[WRC] Rally Sweden 2025

[Eli]

Worst thing for Hyundai about Kenya is that Toyota is just a tank..

Imagine if we'd go to Mexico next instead...& then instead of Estonia in July, Kenya...

[doubled1978]

The conditions, with moderate cleaning at times and more moderate pollution at other times, left it a pretty even rally. This one was settled by car and driver, not road position, which is what I dream of before every Rally Sweden and get about one time in four.

Evans: It came together. He was fast, he pushed when it made sense to and not when it didn't. Evans doesn't do "fight", he calculates.

Katsuta: in a rally that suits him, he pushed a bit more than was strictly sensible at times but rode his luck and stayed on the road.

Neuville: talked about understeer more than Evans talked about his own handling problems. Came third, a good result in the circumstances. He's very well-matched with Evans when they are both happy, i.e. when Thierry's got no understeer/oversteer and Elfyn's got no hybrid.

Tanak: looked good before his engine problems. He was the one who had me worried. I think EstWRC can take this as a promising rally, despite the result. But we seem to say "promising" instead of "victorious" a lot...

Rovanpera: made the best of a bad job, this was damage limitation but at least it was competent damage limitation. Some people would have got angsty and crashed.

Fourmaux: generally, I think he "over pushes" just a little and he would get more points over a whole season if he were steadier. This is excusable in a younger driver. But the off was just stupid and he should learn from it.

Sesks: fine. I am very impressed that he got the money together, and the drive was OK too. I hope he has some newsworthy gravel rallies later in the year, and secures himself more WRC1 time.

McErlean: is here to finish rallies and nothing else. So, well done digging yourself out of the snow.

Pajari: is here to finish rallies and nothing else, so well done for slowing down after he knocked the tyre off the rim.

I think you’re pretty much spot on there, if I were to add a comment it would be that Evans showed some fight in that second stage today, surprised me.
Katsuta, he had a few moments, but most of the guys did somewhere along the way, I actually felt a bit for him, because while there were no team orders, I bet he had everyone in his ear saying don’t crash!
The Hyundai comments from Neuville and Tanak about understeer was interesting, Fourmaux said the opposite, certainly on Friday. Was it to do with the new car development, the tyres or both? The Toyotas still look the best balanced in the fast stuff, but let’s see how Hyundai go on the gravel.
Shame Tanak had the issue with the motor, maybe he would have challenged without it.
Fourmaux learned a lesson, after the helmet balls up, he should have just taken his medicine and settled for 6th and tried to get some points today. The chances of him getting the time he lost back by driving was basically nil, so he went off for nothing.
Sesks did good, I was too hard on him on Friday, he drove well. I was surprised he held off Pajari.
Pajari was unlucky with the tyre, but drove very sensibly after that too take the experience.
McErlean did well, shame about the snow bank today, but he showed a bit more.
Munster, after the good show in MC, this was like last year.

[becher]

I haven't heard him say anything other than the Hankooks don't suit his driving style.

And Evans hasn't said he likes the car better without hybrid. Also the chassis is the same but less weight could make the car more responsive.

I think people are to quick to jump to conclusions. Given that the tyre is everything (and Rovanperä said so himself) I'd guess the tyres are the bigger problem for him. It is also worth keeping in mind he performed poorly by his exceptionally high standards.

As for Evans, the whole Hybrid thing was mentioned by Dirtfish a long time ago already when comparing his performance in the 17 car vs the Rally1. Those two guys had one of their senseless conclusions completely neglecting that those cars are fundamentally different anyway.

It could be that it was the lack of Hybrid, but it's not like Evans didn't win a rally beforehand.

[denkimi]

I hope Fourmaux learned his lesson. In fact, he should have learned that lesson years ago, in his first rallies. It's not up to some marshal to tell you to close your helmet and wear your gloves. That's what the 3 minutes between TC and start are for.

[hari]

Some images from Sunday: https://www.ir7.at/content/fotos_bes...eden_2025.html

[PLuto]

BS.

Racecontrol consists mostly of French personnel as it is the FIA ​​that manages it, not the Swedish Rally...

This is not true. People at race control are multinational. I think Nicolas is the only one French who is usually on rally control...

[TypeR]

Fourmaux got 10k euro fine for saying ,,we fked up yesterday'' at the end of PS today.
20k waiting in case of another issues in 12 months.


no words anymore about what bs that fia is doing..

[erikli2]

Fourmaux got 10k euro fine for saying ,,we fked up yesterday'' at the end of PS today.
20k waiting in case of another issues in 12 months.


no words anymore about what bs that fia is doing..

That fucking FIA President should spend less time drinking champagne in the racing paddocks and more time actually improving the sports that needs support. This is insane.

[wrcvojta]

Kalle was swearing many times last year and didnt get any fine.. Well done FIA

[Eli]

That fucking FIA President should spend less time drinking champagne in the racing paddocks and more time actually improving the sports that needs support. This is insane.

He can’t drink alcohol remember? at least not at the racing paddocks in his country. My my and we all thought that Jean Todt was horrible….all relative ey?
Hope this prince falls off the horse this year but I haven’t even heard about any contenders for FIA presidency. Worrying times.