Sweden (S) - 9-12 Feb 12

TÄNAK JOINS GO FAST FOR SWEDEN

Posted: February 9, 2012 1:48 PM

With the absence of Matthew Wilson (due to an injury during training last week) on this the second round of the Championship, Go Fast is pleased to confirm that Ott Tänak and co-driver Kuldar Sikk will support Henning Solberg and Ilka Minor in promoting the Go Fast brand on the snow-covered stages of Rally Sweden this week.

Making his WRC debut at the 2011 season finale in Wales last year, Tänak impressed from the off. Overcoming early problems, the Estonian made an instant impact on the world stage to secure sixth place overall. The 24 year-old?s asphalt debut with the Ford Fiesta RS WRC soon followed as he teamed up with Ford Factory driver Jari-Matti Latvala at the 2011 Rallye du Var. Setting competitive times throughout, the youngster claimed his first stage win along with his first podium on the French asphalt.

2012 sees Tänak contest his first full season in the WRC with 13 rounds in a Ford Fiesta RS WRC. In a mature drive beyond his 24 years, the youngster proved he has intelligence as well as out right pace at the season opener in Monte-Carlo last month. On his first experience of the unforgiving roads, Tänak controlled his speed, gaining experience with each new stage to collate the valuable knowledge required to become a future Monte winner.

With his obvious speed behind the wheel and his ability to deliver a good result, Tänak is the perfect candidate to further promote the Go Fast brand.

SOLBERG GOING FAST FOR STRONG POINTS IN SWEDEN

Posted: February 9, 2012 12:48 PM

Following a freak accident during training last week and a broken left ankle for Matthew Wilson, Henning Solberg and Ilka Minor will lead the Go Fast Energy World Rally Team as the World Rally Championship heads to Sweden for the second round of the series.

Spanning two countries over more than 350 competitive kilometres, the 60th Rally Sweden will see the Go Fast team endure subzero temperatures testing both man and machine alike. Spectacular action is guaranteed on this the only true snow rally on the 2012 Calendar, and crowd-favourite Solberg will be out to impress on what is effectively the Norwegian's home event.

It was during one of Wilson's regular training sessions - fell running around the English Lake District - that the British driver took an awkward fall putting him and co-driver Scott Martin out of Rally Sweden. Having been rushed to hospital, doctors later confirmed that the 25 year-old had broken his left ankle.

Wilson had been due to complete 100km of testing in his Ford Fiesta RS WRC early this week and was looking forward to getting his 2012 season off to a competitive start with a good result on the more familiar Scandinavian stages. Unfortunately, the injury will see the Cumbrian out of action for the near future and the entire team wish him a speedy recovery.

Last month's Rallye Monte-Carlo saw an eventful opener to the season for Solberg. Blighted by cruel bad luck, and with no pre-season testing in the lead-up to the event, Solberg battled on to set competitive times throughout. Proving he has some real pace in the car, the charismatic Norwegian will be looking to translate the good form he demonstrated last month into a strong haul of points on the snow-covered Swedish stages.

In preparation for the second round of the season, Solberg contested Rally Finnskog alongside the likes of Mikko Hirvonen, Mads Østberg and Eyvind Brynildsen last weekend. Getting into the rhythm of winter rallying, Solberg impressed to finish second overall in a much less powerful Mitsubishi Evo 6. Despite losing valuable time with a spin on SS3, the Norwegian got the better of his compatriots to finish just 30 seconds adrift of eventual winner Hirvonen in a Citroën DS3 WRC.

The Go Fast driver will be looking to replicate last weekend's speed with a strong haul of points as he returns to his Ford Fiesta RS WRC this week.

Henning Solberg said:
"We're going to "Go Fast." Flat out. This is one of my favourite events and we'll be pushing for a good result.

"I'm really looking forward to the rally. This is like my home event and the fans are always absolutely amazing! There is always such a great atmosphere in the forests. The [Scandinavian] fans are some of the best in the world!

