Rally Sweden, first day: Neuville leads on Hyundai

taketonews

The second round of the WRC 2022 World Championship takes place on the snowy and icy roads of Sweden: at the end of the first day, Neuville, on Hyundai, takes the lead in the provisional standings, trailing the Toyota GR Yaris of Rovanperä by 4”3.

Giulio Masperi

February 25

– Milan

It is a Hyundai-Toyota challenge on the first day of the Swedish Rally, second round of the WRC 2022 World Championship, underway in the classic snow-covered setting that characterizes the northern latitudes. At the end of the first day and the 7 special stages on Friday 25 February, the Belgian Thierry Neuville leads, in a Hyundai i20 N, with a lead of 4 ” 3 over the Finnish Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota GR Yaris). Third is Elfyn Evans’ other Yaris Gazoo Racing at 7 ” 4. A first day, which saw the provisional leader change several times, not without twists: above all what concerned Ott Tänak, forced to forfeit before the PS6 due to a problem with the electric unit of the powertrain of his Hyundai i20 N, when he was second in the standings.

RALLY SWEDEN 2022: THE FIRST DAY

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In the first fractions of the day, the Rally of Sweden “spoke” Scandinavian, considering the level performance shown right from the start by the Estonian Ott Tänak (Hyundai) and the Finns Kalle Rovanperä and Esapekka Lappi (Toyota): the first winners of two special stages each, the third of a fraction. To interrupt the domination of the three Nordics – who seemed to have found the “measures” with the decidedly winter conditions: lots of fresh snow on the edge of the icy road and the need for a millimeter driving style – only Elfyn Evans (Toyota) and Thierry Neuville ( Hyundai), both winners of a special, which during the day found speed and concreteness, authors of a comeback on Friday, also thanks to better conditions of the fund by virtue of the starting order. To complete the Top-5 the Swede class 2001 OIiver Solberg (Hyundai), who closes at 28 “ 1 from the leader. Both Lappi and Solberg in the final stages of the day had to “fight” with tire wear: in the round, spiked tires supplied by Pirelli are used.

RALLY SWEDEN 2022: SHOTS OF SCENE

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In Sweden a complicated Friday for the line-up fielded by M-Sport Ford, considering the withdrawal of Irish Craig Breen following the accident – without consequences for the crew – in PS2 “Kamsjon” 1, which caused the red flag for to allow the movement of the finished car in the snow in an unsafe position for other competitors. Breen was forced to raise the white flag, after already in the first special of the morning he had hit the fresh snow, losing a few seconds (misadventure shared with several colleagues). Unlucky also the French Adrien Fourmaux, who suffered a 10 second penalty for the late passage to the third time control, and the English Gus Greensmith, never able to fight for the top positions. As anticipated, however, Tänak was forced to stop as a precaution before the PS6 “Savar” 2 (17.24 km) due to an anomaly in the electrical component of the hybrid engine of his Hyundai i20 N: an anomaly signaled by the red light also visible at exterior of the new hybrid cars of the Rally1 class, which forces the crew to leave the car. Some technical problems with the hybrid powertrain had also hit his companion Neuville in the morning: the Belgian, among other things, benefited from the red flag after Breen’s “off-piste”, as Neuville himself stated referring to problems he was experiencing with the battery of the car.

RALLY SWEDEN 2022: THE PROGRAM

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The Rally of Sweden is fully part of the history of the WRC World Championship, of which it has been a stage since the first season in 1973. After the first 125 kilometers of special stages, the event continues Saturday 26 February with the second stage (over 123 km) which includes 6 sections: start at 8.02 with the PS8 “Brattby” 1 of 10.49 km, departure of the last special “Umea” 2 (10.44 km) live on television from 18.38. Sunday 27 February last stage with 4 stages (56.84 km): engines on from 7 am for the SS16 “Vindeln” 1 (14.19 km), conclusion with the SS19 “Sarsjoliden” 2 – Power Stage (13.93 km) from 12.18.

WORLD RALLY WRC 2022: THE CALENDAR

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The 2022 World Rally Championship season includes a total of 13 world championships. After Monte-Carlo and Sweden, the circus will return to the spotlight in Croatia from 21 to 24 April. The tricolor round, as per tradition, will be on the occasion of the Rally Italia Sardegna (2-5 June). Final in Japan from 10 to 13 November.

RALLY SWEDEN 2022, FIRST DAY: RANKING

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After the first 7 special stages for a total of 125 km, held on the first day of Friday, here is the provisional ranking of the Rally of Sweden 2022 with the list of the top ten drivers.

  1. T. Neuville (Hyundai i20 N) in 1: 02’31”2
  2. K. Rovanperä (Toyota GR Yaris) + 4 ” 3
  3. E. Evans (Toyota GR Yaris) + 7 ” 4
  4. E. Lappi (Toyota GR Yaris) + 8 ” 8
  5. O. Solberg (Hyundai i20 N) + 28 ” 1
  6. T. Katsuta (Toyota GR Yaris) + 1’18 ” 9
  7. A. Fourmaux (M-Sport Ford Puma) + 1’32 ” 9
  8. G. Greensmith (M-Sport Ford Puma) + 1’48 ” 1
  9. A. Mikkelsen (Skoda Fabia Evo, Rally2) + 3’08”9
  10. O. Veiby (VW Polo Gti, Rally2) + 3’13”0

© REPRODUCTION RESERVED



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