WRC 2013 Sweden Feb7-10 talk/results spoiler**

Sweden Day 2 highlights

[video=youtube;0n6c4rUjj1A]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n6c4rUjj1A[/video]


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Sunday
SS17: Loeb goes on attack



If Sebastien Loeb was going to attack Sebastien Ogier anywhere it was going to be on this long opening test. And so it proved.

Second-placed Loeb went flat out and although he was fastest in his Citroen DS3, he only clawed back 3.3sec on Ogier. The gap between the two at the head of the leaderboard is now 23.6sec.

“I went really hard on this one. All I can do is try to push him to the limit so I will try,” said Loeb, the sweat pouring from his brow indicating how hard he tried.

Ogier was cool, calm and collected as he analysed the times, the Volkswagen Polo R driver saying: “It’s perfect. I’m really happy. I thought I could lose seven or eight seconds on this stage so it’s OK. I had to push because Loeb is flying now.”

Mind games from the rally leader, perhaps?

The battle for third between Mads Ostberg and Jari-Matti Latvala continued unabated, but their pace was far removed from the leading duo. Latvala was third fastest in his Polo R, 0.2sec ahead of Ostberg’s Ford Fiesta RS but a distant 14.9sec behind Loeb.

Ostberg was 3.0sec behind the Finn at the opening split after only 1.98km and did well to regain most of the time. “The start was bad, I could not find a rhythm,” he said. “I was struggling so much but when we passed the border, everything was better.

Asked if he could stay ahead of Latvala in the standings, the 25-year-old Norwegian simply replied: “No – not when I drive this bad.”

Latvala was happier after being so frustrated yesterday. “Much better driving than yesterday. It looked OK on the splits but I lost a bit towards the end. The feeling is better, the car is better, and I just need to avoid those mistakes.”

His instructions from Volkswagen boss Jost Capito were clear: “If I have a good feeling then challenge Mads, but if I don’t then just get to the finish,” said Latvala.

Evgeny Novikov was fifth fastest ahead of Henning Solberg. However, Solberg started the stage 27 minutes late after alternator problems on the road section and the time penalty is likely to drop him from eighth to tenth.

Jari Ketomaa did not restart his Ford Fiesta RS as co-driver Kaj Lindstrom is unwell. Khalid Al Qassimi was another non-starter. The engine of his Citroen DS3 was too badly damaged after he hit a log pile and broke the radiator yesterday afternoon.

After closing on the WRC 2 lead throughout Saturday’s competition, Fiesta RRC driver Yazeed Al Rajhi finally took the position after a stage win. Long-time leader Anders Grondal dropped 2.7sec behind the Saudi driver after spinning his Subaru Impreza.

A cautious drive from Sepp Wiegand kept the German secure in third, 3m25.7s behind Grondal.

click: wrc.com/news/sweden ss17



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SS18



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After SS19: Loeb turns up the pressure



Sebastien Loeb’s determined charge for victory continued on SS18 and SS19 but the Frenchman wasn’t able to worry ice-cool Ogier who takes a 20.7sec rally lead to the final three stages.

Loeb was fastest on both tests in his Citroen DS3, but Ogier shrugged off the pressure from his former team-mate, conceding a few seconds to remain firmly in control of the rally.

“It’s not the time to take the maximum risks,’ Ogier said after SS18. “He is pushing hard but we can afford to lose a few seconds. It’s going to plan perfectly.”

Ogier remained confident despite giving away another couple of seconds on the short Kirkener test when he clipped a snow bank with his Polo R.

With 43 stage kilometres still to go, Loeb has not given up his fight for a second Rally Sweden victory. “I tried to push and on the first stage it was okay but it was difficult to make much of a difference. This one (SS19) was a really good drive, no mistakes. Is the fight still on? We’ll see.”

Almost a minute behind the dueling Sebastiens, the thrilling battle for third raged on between Fiesta RS driver Mads Ostberg and the man just behind him, Jari-Matti Latvala in a Polo R. Ostberg was the quicker driver on SS18, with Latvala ahead on SS19. Neither driver was finding it easy, however.

“We didn’t have a good start to SS18 but we managed to get back most of the time by the end,” said Ostberg. “I’m not on the limit but I’m not 100 per cent confident. Not a lot happened on the second one but I’m struggling with understeer on the narrow stuff. It’s not easy.”

Trailing Ostberg by exactly five seconds after SS19, Latvala revealed that he had switched to a completely different car set-up for today’s stages.

“I felt more confident in Finskogen but I have realised that I need to change my driving style if I’m to win here,” he explained. “My old style is not precise enough. Now I am using the same car set-up as Ogier. It feels a little bit soft but I have to get used to it.

"Okay, the battle with Mads is still on but on the short stage I lost a couple of seconds in a snow bank so maybe I’ve lost a little too much time now."

Ford Fiesta RS driver Evgeny Novikov is fifth, 48.4sec behind Latvala, with Thierry Neuville sixth, 2m01s further back.

In the WRC 2 category daylight is appearing between Yazeed Al Rajhi and Anders Grondal.