"I've got a really good feeling on snow after [Rally] Finnskog. We got the feeling just right straight away and everything was running well. Hopefully it will be the same next week [at Rally Sweden] and we can push for a really good result."

Speaking after his accident, Matthew Wilson said:
"I've broken and dislocated my left ankle so, unfortunately, that means no Rally Sweden for me and Scott [Martin].

"I was really looking forward to Sweden. We were a lot more prepared for this rally [than we had been for Rallye Monte-Carlo] and we would have been looking for a good result. I'm absolutely gutted."

SWRC leader Breen, confident before the Snow of Sweden

Posted: February 9, 2012 12:39 PM

FIA, World Academy Champion, Craig Breen got his SWRC (Super 2000 World Championship) season off to the perfect start at Rally Monte Carlo taking a maximum 25 points. Now as the season heads north to the snow of Sweden for round two, Breen is eager to continue his good start to the year.
“The Monte turned out to be one of the most difficult events of my career. Taking maximum points was a nice reward after a tough five days but we must now look forward to Sweden and consolidate our championship position.”

Over the last week Craig has been in Norway to carry out some testing for the only snow event of the season. “Brushing up on my snow and ice driving was important, getting used to grip levels and just driving in what is called “white out” where the roads and ditches are totally covered in snow takes a bit of time to adjust. Up to Christmas there hadn’t been much snow in Scandinavia but that’s changed over the last few weeks and the temperatures are currently at record lows ranging from -25 to -35 degrees, so it’s very cold. Our test session was broken into two parts, Tuesday and Wednesday was spent at John Haugland’s (Geilo 300 km’s North West of Oslo) snow and ice driving school and then I took on Finnskog here today. We retired on stage five, after hitting one of those famous snow banks but we were able to get some descent mileage under the belt. I was happy with our speed and I’m feeling very confident as we now head to Sweden”, said Breen on Saturday evening.

Featuring 360 competitive kms over 24 stages, 11 of which will be run twice, Rally Sweden which gets underway with a superspecial stage at Karlstad’s trotting track on Thursday evening (Feb 9).

The bulk of Friday’s stages will take place in Norway with a remote service halt in the town of Kongsvinger. The visit to Norway will stir memories of the country’s world championship qualifier, which last ran to great acclaim in 2009. Following a regroup in Torsby, back across the border in Sweden, crews will service in Hagfors before returning to Karlstad for a second run of the city’s superspecial stage.

Day two’s action includes classic stages such as Sagen, Fredriksberg and Vargasen, which features the famous ‘Colin’s Crest’ jump, named in memory of the late Colin McRae.

Sunday’s stages take place around Hagfors and include runs through Rammen and Hafors. The Hagfors Power Stage will bring the action to a close.

Looking ahead to the snow event Craig said,
“We competed on the event last year and finished 15th overall but I won’t be taking anything for granted. Every rally poses its own set of difficulties and Sweden is no different. Last Saturday (Rally Finnskog) starting out on the second loop of stages, I brushed a snow bank and damaged the suspension and was out. I also know that P-G Andersson, on his home event will be pushing hard and will be the favourite. This is also the first event where all the registered crews will be taking part.”

In the last week the FIA (sport’s governing body) have released the list of Super 2000 World Championship (SWRC) registered entrants and their respective nominated events and the second half of the season looks to be very interesting. In the SWRC entrants must nominate seven events out of a possible eight on which they have to participate. While just three crews started the season-opening Rallye Monte-Carlo last month, all six registered runners will compete in Finland, Great Britain, France and Spain.

On the release of the news, WRC Academy Champion, Breen said, “The ‘Monte’ was the only event this season I hadn’t competed on so our points haul and current championship lead is a great start. I need to continue that form in Sweden and Portugal. I won’t be going to New Zealand but will then I’ll be out on all of the events for the second half of the year.”

Breen looking to extend World Championship lead in Sweden

Posted: February 9, 2012 11:44 AM

Waterford’s Craig Breen will be looking to extend his lead in the SWRC this weekend as the World Rally Championship heads to Sweden for the second event of the season.

