).

- Recce takes place over Tuesday January 31st (10:30 – 18:00) and Wednesday February 1st (08:00 - 18:00).

- The shakedown (Thursday February 2nd, from 08:00 until 12:00) uses the same 4 km stage (Råda) as last year. It  is situated 5 km south of the service park.

- Tyres: In accordance with the tyre regulations, teams will be permitted to use just one type of tyre. The  BFGoodrich ‘Ice’ has been selected for the Xsaras. The individual quota per driver is 75 tyres (nominated on  January 30th), of which 50 may be used.

- The chassis and engine in Sweden will be the same ones as those used in ‘Monte Carlo’.

- Leg 1. Friday February the 3rd: 553.28 km including 131.04 competitive kilometres (6 SS, 4 different). Start in  Hagfors (Service
Park) at 6:50. SS1 ‘Fredriksberg 1’ (18.14 km) – SS2 ‘Lejen 1’ (26.47
km) – Service A (10:28/30  min) - SS3 ‘Fredriksberg 2’ – SS4 ‘Lejen 2’ – Regroup (Hagfors, 14:33/13 min) - Service B (14:46/30 min) - SS5 ‘Vargåsen 1’ (39.95 km) – SS6 ‘Hagfors Sprint 1’ (1.87 km) - Service C (17:37/flexi-service, 45 min) – TC IN Parc fermé at 18:48.

- Leg 2. Saturday February the 4th: 510.26 km including 127.80 competitive km (7 SS, 5 different). TC Out Hagfors  parc fermé at 6:50. Service D (7 :10/10 min) – SS7 ‘Hara 1’ (11.32 km) – SS8 ‘Sundsjön 1’ (20.78 km) – Service E  (9:43/30 min) - SS9 ‘Likenäs’ (21.78 km) – SS10 ‘Hara 2’ – SS11 ‘Sundsjön 2’ – Regroup (Hagfors, 14:23/13 min) - Service F (14:36/30 min) - SS12 ‘Vargåsen 2’ – SS13 ‘Hagfors Sprint 2’ - Service G (17:27/flexi-service, 45 min) –  TC In parc fermé at 18:38.

- Leg 3. Sunday February the 5th: 377.62 km including 90.18 competitive km (6 SS : 3 different). TC Out Hagfors  parc fermé at 6:30- Service H (6:50/10 min) – SS14 ‘Lesjöfors 1’ (10.49 km) – SS15 ‘Rämmen 1’ (23.35
km) – SS16  ‘Malta 1’ (11.25 km) – Regroup (Hagfors, 9:48/13 min) - Service I (10:01/30 min) - SS17 ‘Lesjöfors 2’ – SS18  ‘Rämmen 2’ – SS19 ‘Malta 2’ – Service J (13:22/20 min) – Finish of the rally in Karlstad from 15:02.

- Changes : ‘Fredriksberg’ is 2 km shorter than in 2005 – The 9.64 first kilometres of ‘Lejen’ are new –  ‘Vargåsen’ has been modified in between km 22 .93 and 30.21 – The route of Hagfors’ super special stage has  slightly changed.

Leaderboard after Leg One

1 Marcus Gronholm (FIN) Ford 1:12:29.8 hours
2 Sebastien Loeb (FRA) Citroen + 10.2 seconds
3 Gigi Galli (ITA) Mitsubishi + 57.5 sec
4 Daniel Carlsson (SWE) Mitsubishi + 1:03.0 minutes
5 Mattias Ekstrom (SWE) Skoda Fabia WRC + 1:22.4 min
6 Manfred Stohl (AUT) Peugeot + 1:28.7 min
7 Henning Solberg (NOR) Peugeot + 1:40.3
8 Kristian Sohlberg (FIN) Subaru + 1:48.4 min
9 Janne Tuohino (FIN) Citroen + 1:51.4 min
10 Thomas Radstrom (SWE) Subaru + 2:11.4 min,

News from day one:

1. Kronos Total Citroen

After a breathtaking battle on the icy roads that snake through the wooded countryside, Marcus Grönholm and Sébastien Loeb returned to parc ferme in one of the factories owned by the rally's title sponsor, Uddeholm tools. Separating them were just 10.2 seconds, in favour of the Finn.

Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: "We are all lucky to have experienced perfect conditions, which are really enjoyable to drive on. I'm pushing at my maximum and so is Marcus, to judge by the state of the snow banks in front of me ! Being the hunter rather than the hunted is never a bad situation to be in. And we are looking forward to continuing the fight tomorrow."

Xavier Pons/Carlos Del Barrio: The first loop of stages was a bit tricky. Compared to the Group N car I drove here three years ago, the Xsara is in another world. I needed to find a good feeling, particularly when it came to braking. My gap to Seb started off at 2 seconds per kilometre, but I halved that on the second run through the stages. I want to carry on at that pace while bearing in mind my main objective of bringing the Kronos team the maximum number of constructors' points at the finish."

2. OMV-Peugeot Norway

The Austrian OMV duo Manfred Stohl and Ilka Minor in the Peugeot 307 WRC lies in sixth place after six of 19 special stages. This in spite of a moment of shock on special stage two when spectators crossed the course. OMV teammate Henning Solberg gained momentum after initial problems and finished the first leg of the second run to the FIA World Rally Championship in excellent seventh place.

Manfred Stohl/Ilka Minor: The rally is as difficult as we expected it to be but we are doing fine. Our current ranking also means a better starting position for Saturday. The rally is not over by far."

Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud: "The spin was definitely superfluous. We had wanted to give our all right from the beginning. In the end there were a lot of tracks on the course. If you drive at full speed in such a situation the spikes start to loosen and you continually lose grip."

3. BP-Ford

Ford World Rally Team drivers Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen lead the Swedish Rally after today's ice-bound opening leg in the frozen forests of Värmland. The Finns led from the very first kilometre in the same Ford Focus RS World Rally Car with which they won the Rallye Monte Carlo two weeks ago. They hold a 10.2 second advantage tonight over Sebastien Loeb. Team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen were equally impressive in a similar Focus RS and held third throughout the day. However, an overheating engine forced them to stop on the penultimate speed test. It is not yet known whether they will be able to restart tomorrow under SupeRally regulations.

Marcus Grönholm/Timo Rautiainen: "We've pushed really hard all day. It's motivating to have such a big fight with Loeb, although I would be happier with a larger gap. The tyres were incredible on the long 40km stage tonight. We lost no studs and the grip remained perfect all the way. I've made a few small mistakes in the snowbanks but nothing too serious. It will be a big battle tomorrow and we will see if I can find any more speed".

Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen: "I entered a corner and the alternator warning light came on and the water temperature went up. I radioed the team and they told me to stop immediately so as not to damage the engine."

4. Stobart VK M-Sport Ford

Nineteen-year-old Cumbrian Matthew Wilson has emerged unscathed from his first day's competition in the freezing conditions on the Swedish Rally, round two of this year's World Rally Championship. Team team-mate Kosti Katajamaki (Finland) made it through without problems. Kosti started this event on the back of fine victory on the Arctic Rally, the opening round of his domestic championship. He was looking to put that experience to good use in Sweden, but admitted he had found the going tough early in leg one.

Matthew Wilson/Michael Orr: "I've really learned a lot today. We've had some fantastic conditions to drive in, but at the same time, stage three was pretty tough going. Before that, we stalled on the last hairpin of SS2. It was quite frustrating, I could see the finish line, but I was sat there trying to fire the car up again to get over it. That third stage was really rutted, it was difficult to keep the car in the ruts on some of the longer corners. I have to say, I didn't enjoy that so much. Then in stage four, it was much quicker and really flowing. Great fun. The long one (SS5) was good, but on the road back to Hagfors, for the final stage, the car dropped onto three cylinders. Michael (Orr, co-driver) and I got out and changed the coil on the car, but that didn't help. We were going to change the spark plugs, but we ran out of time, so we decided to go in and do the short stage with the car on three cylinders. We made it through and back to service, where the boys had the chance to work on it. It's a shame about that problem, because otherwise it's been a good day.

Kosti Katajamaki/Timo Alanne: "I was definitely trying to drive the car too aggressively this morning. We were very sideways in places, too much sideways. In the longest stage (SS5) I really calmed myself down; much more precise with the car. I was much happier after that stage, I managed to get some of the time back to the group of drivers ahead. We're just outside the top 10, but not such a long way away from the places ahead."

