The 2024 WRC restarts this weekend after having held the Rallye Monte-Carlo at the end of January and does so with the only event on the calendar held on snow: the Swedish Rally.
In this edition the snow should be particularly protagonist. Some special stages have changed compared to the past and sections with more curves and jumps in more populated areas have been added.
The first novelty is the Norby which will be held on Friday. On Saturday, however, there will be the Vannas, completely revised in all its 15 kilometres. This is precisely the test most interested in sections with different curves and jumps, one of the most technical.
The second part of the Bygdsiljum has also changed, now more technical and slower than in the past. There are also some changes in the Sunday tests with the Vastervik very different compared to past editions.
The last change is very important on a symbolic level: the PS2/5 were called #42Brattby, in memory of Craig Breen. The Irish driver, who lost his life on 13 April 2023 during a pre-event test in Croatia, achieved the last podium of his WRC career in Sweden. The Swedish Rally was the last one in the World Championship for the late Waterford native.
Rally Sweden: the comment by Terenzio Testoni
Terenzio Testoni, Pirelli rally activity manager, commented on the event as follows on the eve of the start of the Swedish Rally with the PS1:
“The real unknown and the most difficult challenge of the Swedish Rally is represented by the different road conditions that can be encountered. Last year, these conditions corresponded to those expected from a winter rally, with snow-covered and icy sections mixed with others that featured gravel, looser ice and deep ruts. These varied conditions need to be addressed carefully and in different ways, especially regarding tire management, taking into account that only studded tires are available.”
“Therefore, the only strategic choice is the number of spare parts to take with you during the rally. Our Sottozero has always been very reliable, with unrivaled stud resistance and this year too it will do its part to offer a fast rally and exciting. It will be interesting to see how Kalle Rovanpera will behave in his seasonal debut on a surface that is congenial to him, and how the numerous Nordic snow and ice specialists competing in Rally2 will behave.”
Rally Sweden, the race tyres
Rally Sweden is the only WRC event to have only one type of tire available. Pirelli, for the snow of the second event of the 2024 WRC, will bring the following tyres.
Sottozero Ice J1B: these are studded tires specifically designed for snow and will be used by Rally1 cars. 20 nails per square decimetre. therefore 384 in total for rubber. These are tires with an asymmetrical design, specifically designed for snowy or icy surfaces.
Rally Sweden: tire allocation
Pirelli has decided the tire allocation for each team that will race at the wheel of a hybrid Rally1 car.
28 Sottozero Ice J1B: this is the maximum number of tires that can be used by each crew during the entire competition, excluding Shakedown.
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