Breen, the winner of the WRC Academy in 2011, has hit the ground running this year winning the SWRC category at the Monte Carlo Rally in January, the first event of the season and his first drive in the Super 2000 car section. That win sees the 22-year-old top the leaderboard but his main rival PG Andresson, who set the pace in Monte Carlo before retiring, will be hoping to gain points on Breen this weekend.

The Motorsport Ireland International Driver of the Year took to the roads of Norway last weekend for the Rally Finnskog where he had the opportunity to experience a snow event, his first in 12 months. Despite retiring following a damaged suspension, Breen was happy with the outing.
“I was still very happy with our speed on snow and the confidence is high as we head to Sweden,” said Breen. “It takes time to bed in to the conditions.”

“We competed on the event last year and finished 15th overall but I won’t be taking anything for granted. Every rally poses its own set of difficulties and Sweden is no different. I also know that PG Andersson, on his home event will be pushing hard and will be the favourite,” Breen went on to say.

Rally Sweden begins on Thursday evening with a Super Special Stage in Karlstad with the event continuing on Friday and Saturday before finishing with a Power Stage in Hagfors on Sunday afternoon. For more information log on to www.wrc.com/swrc/news or www.craigbreen.com

Ford targets six of the best at Scandinavian snowfest

Posted: February 9, 2012 11:22 AM

Ford World Rally Team's Nordic drivers will aim to extend the squad's winning grip at the Swedish Rally (9 - 12 February) next week. The team has won the last five fixtures of the FIA World Rally Championship's only true winter encounter and both Finland's Jari-Matti Latvala and Norway's Petter Solberg have Swedish victories to their names.

Latvala and co-driver Miikka Anttila claimed their maiden WRC victory at the Karlstad-based rally in 2008 and Solberg, now partnered by Chris Patterson, took the spoils in 2005. The Ford Fiesta RS World Rally Car that the two pairings will campaign also has a strong history in Sweden, having mastered the snow and ice to claim a podium clean sweep on its debut last season.

This year's rally spans both Sweden and Norway and temperatures in the barren countryside can plunge towards -30ºC, placing huge demands on man and machine. Keeping the Fiesta RS WRCs at peak performance in such unrelenting cold demands specific engineering solutions, while the only way for mechanics to work outside in such conditions is to pile on layer after layer of clothing.

But for the drivers, a winter wonderland where studded tyres, anti-glare sunglasses and heated driving boots are 'de rigueur', brings great anticipation.

Hundreds of tungsten-tipped steel studs protrude from each of Michelin's winter tyres to bite into the frozen road surface. They provide amazing grip and, paradoxically, Rally Sweden is one of the championship's fastest rounds. Drivers also 'lean' their cars against the solid snow banks that line the forest roads to help guide them around corners.

Latvala, who finished third in 2010 and 2011 to add to his 2008 victory, has his sights set on another podium.
'That's my target. I was happy after the first day of my pre-event test. I concentrated on perfecting the car set-up, and that's now clear in my head. I was a little too aggressive with the settings last year so I've modified them slightly,' he said.

'Driving on snow at such high speed is an incredible feeling. The driving style is more sideways than on gravel, using the throttle to pull the car straight again. It helps provide more lateral grip because when the car is at an angle and leaning, the traction is better.

'On pure ice the studs provide such good grip that the braking points are later than on gravel. That only changes when there is loose snow on the surface, which provides the same effect as driving on a rain-soaked road. The car 'snow-planes' and you must brake sooner,' he added.

Solberg, who claimed a podium on his team debut at Rallye Monte-Carlo last month, has huge experience of the rally, with 12 previous starts to his credit. The 37-year-old has a family home and hotel alongside Friday morning's Mitandersfors speed test, just inside Sweden, and can rely on extra support both there and in his native Norway.

