WRC 2024 Rally Sweden – Preview: Hyundai on Toyota’s heels
14th February 2024The World Rally Championship heads to Scandinavia for the first time this season, for Rally Sweden, as Hyundai look to mount pressure onto the reigning champions.
Hyundai close on Toyota’s heels
As the sport heads into its only-snow event of the year, Hyundai are on the heels of the reigning teams champion: Toyota. The Japanese marque leads the championship on 46 points while Hyundai stands one-point behind (45pts).
Hyundai will be looking to have another good weekend in Sweden, and potentially topple Toyota from the top spot, following Neuville’s win in the season-opener at Monte-Carlo.
Last year was a good showing for the South Korean team who went on to secure a double podium finish, with Craig Breen and Thierry Neuville in second and third respectively.
This ambition will be helped by the team’s returning driver Ott Tanak who won last year’s edition of Rally Sweden, during his one-year hiatus away from Hyundai when he raced for M-Sport Ford.
Kalle Rovanpera returns
Toyota’s reigning world champion, Kalle Rovanpera will return to the WRC spotlight after he missed out the season-opener in Monte-Carlo.
As announced last year, the defending champion is on a part-time schedule and will split one of Toyota’s Rally1 Yaris with eight-time world champion Sebastien Ogier.
Familiar with the territory, as a Scandinavian (born in Finland) Rovanpera is looking forward to returning to the sport in its only snow event of the year.
“It’s exciting to be starting our season with an event like Rally Sweden. I always enjoy driving on snow and it’s one of the best feelings you can have in a rally car, “ Rovanpera said. “It’s been cool to get back in the car over the last week at the Arctic Rally and in our pre-event test.”
“Sweden has been a good event for us in the past but last year we were not so strong, so this year we want to fight back. As it’s the only round on snow, it’s not easy to find the perfect car setup with only a few days of testing in those conditions.
“I think we’ve found some useful things in our tests and we’ve been going in the right direction, so I’m looking forward to the rally.”
Craig Breen
The late Irish rally driver, Breen will be honoured at Rally Sweden this weekend as the stage he dominated in last year’s edition will be renamed in his honour.
In the second and fifth special stages of last year’s event, Brattby, the Irishman secured both victories in the 10.76km stage. Driving for Hyundai that season, prior to his untimely death, Breen took victory by 3.8 and 7.8 seconds respectively.
By the end of the Swedish Rally, Breen missed out on victory as he finished second in the event, 18 seconds behind Tanak in his Rally1 Puma.
As a result of his dominance, Brattby has been renamed to ‘#42 Brattby’ in honour of the late rally driver.
That’s all for the article; WRC 2024 Rally Sweden – Preview: Hyundai on Toyota’s heels!
Read more WRC here:
- Monte-Carlo a ‘good weekend’ for Toyota who took home a haul of points
- Rallye Monte-Carlo: Neuville takes victory in season opener
- Rallye Monte-Carlo: Neuville takes rally lead but Ogier remains close
- Rallye Monte-Carlo: Evans retains lead but Ogier is on the hunt
- Rallye Monte Carlo: Evans clears opening day of WRC season
- WRC: Where are they racing and when?
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Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