5. 555 Subaru

Leg one of Rally Sweden proved disappointing and frustrating for Subaru World Rally Team drivers Petter Solberg and Chris Atkinson. Last year's winner Solberg ended the day 21st overall after mechanical problems prevented him from showing the potential of the new Impreza WRC2006. An impressive start for Chris Atkinson came to an end on the first corner of SS3 when a collision with a tree broke his car's power steering rack. Atkinson paid a heavy price for the mistake and dropped more than five minutes as he negotiated the rest of the loop with no power assistance. He
ended the day in 26th place.

Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: "It's such a shame that we weren't able to get the result we wanted today. The new car felt incredible yesterday and I was really excited about putting it to the test this morning. We've suffered more than our fair share of problems today and now we're in a position where we can't do anything other than test for the future. Of course we'll do what we can to learn and make the most of this opportunity but overall it's very disappointing."

Chris Atkinson/Glen MacNeall: "The day started out very well, and we were happy with the speed at the beginning but unfortunately a small mistake, and then the power steering problem as a result, cost us a lot of time. Otherwise I really think we could be in a position for a podium - the car and the tyres felt very good. I've just got to move on now and try to learn more over the rest of the weekend. It's a shame though; this was one of the events we were looking to get experience on and maybe a strong finish. In fact, it turned out that with our speed that we could have been heading for a really good result. I hope we can make more of the potential in Mexico."


6. Red Bull-Skoda Team

Both Skoda Fabia WRCs were in perfect shape despite the difficult conditions, there were no problems to speak of, correspondingly the day's summary turns out positive.

Mattias Ekstrom/Stefan Bergman: "Everything went almost perfectly for me. Just after the start of the rally I had some troubles communicating with my co-pilot and then I did not choose the right tyres for SS4. The Fabia worked flawlessly, I really enjoyed driving the car as I wanted to without having to take any risk. I expect a similar performance on Saturday."

Andreas Aigner/Timo Gottschalk: "This is an absolutely wicked rally! It is loads of fun to drive here, especially on the ice and snow, sometimes mixed with a bit of gravel. I will try again tomorrow to keep the pace without making too many mistakes, and to improve on my position along the way."

Leaderboard after Leg Two

1.  M Grönholm/T Rautiainen    FIN            Ford Focus RS  2hr 21min 51.9sec
2.  S Loeb/D Elena                      F              Citroen Xsara  2hr 22min 17.0sec
3.  D Carlsson/B Holmstrand        S            Mitsubishi Lancer 2hr 24min 24.6sec
4.  G Galli/G Bernacchini            I              Mitsubishi Lancer 2hr 24min 24.9sec
5.  M Ekström/S Bergman          S              Skoda Fabia        2hr 25min 20.0sec
6.  J Tuohino/R Pietilainen          FIN            Citroen Xsara    2hr 25min 20.1sec
7.  T Rådström/J Skallman          S              Subaru Impreza  2hr 26min 18.4sec
8  H Solberg/C Menkerud          N              Peugeot 307      2hr 27min 06.5sec
9  K Katajamäki/T Alane          FIN            Ford Focus RS    2hr 27min 46.9sec
10 X Pons/C Del Barrio              E            Citroen Xsara      2hr 28min 09.1sec

News from day two:

Sebastien Loeb (Citroen) was fastest on the final two stages to add to his tally of four second fastest times behind Grönholm. Gigi Galli and Daniel Carlsson (both Mitsubishi) enjoyed a fierce fight for the final podium place.  They changed positions three times before Carlsson eked out a 0.3sec advantage.  Mattias Ekström (Skoda) endured a frustrating day.  A small off this morning was followed by an electrical problem this afternoon but after dropping to seventh from an overnight fifth, the Swede recovered to fifth, just 0.1sec ahead of Janne Tuohino (Citroen).  Henning Solberg (Peugeot) climbed to sixth before losing 1min 45sec after rolling in stage 11.  He is now ninth.  Team-mate Manfred Stohl retired on the same stage after crashing into a ditch and ripping a wheel from the car.  Petter Solberg's (Subaru) troubled rally continued.  He dropped 45 seconds with gearbox problems on stage nine, slid into a snowbank on the following test and hit a steel post on the last stage, damaging the right steering arm and losing a further 2min 30sec.  He is 14th.  Kristian Sohlberg (Subaru) retired from seventh at the final service with engine problems.