'The farmhouse overlooks the special stage,' he said. 'I can stand at the door and see the road. I think there will be many people and TV crews there so the atmosphere should be great. At least I know the road well! The conditions are looking good for a fast, proper winter event. It's fun to drive in such conditions and as the rally goes into Norway this year, it makes it even more special for me.

'This will be my first loose surface rally in a Fiesta RS WRC. I have only two days of testing in which to get used to it on snow and ice, but I'm not worried. Asphalt was the surface on which I expected difficulties in settling into the car, but I felt comfortable immediately at Rallye Monte-Carlo. Ford has a superb recent record in this rally and Jari-Matti and I want to extend that,' added Solberg.

Rally Sweden ushers in a new qualifying procedure to the WRC. After two hours of free practice on Thursday morning, drivers will tackle one timed run over the same stage. They will then choose their preferred start position for the first leg, with the quickest qualifier having first choice ahead of the next fastest and so on.

'It's a great idea,' said Solberg. 'Every driver has the possibility to earn the start position they want with a good performance in qualifying. It also provides another opportunity for the media to talk about the rally in the build-up to the start.'

Team News

* Regulations limit the team to just one tyre from partner Michelin. The X-Ice North will be equipped with 380 studs to provide maximum 'bite' in the snow and ice. Each stud is 20mm long and 4g in weight. However, just 7mm are exposed, with 13mm inserted into the tyre to provide a strong anchor.

* The Ford squad will complete a four-day test at Kall in northern Sweden tomorrow (Saturday). Latvala drove on Wednesday and Thursday, with Solberg taking the wheel for the final two days.

* Nine privately-entered Fiesta RS WRCs supplement the official cars. Ott Tänak / Kuldar Sikk and Evgeny Novikov / Denis Giraudet are nominated by M-Sport Ford World Rally Team, which has also entered Michal Solowow / Maciek Baran. Martin Prokop / Zdenek Hrùza are entered by the Czech Ford National Team. Individual entries have been placed by Matthew Wilson / Scott Martin, Norwegian trio Henning Solberg / Ilka Minor, Mads Østberg / Jonas Andersson and Eyvind Brynildsen / Cato Menkerud, and Finns Jari Ketomaa / Mika Stenberg.

Rally Route

The major change is a full day in Norway during Friday's opening leg, over roads used during the final running of Rally Norway in 2009. Otherwise the format is familiar, with the event based in Karlstad, the major service park at Hagfors Airport and stages in the Värmland and Dalarna regions of Sweden. After Thursday morning's qualifying test near Hagfors, the rally begins with a super special stage at Karlstad's trotting track that evening. The opening leg is the longest and includes six stages in Norway, as well as a test that starts in Sweden before crossing the border to finish in Norway. A remote service will be held in the Norwegian town of Kongsvinger. The final two days are based in the Dalarna region near Hagfors, almost all on roads used last year. The final 4.66km Hagfors Power Stage will offer bonus points for the fastest three drivers. The finish is in Karlstad's main square on Sunday afternoon, after 24 stages covering 349.16km in a route of 1842.60km.

M-SPORT AIM TO CONTINUE SUCCESSES IN SWEDEN

Posted: February 9, 2012 11:19 AM

Following an impressive debut for the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team at the WRC's curtain-raiser in Monte-Carlo last month, the Cumbrian-based team will be looking to continue their recent good form as the Championship heads to Sweden for the second round of the season next week. Ford have an impressive history in Sweden and the M-Sport crews will be looking to build on the successes of last year - when the Ford Fiesta RS WRC claimed a podium clean-sweep in its inaugural rally - to establish themselves as one of the Championship's regular points scorers.

Based around the Swedish town of Karlstad and covering more than 350 competitive kilometres, the 60th Rally Sweden forms the only snow rally on the 2012 calendar. This year's edition will see the event span two countries as the crews cross the border into Norway and with two of the Championship's most celebrated youngsters - Ott Tänak and Evgeny Novikov - returning as nominated drivers, the M-Sport team will be looking for a strong haul of points to maintain their current third place in the manufacturers Championship. Elsewhere, joining the M-Sport squad as a guest driver, Michal Solowow makes a welcome return to the WRC on this the Pole's 11th WRC start.

