However, the victory means that for this week’s Rally Sweden, Neuville will be the first car on the road. If there is a lot of loose snow on the road, it could make for a challenging race.
Last year, Toyota’s Kalle Rovanperä opened the road in Sweden and lost the game mainly on Friday, even though he was able to match the pace of the leaders afterwards. The problem may not be the worst in the morning loop, but in the afternoon, the roads have to be cleaned after the smaller cars.
In the 2023 Rally Sweden, Rovanperä was only 4.7 seconds behind the leader after the first four stages, but by the evening, the gap had grown to 31.1 seconds. At the end of the race, Rovanperä was 25.1 seconds behind the winner, making Friday afternoon quite decisive.
“Clean driving, tyre management and road positions are all factors that can make it very challenging, but from our experience last year, the first day was very equal,” Neuville considers.
“I have always enjoyed Rally Sweden, so we will target a strong result.”
Rally Sweden is expected to have pleasantly wintry conditions. The severe cold that tested the whole of Scandinavia last week has moved away for the rally week, but temperatures will still stay below zero. Snowfall is also expected.
“We are expecting a lot of snow and very cold temperatures in Sweden. This was something that was manageable last year but has been a bit more difficult previously. Because of this, we will need a lot of precision and reactivity from the car to be able to throw it from one corner to the other and maximise effectiveness,” Neuville thinks.
“Snowbanks are obviously a huge risk, especially when temperatures are higher than usual. When it’s freezing, they are a feature you can rely on to help you get a better position to go faster.”
Rally Sweden starts on Thursday evening near the centre of Umeå with a spectator stage. The race will feature a total of 18 special stages, amounting to just over 300 kilometres.