1. Kronos Total Citroen

Despite temperatures that were well below freezing, the sun shone on a battle between Marcus Grönholm and Sébastien Loeb that was as hot as ever, givingthe thousands of fans who flocked to the forests something to remember. The warring duo shared the spoils on the stages today. By winning the first five tests, Marcus took his lead to 28.1s. However, Sébastien quickly replied by setting fastest times on Vargåsen and the Hagfors Sprint stage, bringing the gap back down to 25.1s overnight.

Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena: "We have been pushing hard all day. When he feels at one with his car Marcus is a formidable adversary, and that seems to be the case here. On the whole, I reckon he was slightly quicker than us throughout the day. Furthermore I think I made two mistakes with tyre choice. I did not have the long studs when I needed them in the first loop of stages, and then I put them on for the second loop of stages when just the standard studs would have been better. Having said that, it is far from all over. I'm going to be pushing my hardest from the start of tomorrow, in order to pile on the pressure."

Xavier Pons/Carlos Del Barrio: "I found a rhythm that I felt comfortable with. My progress is not as quick as I might have hoped. But it's very real, both in terms of the times I am setting and also for my confidence. I am keeping a firm eye on the manufacturers' championship points I could score. I am currently on three, and I am going to do everything I can to protect them."

2. OMV-Peugeot Norway

It was a jinxed eleventh special stage for the OMV Peugeot Norway World Rally Team at the "Uddeholm Swedish Rally". First Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud's Peugeot 307 WRC overturned just two kilometres short of the finish. Thanks to the help of fans they were able to complete the stage. Bozian Racing did a perfect job at the service zone and the OMV duo finished leg two in ninth place. Manfred Stohl/Ilka Minor had less luck. After their accident the engine died and couldn't be restarted. Blessing in disguise for OMV Peugeot Norway Team: all four drivers remained unharmed.

Manfred Stohl/Ilka Minor: "We went on for another fifty metres but then the engine died and we couldn't restart it. I suppose that the drive shaft was damaged and a cable had snapped, as well. The fans were right there and immediately began to help us. This time around it was the 'Peugeot corner' where we met our fate - too bad, for up to then everything had been going great"

Henning Solberg/Cato Menkerud: "The snowbanks were missing in this right turn. The car started to slither across, our front got hit and we took off to the left. During the rollover the windshield broke and we got loads of snow in the car. I really must thank the fans - they helped us turn the car back over and therefore we were able to finish the stage."

3. BP-Ford

BP-Ford World Rally Team drivers Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen dominated today's second leg of the Swedish Rally to extend their advantage at the top of the leaderboard.  They won five of the day's seven speed tests in the frozen forests of central Sweden to arrive at the final overnight halt with a 25.1 second lead in their Ford Focus RS World Rally Car.

Marcus Grönholm/Timo Rautiainen: "I stalled at the beginning of the penultimate stage and didn't really have a clean run but only dropped a couple of seconds to Sebastien.  There are many kilometres remaining and you can never have enough of a lead.  But I will continue to drive normally tomorrow and so long as we do not encounter any problems, then everything should be OK".

Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen: "I've not pushed hard and so I'm pleased with my times. I think there wasn't quite as much turbo boost as we had yesterday.  The first stage this morning was twisty so I didn't notice it but the next contained a lot of long, fast straights and the car didn't seem as powerful.  But that's OK because we can't score a good result now so my target was to test and the car was fine for that.  We learned a lot about the tyres and studs which should help Marcus' tyre choice tomorrow."

4. Stobart VK M-Sport Ford

After another tricky day on the frozen stages in central Sweden, Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team drivers Matthew Wilson and Kosti Katajamaki are poised to score their first ever manufacturer points in the World Rally Championship.

Matthew Wilson/Michael Orr: "We were in the middle of the tenth stage when I had my problem. It wasn't really an off as such. Basically we were in the ruts, like we had been - and you have to be - on all of the re-run stages. Maybe we had braked a tiny bit late, but the car jumped out of the ruts and understeered off the road. We actually landed on top of the bank, a bank where there weren't many spectators. More people came and helped to lift the car off the bank and put it down on the road, it was amazing to see them lifting the car. I have to say a big thanks to those people, without them I don't think we'd have been able to get back on the road.