It is said that all good drivers can be quick, but that it takes an intelligent and intuitive one to know when to rein in their speed. In a composed return to the Ford Fiesta RS WRC, Tänak proved just that with a mature drive beyond his 24 years on what was only his third outing in the WRC car and his first ever experience of the notoriously challenging stages of Rallye Monte-Carlo last month.

Having contested Rally Sweden on only one previous occasion, the Estonian returns to winter conditions alongside regular co-driver Kuldar Sikk. Eager to prove himself as one of the WRC's brightest young talents, Tänak will be looking to demonstrate his ability on all surfaces.

Rally Sweden will also present a revised livery for Tänak as the Estonian looks to support the Make Roads Safe campaign coordinated by the FIA Foundation. Launched in 2006, the campaign calls on the international community to take urgent action to stop the daily tragedy of thousands of preventable deaths and injuries on the world's roads. During the foundation's 'Decade of Action', campaigners will work to ensure that politicians, global institutions, vehicle manufacturers and transport planners put road safety first and M-Sport are delighted to show their support in promoting the initiative.

Evgeny Novikov put in the performance of his career at the season opener in Monte-Carlo last month. On what was his first experience of the challenging roads around the Principality, the Russian set regular top-three times to secure a career best fifth place overall.

Despite contesting Rally Norway in 2009, this will be Novikov's first experience of the Swedish stages, and with no pre-event testing, the 21 year-old will have to harness all of his talent and composure. Yet considering his incredible performance last month, and with experienced co-driver Denis Giraudet in the navigator's seat, the young Russian will be eager to replicate his earlier success with another strong finish.

Joining the M-Sport team as a guest driver, Michal Solowow will be relishing the opportunity to get back behind the wheel of a WRC car. Having claimed both the Polish and Central European S2000 championships last year, the Pole will be keen to prove his potential as he makes a welcome return to the world stage.

Having contested Rally Sweden on a number of previous occasions, and with a one day test planned in preparation, Solowow will be well placed as the WRC heads to the region of Värmland next week. Utilising his experience of the stages and conditions, the S2000 driver will be looking to triumph at an event where driving style and confidence behind the wheel are key.

Ott Tänak said:
'The feeling ahead of next weekend is good. At the moment I think it is about -30 ['C] so we should have some really good conditions to show what we can do. I've only competed in Sweden once before in 2010, but when the conditions are right, the roads are very nice to drive.

'We'll have a one day test at the weekend where I can work on getting the feeling and flow of winter driving. This will be my first time on snow for a while and for sure it takes a while to get fully comfortable with the conditions. We'll look to work on getting a good knowledge of the tyres and getting a good set-up for the rally.

'We should be more comfortable here than we were in Monte-Carlo so it should be easier for us. For sure there are a lot of quick drivers on snow out there so we'll have to judge where our pace is once the rally starts. But we'll do our best and drive as best we can.

'It's important for us to finish so first we need to understand where our pace is. If it's competitive, then for sure we can try and push.'

Evgeny Novikov said:
'I'm really looking forward to Rally Sweden. I know the weather is very good at the moment ' very cold conditions and lots of snow which will make the stages really good to drive.

'I did Rally Norway in 2009, but I've never competed in Sweden so these stages are completely new to me. I really enjoy the challenge of driving on snow, but I've only driven a snow rally in a WRC car once before!

'We won't be doing any testing before the rally so it is important for me to get the right feeling in the car and understand the new tyres straight away.

'I'm aiming for the top five again, but for sure it won't be easy. This is a very difficult rally and there are a lot of very quick drivers, but we'll work hard to do our very best.'