After taking the lead in this morning’s opening stage, Al Rajhi extended it through both Finnskogen and Kirkener. He was 4.8sec faster in the former in his Ford Fiesta RRC and a crushing 12.3sec quicker in Kirkener to move 19.8sec clear.

However, Al Rajhi breathed a sigh of relief at the end of Kirkener. “I made a mistake and was lucky. I’m driving at my level and using all my experience to fight with people who know these stages very well,” he said.

Grondal admitted his chances of victory were fading. “It’s starting to look difficult. I’m only losing a few tenths a kilometre so I’ll keep the pressure on. He won’t have a cruise,” said the Subaru Impreza pilot.

Germany’s Sepp Wiegand remains a distant third in a Skoda Fabia S2000, with Yuriy Protasov fourth in another Impreza.

click: wrc.com/news/sweden ss19





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SS20



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SS21: Ogier pulls clear



If anyone had any doubts about the outcome of Rally Sweden, they were surely dispelled in the second pass through the heavily-rutted Kirkener and Finnskogen tests.

In a little over 7km of Kirkener, leader Sebastien Ogier was 3.9sec faster than second-placed Sebastien Loeb to widen his advantage at the head of the leaderboard. And when Loeb made a mistake in Finnskogen, Ogier’s lead had jumped from 20.7sec to 35.4sec.

The Volkswagen Polo R driver was fastest in Kirkener and second in Finnskogen and said: “When I saw the split was -10sec to Loeb, I completely backed off. I just had to drive and try to avoid mistakes.”

Loeb admitted his victory hopes had gone. “I went into a snow bank. I made a few mistakes and then I said ‘OK, that’s it’ ”.

Mads Ostberg tightened his grip on third ahead of Jari-Matti Latvala after tying with the Finn in Kirkener and setting fastest time through Finnskogen in his Ford Fiesta RS.

“I made some adjustments to the car and the balance immediately felt better. I couldn’t cope with the rear of the car, so I made it stiffer at the rear and softer at the front. I’m more confident and I can push a little harder without making mistakes,” said the Norwegian.

Latvala was despondent after dropping 3.3sec to Ostberg with third fastest in Finnskogen. “I really tried but I don’t think it’s going to be enough. It seems to be impossible to take that time. I can’t drive at Ogier’s speed. I do not know why. I don’t have an answer,” he said.

There was drama further down the field as fifth-placed Evgeny Novikov rolled his Ford Fiesta RS in Kirkener and dropped more than 10 minutes, sliding down to ninth.

“It was a tricky corner,” said the Russian. “It was blind and I came too fast into the bend. It was very narrow and we rolled. It took a long time to get back on the wheels. It was my mistake, I braked too late.”

That promoted Thierry Neuville to fifth overall on only his second visit to Sweden, the young Belgian surviving two small offs in his Fiesta RS in Kirkener.

Dani Sordo was another Kirkener casualty. The Spaniard hit a rock buried in a snow bank and retired from eighth place.

Yazeed Al Rajhi continues to lead the WRC 2 category in his Fiesta RRC from Anders Grondal. The Saudi Arabian is 44.8sec clear of the Norwegian’s Subaru Impreza.

click: wrc.com/news/sweden ss21



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SS22: Ogier takes Power Stage win



Rally Sweden winner Sebastien Ogier ensured a perfect weekend by claiming three bonus points for his 2013 FIA World Rally Championship campaign by winning the Power Stage.

The 29-year-old Frenchman was fastest in his Volkswagen Polo R by 0.9sec from team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala, who took two extra points.

The final Power Stage point was collected by Mads Ostberg. The Ford Fiesta RS pilot finished 2.3sec behind Latvala.

Mikko Hirvonen had a troubled weekend but hoped to gain something from the Power Stage. The Finn, who had been third in the running order, dropped down the start positions for the final stage and had the advantage of better road conditions in his Citroen DS3.

However, he missed out on points by finishing fourth fastest, 1.7sec behind Ostberg.

click: wrc.com/news/sweden ss22




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BREAKING NEWS: Ogier wins Rally Sweden



Sebastien Ogier has taken a sensational victory in Rally Sweden and secured a maiden win for Volkswagens new Polo R World Rally Car on only the manufacturers second event.

Ogier, 29, dominated the World Rally Championship’s snow and ice round after taking the lead from his fellow Frenchman Sebastien Loeb on Friday morning.

Loeb, in a Citroen DS3, kept the pressure on his former team-mate right to the end, but eventually had to settle for the runners-up spot, 41.8sec behind Ogier and his co-driver Julien Ingrassia.

Ford Fiesta RS driver Mads Ostberg was third, the Norwegian finishing 42.7sec adrift of Loeb.



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WRC wrap:



Sebastien Ogier has claimed the first World Championship rally victory for Volkswagen Motorsport following a faultless performance on Rally Sweden, which ended in Karlstad this afternoon.

The Frenchman secured a maiden win for Volkswagen’s new Polo R World Rally Car on only the German manufacturers second event, three weeks after finishing runner-up on Rallye Monte-Carlo.

