Kalle Rovanperä emerged as the fastest driver in the special test held on Thursday. However, the starting order of the race may pose a potential challenge for Finnish drivers participating in Sweden.
The second round of the World Rally Championship season is set to begin on Thursday evening under the snowy conditions of Umeå. While the track conditions are favorable, the snow cover may present an uneven playing field for all WRC drivers.
According to Dirtfish’s rally site, there is sufficient snow on the route, but the lack of a solid, icy base beneath it could pose similar challenges faced by drivers during last year’s race. During that time, cars sped through the snow cover, resulting in gravel being thrown around, a situation that favored those who started later in the race. Thierry Neuville, who is currently leading the World Series after the Monte Carlo Rally, may once again play the role of the Snowman.
Neuville expressed his concerns, stating, “I think that Elfyn Evans and Ott Tänak are not exactly more satisfied than I am either. In the second run, it will be difficult for all of us.”
If a fresh layer of snow falls before the start of the race, the organizers can still plow the route to ensure a smooth race. Neuville is supportive of this decision, stating, “There is still a chance that the roads will be plowed. It would level the playing field for everyone.” Ott Tänak also shared his belief that the roads would be plowed.
However, Tänak and Neuville’s teammate at Hyundai, Esapekka Lappi, would prefer the plow to be left in the park. Lappi will be starting the race in eighth place, far behind the top of the World Cup. He stated, “If there is no plowing, that would be a big advantage for Friday. Let’s hope the roads are left alone. I’m not going to demand that the roads be plowed at all, I’ll keep quiet.”
World champion Kalle Rovanperä also shares the same sentiment. Like Lappi, he will be starting at the tail end of the WRC starting order as he begins his season in Sweden. Hence, Finnish drivers are hoping that the Swedish organizers will make a favorable decision for them.
Interestingly, the starting order already proved beneficial for the Finns during the first stage of the test special stage of the World Rally Championship in Sweden on Thursday. Rovanperä was 2.4 seconds faster than Hyundai’s Esapekka Lappi, while his teammate Takamoto Katsuta lagged behind by 4.5 seconds and Elfyn Evans by 4.8 seconds.
Neuville and other top names were the first to start, whereas Rovanperä and Lappi were among the last ones in the Rally1 class. Rovanperä expressed his excitement about being back, stating in an interview with WRC at the finish line, “It’s nice to be here again. The break wasn’t terribly long, but the feelings are clearly better.”
