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Rally Sweden Preview: Five key talking points
The World Rally Championship springs back into life after its Monte Carlo curtain raiser with one of motorsport’s most iconic events - the ultra fast blast through Rally Sweden’s snow stages.
Toyota’s eight-time world champion Sebastien Ogier recording a stunning 10th Monte Carlo win last month grabbed the headlines, while other key storylines began to unfold.
This week provides the next instalment of this championship battle, held in completely different surroundings with Monte Carlo’s asphalt mountain roads replaced by Sweden’s super fast snow bank lined forest roads.
Key talking points
Who will adapt the quickest to new tyres?
The arrival of a new tyre supplier always causes headaches for WRC teams as they scramble to gather as much data as possible to understand the performance of the new rubber. This was a huge talking point in Monte Carlo as Hankook made its WRC debut as control tyre supplier.
Hankook’s tyres proved to be durable receiving a positive review by teams in Monte Carlo but the tyres offer a vastly different characteristic compared to their predecessor, and it appears it will be the same in Sweden. In the case of Toyota’s Kalle Rovanpera, the Finn has had to change his driving style to adapt to Hankook’s new slick tyre.
Tyres will be a hot topic in Sweden given Hankook will debut its studded snow tyre, an event-specific product featuring seven-millimetre studs designed to dig into the snow and icy road surfaces to provide grip.
Whoever masters the performance of this tyre the quickest will make a giant leap towards the top step of the podium in Sweden.
How will Hyundai’s upgraded car perform?
It has been talked about for months but this weekend will see Hyundai take the covers off its highly anticipated evolution of its i20 N Rally1 car.
Hyundai has spent four homologation development jokers on upgrades to save weight and improve its suspension in a bid to close the gap, and even overtake Toyota as the WRC’s best car.
After winning last year’s visit to Sweden, Hyundai has proven its can successfully master one of the WRC’s most specialised events.
Its driver line-up has also shown speed on the snow with reigning world champion Thierry Neuville (2018) and Ott Tanak (2019) both claiming wins in Sweden, while new recruit Adrien Fourmaux netted his maiden WRC podium at the event last year.
Will Rovanpera return to being a dominant force?
It is fair to say Monte Carlo is not two-time world champion Kalle Rovanpera’s favourite event, but the Finn was able to salvage a fine fourth last month.
Much is expected from the 24-year-old, making his full-time return to the championship after contesting a partial campaign last year off the back of winning the 2022 and 2023 titles.
Rovanpera started the season as the overwhelming title favourite, and now back on event he has previously dominated (2022), it will be interesting to see if the Toyota driver will ignite a campaign for a third title this weekend. But again, adjusting to the new tyres, which he found difficult in Monte Carlo, could emerge as another talking point this weekend.
The WRC’s rising star returns
Martins Sesks lit up the WRC last year in his three wildcard outings driving for M-Sport-Ford and this weekend marks his return to the championship.
The 25-year-old Latvian, who many feel will become one of the WRC’s future stars, has secured a six-round 2025 programme that begins in Sweden. After finishing fifth in Poland and narrowly missing out on a podium in his native Latvia last year, Sesks could again turn heads this weekend and perhaps lead M-Sport’s charge.
“I’m excited to be driving on snow, I really enjoy driving in these conditions, using the snow banks around the roads. It should be a fun weekend and I’m really looking forward to it,” said Sesks.
Who will become the WRC’s new female star?
The WRC’s search for its next woman driver will reach tis climax this weekend with Belgium’s Lyssia Baudet and Germany’s Claire Schonborn going head-to-head to win a fully funded Junior WRC campaign.
Launched in 2024 by WRC Promoter, the Women’s Driver Development Programme is an initiative designed to boost female representation at the highest levels of rallying.
Baudet and Schonborn earned selection to last year’s Central European Rally final, alongside Suvi Jyrkiainen (Finland). Baudet and Schonborn couldn’t be split, resulting in the duo taking part in shootout, driving Ford Fiesta Rally3 machinery this weekend, with a life changing prize on offer.
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