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Ford drivers thoughts on Rally Sweden:
Mads Ostberg said: “I am definitely feeling confident ahead of this rally. We had a really good test on Friday and we’ll also be doing a rally in Norway this weekend where we can build on everything we learnt during the test – improve set-up and basically just see how far we can push the limits. “The conditions will be a lot similar to what we experienced on the test. There’s due to be a little more snow over the weekend, but if that snow disappears and the gravel gets exposed it is going to be really tricky. It will mean that we’ll have to really look after the tyres because they could easily lose their studs. “But all in all I think we are really well prepared for this event and well placed for a strong result. We want to win. That’s our goal and that’s what we’ll be pushing for.”
Evgeny Novikov said: “I have a really good feeling ahead of this event. We will have a day of testing later in the week [Sunday 3 February] and I hear the conditions are really special. The other crews have told me that it’s really cold and that the ground is good so I’m looking forward to the fight! “We’ll have to wait and see what the conditions are like on the actual rally, but I would imagine that we’ll have to work hard to find the right balance between speed and tyre wear. This is a really fast rally so the trick is to lose as little time as possible whilst safeguarding the tyres on the exposed gravel. But there are of course five days before the rally starts so we will have to wait and see what it is like. “We showed in [Rallye] Monte-Carlo that we have the speed to compete with those at the very top. So I’m ready for the fight and ready to bring some strong points home for the team”
Thierry Neuville said: “Snow is probably my least favourite surface. I’ve only competed in Sweden once before – last year. Our goal then was just to finish the rally. We were driving very carefully so weren’t as competitive as we would have liked to be. This year it will be a lot more difficult. We need to finish, but we also need to show some speed and get a good result for the team. It will be a big challenge, but I am looking forward to it. “We could see some gravel exposed on some of the stages which means we’ll need to be extra careful. If you damage the studs early on, you don’t just lose time on one stage, but on the remaining stages in the loop too. “It is easier for the drivers when there is a lot of snow and big snow banks. Then you can guide the car around the corner. But if you go lightly wide where there are no banks, you’ll be straight in the ditch!”
Juho Hänninen said: “We are testing now [Friday 1 February] and it is all going really well. The temperature is around -15°C at the moment, so hopefully it will stay like this. Cold temperatures are good for the road – especially now as the snow has already started to melt. But if it stays like this, then I think we will be in for a really good winter rally.
“Having a layer of ice on the stages will help with preserving the tyres, especially on the second pass, as exposed gravel can damage the studs. It will be a difficult event for sure, but I believe, or rather I hope, the conditions will be a lot easier than they were at [Rallye] Monte-Carlo. Also there is no tyre choice – we all have the same – so that makes things a little easier too.
“But on the other hand, this is an event on which you need to be quick from the start. The rally is so fast that if you are caught sleeping on the first stages it is very difficult to take the time back.
“I’ve not competed here since 2008, but I am very happy with the car. We’re just working on improving a few small things with the set-up and everything is looking good for next week.”
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What happened the Vysledky WRC results service this season?
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It's curious that RB's highlights are much more worse than SubaruNorway's footage or Bestofrallylive's :rolleyes: :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E49YiePRrJk
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Nice interview containing the big question (2:27) :cool: :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTqI9NNIBHU
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Khalid is the one who calls the shoots now :D :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCyerwm_Pb8
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Placing the drive's number in the upper left/right corner of the windscreen should be compulsory,
because most of the time they all run against the viewer/watcher/spectator/bystander...
It's a lot faster and much easier way of recognizing who's who in what car, as it was done in Monte (pics below).
P.S. Flags on air-top are not visible most of the time
http://i49.tinypic.com/10dth6f.jpg
http://www.autosportfoto.sk/images/g...dsc-7308-1.jpg
http://www.autosportfoto.sk/images/g...3/dsc-7267.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BB4gEZ8CUAA8FqJ.jpg:large
http://sphotos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphoto...54406102_n.jpg