Michal Solowow said:
'It's a great pleasure to work with Malcolm [Wilson] and the M-Sport team again. I know this rally quite well and I like coming back to these stages. In 2006 we started in a Subaru Impreza WRC which is totally different to the WRC cars of today that are much more similar to the S2000.

'We've done 25 rallies in a [Ford] Fiesta S2000, and I have also competed in a Fiesta RRC, so I feel pretty confident with the car. I hope the same will be said for the Fiesta WRC.

'I feel great in the Fiesta S2000. It is perfectly balanced and the suspension is excellent. Every driver expects to be provided with more power and traction in a WRC car, but I can admit that the Fiesta is the best rally car I have driven so far; never failing over 25 events!

'We'll do some pre-event testing on the Monday just before the rally where we'll see how the car handles and get familiar with the team. We plan to drive about 100 km which should be good preparation for the rally.

'I'm expecting a really good fight, though I realise we don't have the same level of experience in the WRC car as some of the other competitors. It's hard to predict how our pace will compare. We will be competing with top drivers, on the hardest stages in the world and in very demanding conditions. At least 20 competitors have a chance of finishing in the top 3 and a large proportion of them will be looking for the victory.

'We understand the challenge ahead so we will try to do our best and enjoy each stage in the WRC car right up to the finish in Karlstad.'

ANKLE INJURY SEES WILSON OUT FOR SWEDEN

Posted: February 9, 2012 11:00 AM

It is with great sadness that the Go Fast Energy World Rally Team can confirm that Matthew Wilson injured his ankle during training earlier today and that he and co-driver Scott Martin will consequentially miss the second round of the World Rally Championship (WRC) in Sweden next week.

It was during one of Wilson's regular training sessions - fell running around the English Lake District - that the British driver took an awkward fall. Having been rushed to hospital, Wilson is currently being assessed by doctors but early indications would suggest that the 25 year-old has broken his left ankle.

Wilson and Martin were due to complete 100km of testing in their Ford Fiesta RS WRC ahead of the 60th Rally Sweden early next week. Looking forward to getting their 2012 season off to a competitive start, the British duo was eager to push for a good result on the more familiar Scandinavian stages.

Fresh from their 2nd place at Rally Finnskog, sole representation for the Go Fast Energy World Rally Team now falls to Henning Solberg and co-driver Ilka Minor as the pairing embark on the Norwegian's home event.

Matthew Wilson said:
"It looks as though I've broken and dislocated my left ankle so, unfortunately, that means no Rally Sweden for me. I was really looking forward to Sweden. We were a lot more prepared for this rally [than we had been for Rallye Monte-Carlo] and we would have been looking for a good result. I'm absolutely gutted."

PROTON: Rally Sweden preview

Posted: February 9, 2012 10:46 AM

Winning the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship is about beating the best in 40-plus degrees Celsius on some of the hottest rallies the planet has to offer. This week, PROTON’s Satria-Neo S2000 faces the opposite end of the temperature range as it ventures north, way north, to Scandinavia – a place 70-odd degrees colder than the scene of the Malaysian team’s historic 2011 successes.

This week is all about the second round of the FIA Super 2000 World Rally Championship, Rally Sweden (starting on Thursday February 9). After dominating the opening round of the series on last month’s Rallye Monte-Carlo, local hero P-G Andersson starts his home event with high hopes of another commanding performance. And Andersson’s preparations in the Satria-Neo S2000 couldn’t have gone better, with a Super 2000 victory on the KNA Rally Finnskog in Norway yesterday.

Scotsman Alister McRae joins Andersson in Sweden to make his debut in the Super 2000 World Rally Championship. McRae is, of course, no stranger to the WRC, having competed at the sport’s highest level for six years. This week’s Rally Sweden will be his 76th WRC start. McRae is no stranger to success, either. He arrives at the Karlstad start of the rally as the reigning FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Champion.