Kosti Katajamaki/Timo Alanne: "It's always tough to drive a rally car without power steering, it's so heavy on the arms. The spin was nothing to do with the power steering problem, though. We were going to fast for the corner, it was my fault. Then on the second run through the long stage - Vargasen - we started to have some studs coming out of the tyres. We were losing a bit of traction. I was a little bit disappointed with this stage, and to be honest with my overall position in the rally, but okay we are ready to try and set some good times tomorrow."

5. 555 Subaru

After a problematic Leg one for the Subaru World Rally Team, Petter Solberg and Chris Atkinson's main focus for today's second Leg was testing and development work. Experimenting with different car settings, Petter made an impressive start to the day and recorded top three times on the morning's loop of three stages. He ended the Leg in 14th place after losing time with a gearshift problem and steering damage later in the day. Atkinson too made the most of the opportunity to learn on the icy roads. He improved on his Leg one position of 26th overall and will begin tomorrow's final leg in 13th place.

Petter Solberg/Phil Mills: "Well, we've had a few good stages today. Our pace over the first four was okay and, until the gearbox problem in the afternoon, things were looking promising. Of course, after yesterday's difficulties, we've concentrated a lot of our efforts on testing and learning for the future. So, in that respect we've had a useful day. Finding the metal pole in the snow bank on the last stage was unfortunate but it would have been much worse if we'd found it when we were fighting for a win.
We're keeping our spirits up and hope to learn more out on the stages tomorrow."

Chris Atkinson/Glen MacNeall: "For us it's been a day of testing and learning things. We've been trying different tyres and set-ups to Petter and seeing the difference. Sometimes that has worked well, other times it's not been so great, but that's the way to learn."

6. Red Bull-Skoda Team

Arctic temperatures again on the second day of the Uddeholm Swedish Rally near Hagfors at 21 degrees centigrade below zero. The stages were firmly frozen, which led to several incidents with corresponding damage to the bodywork. So far, the second WRC event of the season plays out to be very satisfying for Red Bull Skoda. Mattias Ekstrom is in fifth place overall after 13 special stages completed and is consequently in a position to bring home points for Skoda, both in the drivers' and the manufacturers' championships.

Mattias Ekstrom/Stefan Bergman: "The car felt comfortable the whole day long. If you look at the stage times, you realise how close this rally is fought. I stalled the engine on the last stage and lost eleven seconds just like that. Tiny mistakes may cost you one or even two positions. It's like a roller coaster. That's why it's so important to stay error-free yet swift on Sunday."

Andreas Aigner/Timo Gottschalk:  "Sometimes you lose time when you are off-course and you have to wait for spectators to push you back. Apart from that I am happy with the times I achieved, but on the final test I had a misfire. Still, the most important thing for me is that I can learn extremely much here. Every kilometre is helping me - and in order to maximize my total mileage, tomorrow I will try to get to the finish in Karlstad."

Gronholm earns the 50th win for Ford in Sweden
Racing series  WRC 
Date  2006-02-05

By Schilke, Haapanen - Motorsport.com

Marcus Gronholm has started the World Rally Championship season on a high note, winning the first two rally events on the 2006 calendar. The Finn scored his first tarmac victory in Monte Carlo and followed that up by notching today's Swedish Rally win -- the 50th WRC victory for Ford.

"This is another fantastic result," Gronholm expressed. "After my first test in the Focus RS here before Christmas, I thought I could take a good result in the rally but to win is just amazing. To win both my first two rallies in the car is a dream and it's good for the future."

And what a way to celebrate one's birthday -- the two-time WRC champion turned 38 today on his way to his 19th career victory. "My birthday isn't so important now," reflected the flying Finn.

"The big thing for me is that the Focus has proved so competitive all weekend. BFGoodrich provided me with great tyres and I set some superb stage times," he added. "I just hope that the car will be as competitive on gravel because it would be great to continue this winning run on the next round."

Ford's first world rally win came at the hands of another flying Finn: Timo Makinen took the manufacturer's first victory in the 1000 Lakes Rally in 1973, literally flying over the "yumps" on the Finnish roads.

