Rally Sweden 2023

**Rallyper** · 8th February 2023, 14:47

Hey guys. Just 26 hours until closing time for Pickems tomorrow at 1900 hrs CET.

Make your Pickems for the very exciting Rally Sweden now!

**EstWRC** · 8th February 2023, 16:33

Cars in service park https://youtu.be/loq6n9oxD5g

Bertelli livery looks quite ugly IMO

**becher** · 8th February 2023, 16:56

Originally Posted by Rallyest

"will be quite a drag race" so looks like toyotas will have a little edge over everyone else

The Yaris has longer gearing?

**Fast Eddie WRC** · 8th February 2023, 17:17

Thierry Neuville @thierryneuville

Here we go for Round 2 ! Recce is done and conditions are looking ok all in all. I got sick during the pre-event test and I couldn’t work on the set-up like I would have wanted but I will try to get that right on the shakedown tomorrow.

**er88** · 8th February 2023, 17:19

Originally Posted by Fast Eddie WRC

Thierry Neuville @thierryneuville

Here we go for Round 2 ! Recce is done and conditions are looking ok all in all. I got sick during the pre-event test and I couldn’t work on the set-up like I would have wanted but I will try to get that right on the shakedown tomorrow.

That might help him in a weird way, considering how often he seems to start rallies with the wrong setup (before getting faster and faster)

**EstWRC** · 8th February 2023, 17:21

Originally Posted by er88

That might help him in a weird way, considering how often he seems to start rallies with the wrong setup (before getting faster and faster)

true but there is a chance he will screw it up during shakedown tomorrow

**er88** · 8th February 2023, 17:30

Originally Posted by Hartusvuori

Do I understand the train of thought here correctly: Ongoing demand for new events > Rally Swedes practically becomes a new event > ditch it because it's not the old event.

No - ditch it because the roads are really boring for the most part. You can't even compare the roads here to the ones around Karlstad and Torsby.

The championship calendar isn't going to expand to 16/18/20+ races like F1, yet the WRC needs to visit new markets (Canada/ USA/ Middle east/China etc etc and historical events like Argentina and UK will hopefully want back in soon enough as well).

I only mentioned Canada because they have 2 current events held on snow + it adds a new market for the WRC.

Sweden has been a heritage event with great stages for decades, and its a real shame we have lost that due to lack of snow. However this new event won't be missed in the same way and it is replaceable. I'm not meaning to offend Swedes or people who travel to Sweden regularly for this rally, but I can't be the only one who thinks these stages lack character. If it wasn't for it being a winter wonderland it wouldn't even be considered WRC standard. It was a panic move.

**EstWRC** · 8th February 2023, 18:39

Driver interviews. Lappi sounds so down already while Breen sounds way more confident
https://youtu.be/oAHfEy1SZLk

**AnttiL** · 8th February 2023, 19:12

Originally Posted by EstWRC

Driver interviews. Lappi sounds so down already while Breen sounds way more confident
https://youtu.be/oAHfEy1SZLk

Interesting comments from Neuville about the route.

**Eli** · 8th February 2023, 19:33

Originally Posted by AnttiL

Interesting comments from Neuville about the route.

Pretty much conforming what's been said here (& in your route preview if I'm not mistaken), pretty (for the most part) boring stages. I wonder if the reason why the cars don't have Umeå written on the side of them is because the organizers of the rally know we won't be here for much longer.