Teemu Suninen said:
“We’ve just completed some good test kilometres in Northern Sweden which went really well. I’ve not driven the Fiesta WRC since last year’s Rally Finland, so that gave us a chance to get familiar with the car and we’re now feeling well prepared for the start of the rally.
“It would be amazing to challenge for a podium again. Perhaps that is a realistic goal, but we would have to deliver the perfect rally to achieve it. With eight events this year, we also have to consider a slightly different approach. In 2017, we were solely focused on our future and showing what we could do, but this time we also have to think about the team and scoring points for the manufacturers’ championship.
“In terms of the weather, there have been talks of freezing temperatures and high snow banks but we’ll have to wait for the recce before we can see for ourselves. Whatever the conditions, the speed is always high. On a rally as fast as this the seconds are harder to gain, and we will have to be on the pace from the very first stage.”
Citroën Racing :
Pierre Budar,
Monte-Carlo offered an exciting start to the 2018 WRC season with some tricky weather conditions up in the Alps. But the snow-capped French mountains offered just an appetiser to the main course of ‘white stuff’ that we will face in Rally Sweden.
The opening round of the championship delivered little reward for our efforts as each of our three crews ran into trouble in Monte. The six stage wins and seven Power Stage points that we amassed perhaps painted a more representative picture.
“We want to put the disappointment of Monte-Carlo quickly behind us,” said our Team Principal Michel Nandan. “We want to start our season afresh in Sweden, where we will face an entirely different set of challenges.”
It’s going to be all white
The season’s only full snow event, Rally Sweden also sees crews navigate stages across the border into Norway. Prominent snow banks help drivers to negotiate the fast ice-packed roads with studded Michelin tyres offering vital grip.
For the Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team, the picture postcard setting brings back happy memories from podium finishes in 2015 and 2016. However, last season’s event didn’t run according to plan…
“We had good speed last year but unfortunately things didn’t end well when we were forced to retire,” said Thierry. “This year I am aiming to challenge again for the win but with a far better outcome!”
Fresh starts and home comforts
Hayden returns to our line-up in Sweden, alongside co-driver Seb and taking over the #6 car from Dani. “It feels like a long time since we competed in Australia,” he said. “Sweden will be a fresh start. I will be trying to repeat the sort of performance that saw me finish on the podium two years ago.”
Our Norwegians Andreas and Anders will find some home comforts on the snowy stages. “This is a special event for us, as we can rally across the border in our home country of Norway,” commented Andreas. “We have a lot of support from fans, family and friends. It’s a beautiful event.”
The first of Rally Sweden’s 19 stages gets underway at the Karlstad trotting track on Thursday evening before concluding on Sunday with the Torsby Power Stage.
Principal
“Given the speeds reached, you need confidence behind the wheel to produce fast times in Sweden. The purpose of the tests currently being held is to get our crews in the best possible shape for the rally, whilst taking advantage of road conditions that are closer to those we will encounter next week. With the addition of Mads Østberg, who has five podiums at this event, we have certainly strengthened the team, especially as experience is critical here given the very limited number of kilometres covered on this surface every year. I also have high hopes that Kris, who was fighting at the front in 2016, and Craig, who knows the event well, can show just how much our C3 WRC has improved since last year’s rally.”
Christophe Besse, Technical Director
“Since February 2017, a lot of work has been done on the suspension geometry and the damper system, torque distribution between the axles, and the set-up of the centrally-controlled differential. These changes have already proven effective on gravel. The aim, therefore, will be to do the same thing on this unusual course, where you need to be on the pace straight away because the gaps are always very small. We will also need to see what influence the starting order has on the times. Our four days of testing have been organised in such a way that Mads runs third, after Kris and Craig, so that he can use their basic set-up to get his bearings in the C3 WRC as quickly as possible. Kris and Craig will then drive again so that they can then potentially take advantage of his specialist feedback.”
Kris Meeke
“It looks like we going to get perfect winter conditions this year and like all the WRC drivers, I can’t wait to get started! In the last few seasons, with a limited amount of snow, you had to be very cautious or risk getting stuck in a snow bank after the slightest impact. The snow banks seem to be bigger and more compact this time around, so we’ll undoubtedly be able to drive more aggressively and use the banks more, although we may need a bit of time to get used to that. In any event, it’s an exciting challenge that I’m going to try and tackle with the same sensible approach as in Monte-Carlo.”
Number of appearances at the event: 4
Best result: 7th (2015)
Craig Breen
“Between the start and end of last season, the C3 WRC made a lot of progress on gravel, so I hope it’ll be the same on snow and ice. Especially as Sweden is one of my favourite rallies, and one where I feel really confident. In fact, I had my very first race in a WRC here in 2014 and also made my maiden appearance in Sweden with Citroën Racing in 2016. After a difficult Monte, I’d love to get decent points on the board. And it looks like the road conditions will be perfect for this year’s rally, with really solid snow banks that are forgiving if you make a relatively minor mistake.”
Number of appearances at the event: 5
Best result: 5th (2017)
Mads Ostberg
“Rally Sweden is a special event for me and I have always been quick here, so I’m very happy to have this opportunity to rejoin the team. I’m hoping to make the most of the shakedown at Satory and then the day of pre-event testing to adapt quickly to the C3 WRC. In any case, I’m already up to speed in these conditions, having contested two winter rallies in Norway, the second of which I won. With the bigger snow banks this year, the roads are likely to be narrower and more technically demanding, so perhaps we Scandinavians may be able to take advantage of our greater experience in conditions like these.”
Number of appearances at the event: 11
Best result: 2th (2011)
Hyundai Motorsport :
Monte-Carlo offered an exciting start to the 2018 WRC season with some tricky weather conditions up in the Alps. But the snow-capped French mountains offered just an appetiser to the main course of ‘white stuff’ that we will face in Rally Sweden.
The opening round of the championship delivered little reward for our efforts as each of our three crews ran into trouble in Monte. The six stage wins and seven Power Stage points that we amassed perhaps painted a more representative picture.
“We want to put the disappointment of Monte-Carlo quickly behind us,” said our Team Principal Michel Nandan. “We want to start our season afresh in Sweden, where we will face an entirely different set of challenges.”
It’s going to be all white
The season’s only full snow event, Rally Sweden also sees crews navigate stages across the border into Norway. Prominent snow banks help drivers to negotiate the fast ice-packed roads with studded Michelin tyres offering vital grip.
For the Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team, the picture postcard setting brings back happy memories from podium finishes in 2015 and 2016. However, last season’s event didn’t run according to plan…
“We had good speed last year but unfortunately things didn’t end well when we were forced to retire,” said Thierry. “This year I am aiming to challenge again for the win but with a far better outcome!”
Fresh starts and home comforts
Hayden returns to our line-up in Sweden, alongside co-driver Seb and taking over the #6 car from Dani. “It feels like a long time since we competed in Australia,” he said. “Sweden will be a fresh start. I will be trying to repeat the sort of performance that saw me finish on the podium two years ago.”
Our Norwegians Andreas and Anders will find some home comforts on the snowy stages. “This is a special event for us, as we can rally across the border in our home country of Norway,” commented Andreas. “We have a lot of support from fans, family and friends. It’s a beautiful event.”
The first of Rally Sweden’s 19 stages gets underway at the Karlstad trotting track on Thursday evening before concluding on Sunday with the Torsby Power Stage.
Source : WRC Teams
|