"To win the first two rallies of the season, both of which are very different in nature, with a car based on the new Ford Focus ST is fantastic," commented Jost Capito, Ford TeamRS Director. "It's great that with the Focus RS WRC we can offer Marcus and Mikko (Hirvonen) a car in which they can show their talent."

It was not easy sailing to the win for Gronholm, though -- far from it. But with a strong finish by Gronholm, defending WRC champion Sebastien Loeb missed the top of the podium by nearly 31 seconds. The two were the only ones with a shot at the overall victory, nearly from the get-go on Friday's leg one.

Today, Loeb came out charging in his non-works Xsara, taking the first three specials, but Gronholm answered back in the factory Ford Focus RS WRC 06 with the final three stage wins. The duo put on quite a show for the spectators who lined the wintry route covered by an overnight snow fall to view the two rivals go head to head.

The Frenchman, who scored the back-to-back WRC title last season, drives for the independent Kronos Racing team, using last year's Citroen that Loeb dominated world rally competition with in 2005.

When Gronholm showed signs of a problem on the 16th special stage, just prior to the first service stop, Loeb closed the gap to 14.4 seconds. Gronholm's Focus had a hydraulic oil leak, and the filter was dripping oil onto the windscreen. Using manual gear selection, Gronholm used his experience to bring the Ford to the finish and into the service park

"Right up to the start of the last stage we tried everything: absolutely everything! Today Marcus was quicker than us," stated Loeb. "This morning, when Marcus's car had a problem and we closed to within 15 seconds, we tried a daring tyre choice. We've got no regrets about the outcome. Another second place, with eight drivers' and constructors' points, is a good start to a season which is going to be fascinating. All the signs are there for a good fight!"

After Gronholm,and Loeb, there was nobody within reach, but Daniel Carlsson and Gigi Galli put on a great show with the battle for third in their privateer Mitsubishi Lancers. In the end, Carlsson sealed the final podium position in his home rally by beating Galli by 6.8 seconds on the final stage, the 11.25-km Malta 2.

At the finish, Carlsson was exactly seven seconds ahead of Galli -- although nearly three minutes adrift of Gronholm -- to take the first WRC podium of his career.

"This is indescribable!" the 29-year-old Swede exclaimed. "After the mishap in Australia, we have come back, without any testing or preparation, and scored third in the rally! Hopefully now that I have the podium finish, the sponsorship money will start to arrive."

While Galli lost the battle for third, he, too, scored a career best with the fourth place.

Even behind the Gronholm-Loeb and Carlsson-Galli battles, there was drama at the end of the rally. Janne Tuohino, running a comfortable fifth in a privateer Citroen Xsara, suffered an engine failure just 200 metres from the final checkered flag, incurring a five-minute penalty for failing to finish the stage and dropping down to 10th place, out of the points.

And then there was Petter Solberg. The Norwegian ace had suffered gearbox problems on Friday, dropping well out of contention, and then slid into a snowbank on yesterday's final leg. But worse was yet to come: at the start of SS18, the Subaru's engine refused to engage, and Solberg and co-driver Phil Mills were excluded from the rally for failing to take the start within the prescribed 20 seconds.

You can't fault Solberg and Mills for not trying, though: the pair pushed their Impreza WRC some 100 metres from the start line in order to get the engine to start, but the race marshals determined that they were still in violation of article 19.4 of the championship regulations.

So there were more fresh faces in the points: veteran pilot Thomas Radstrom took fifth, the 40-year-old loose surface specialist scoring his seventh points finish in his home rally since 1995.

And for truly fresh, Kosti Katajamaki, who moved up from Junior WRC for this season, scored a sixth place in his first drive in a top-level WRC car, a privately-enter Focus WRC 04.

"My speed was getting better all the time," Katajamaki recounted. "But the top guys are going rather fast, and for now we have no chance of fighting them. Now we know what our pace is, and how much more risk we need to take."

Gronholm's win gave him a four-point lead in the championship over Loeb, 20 points to 16. Carlsson and Toni Gardemeister -- who did not enter the Swedish Rally -- share third at six points each. The championship battle now moves to the gravel roads of Argentina.