Despite his stunning S2000 victory and fourth place overall on KNA Rally Finnskog, Andersson is keen to further refine the Satria-Neo S2000 at the team’s test tomorrow. According to the two-time Junior World Rally Championship, the car is almost perfect; tomorrow he’ll make it perfect for the Thursday night start of Rally Sweden. Andersson is only too well aware of the need for a fast start, 12 months ago, he led the WRC’s only winter rally outright after the opening test.

Competing on Rally Sweden is unlike any other event in the World Rally Championship. Unique in the WRC calendar, the cars run on specially made winter tyres, fitted with 380 studs. Each one of those studs is 20mm long, but just seven millimetres sticks out of the tyre to claw at the rock-hard ice and snow surface. The result is phenomenal grip, allowing the drivers to brake later than they would on gravel roads. The sight and sound of the Satria-Neo S2000 being balanced on an icy knife-edge of top-gear grip is sure to be one of the highlights of the season.

The event gets underway at a ceremonial start in the centre of Karlstad on Thursday (February 9) at 1900. The crews will then face a day of competition in Norway (Friday February 10), with service in Kongsvinger before heading back into Sweden for a weekend of action based around Hagfors. The event finishes back in Karlstad after 24 high-speed stages on Sunday (February 12) at 1616.

Quotes:
P-G Andersson said:
“I had a good idea of what I wanted from the car before we started Rally Finnskog yesterday, but we still made some really small changes to the car through the day. It’s almost perfect now. We still need to do some suspension work for the rougher sections; the roads in Norway didn’t get too cut-up, but we should be able to do those changes at the test tomorrow. By the time we get to the start, I’m sure the car will be exactly as we want it. Yesterday’s rally was fantastic. The temperature was -32 or something like that, but the sun came out and the roads were incredible. Yesterday was what rallying is all about: full sideways and flat-out. I’m really looking forward to the start of Rally Sweden, where, of course, we are aiming for the SWRC win. I hear there might be some snow coming on the weekend; I would like that, I prefer it when the conditions get a bit more tricky. But, for sure, fourth in Finnskog yesterday was the perfect start for the Satria on snow.”

Alister McRae said:
“When the conditions are right on this event, Rally Sweden is the best in the world, no question. When you are flat in top and leaning the car on the solid snow banks, coming out of the corner a gear higher than you thought possible, it’s the best feeling in rallying. And I’ve missed it for the last eight years – so I can’t tell you how glad I am to be back. It’s fantastic. P-G’s result yesterday, along with the pace the team showed in Monte Carlo and the multiple championships we won last year have all lifted PROTON Motorsports to another level. Living in Western Australia, we don’t get to see much snow, so it’s going to take me a while to back into driving on the stuff. Fortunately, my car set-up is pretty similar to P-G’s – we saw that when we competed together on Rally Scotland last year – so I should be able to start tomorrow’s test with his base set-up on the Satria-Neo. We start every event looking for the win and this is no different, but being realistic, I think P-G’s PROTON is going to be the one more likely to be the fighting at the front, certainly at the start of the rally. P-G showed last year that he is extremely quick in these conditions – so we’ll just follow him!”

Chris Mellors (team principal) said:
“Given that the Satria-Neo S2000 had never competed in conditions anything like the -32 degrees we endured in Norway, it’s fair to say we didn’t know too much about what to expect. But the car was perfect. The only change we made to the car was to fit a stronger heater in the car to make sure we could keep the windscreen clear – oh, and we chucked some warmer jackets in the back for the boys. Otherwise, this was the car which won in Malaysia when it was 70 degrees hotter; pretty versatile this Satria-Neo! Alister and P-G will be testing again tomorrow, but we’re down to fine-tuning the car for Rally Sweden now.”

Seeded Entry List

Posted: February 4, 2012 12:49 PM

Sweden (S) - 9-12 Feb 12 - SEEDED ENTRY LIST

Entries Received

Posted: January 10, 2012 2:51 PM

Available at:

www.rallysweden.com/the-rally-2012/entries?lang=en

Event Website / Rally Guide 1 Available

Posted: October 26, 2011 2:28 PM

Swedish Rally WRC