Ogier, 29, dominated the snow and ice event after snatching the lead from nine-time world champion Sebastien Loeb on Friday morning. He ended the rally with a flourish, going fastest through the final Power Stage to bag three extra drivers’ championship points and beat Loeb’s Citroen DS3 by a margin of 41.8sec.

Today’s win was the eighth at World Championship level for Ogier and his co-driver Julien Ingrassia and moves the pair into the lead of the 2013 FIA drivers’ championship.

After kissing his car at the end of the final stage, a jubilant Ogier was quick to pay tribute to his team. “I must thank them because they have given me a perfect car all weekend. I’ve never had a car like that. Unbelievable,” he said.

“The win here was amazing but also a big surprise. We have spent so much time and effort with the team in preparation - all of last year - but we never expected to have this performance so soon.”

“It couldn’t be better. This morning Sebastien was putting a lot of pressure on. He was flying into the stages. We tried to follow him without maximum risk but we had to push because he was so fast. To win like that is amazing,” he added.

Loeb made it a French one-two but was left ruing a poor result on the pre-rally Qualifying Stage that determined the early running order. “We lost a lot because of that I think,” said Loeb. “We didn’t get a good road position, then we changed the car set-up to try and improve things but that led to two mistakes on the first day and the loss of about 30-seconds. Okay, Sebastien Ogier didn’t make any mistakes. He has done the perfect rally. There was nothing more I could do.”

Mads Ostberg equalled his 2012 Sweden result with third, 42.7sec behind Loeb. The Norwegian’s rally looked to be over on Friday morning when the fluid in his Fiesta’s cooling system drained into the snow. But the 25-year-old survived the scare and went on to beat Latvala in a tense battle for third.

“I understood quite early that a win wasn’t going to be possible, and since then it’s been a big fight for third,” he said. “It’s been a very up and down rally but I’m pleased to have won the fight with Jari-Matti. It’s a great feeling.”

After crashing out of Rallye Monte-Carlo, Latvala scored his first points of the year for fourth, a slender 6.1sec adrift of Ostberg. A two-time winner of Rally Sweden, Latvala endured a difficult event as he struggled to get comfortable with the handling of his Polo R.

“A disappointing event for sure,” he acknowledged. “My driving hasn’t been so great and I have been circling round and round trying to get the right set-up. I haven’t found it yet. But the main thing is to get the points for the team and myself and to work on improvement for Mexico.”

Read More: wrc.com/news/wrc-wrap


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WRC 2 wrap:



Yazeed Al Rajhi took maximum points in the WRC 2 category of Rally Sweden today after demoting overnight leader Anders Grondal to second.

Al Rajhi, driving a Ford Fiesta RRC, had closed on the WRC 2 lead throughout Saturday’s competition and finally got past Grondal on Sunday’s opening stage.

The Saudi, co-driven by Michael Orr, went on to win five of the final day’s six stages, pulling further ahead of Grondal to finish with a healthy margin of 43.5sec. The result moves him third in the championship on a total of 25 points.

“It was a difficult race but I’m delighted because I had only done one snow rally before this one, so I didn't have a lot of experience,” said Al Rajhi.

“It’s a good result for me, the team, and my co-driver. And of course a great start to my WRC 2 campaign. I’ve learned a lot and I hope to make more improvements step-by-step as the season goes on,” he added.

Long-time class leader Grondal put up a valiant fight in his older and heavier Group N Subaru Impreza but had no answer to Yazeed’s pace on Sunday. “I’m still satisfied because I think I’ve done the best I can,” said the Norwegian. “This is the fastest I can go in this car, so I’m happy with the set-up, the team and everything. I won Group N, so I’m happy.”

Read More: wrc.com/news/WRC 2 wrap


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WRC.com Videos

click: wrc.com/video/


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Next Rnd3 WRC Mexico Mar 7-10



Mexico hosts the first gravel event, with a couple of exciting new stages for 2013. In total there will be 23 stages over a competitive distance of 397 kilometres. The monster Guanajuatito stage will again be the longest of the rally, increasing in length very slightly to 54.9 kilometres.

Following the traditional 1.5-kilometre Guanajuato Street Stage in the Mexican city - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - on the evening of Thursday 7 March, crews will also tackle a new 2.16-kilometre test through Guanajuato’s Bicentennial Park, which was built two years ago between the cities of Guanajuato, Leon and Silao to celebrate 200 years of Mexican independence.

In other changes, the introduction of the new 31 kilometres El Chocolate test on Friday 8 March brings the day’s competitive running to 161 kilometres, while the Derramadero stage has been more than doubled in length to form the event’s Power Stage on Sunday 10 March. Meanwhile, the Leon Street Stage will be included on Friday and Saturday, while the Super Special Stage at Leon’s racing circuit will be pressed into action on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Official Website: rallymexico.com/en

Listen Live: wrc.com/fanzone/wrc-live/



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Down to the Karlstad rally sprint.

Colins Crest but the jump it was to full so we were at the highspeed corners after. But the 2nd run through we went to the jump.

Will post more later.