Hyundai Motorsport Preview: Round 2 Rally Sweden 06.02.2023: • Hyundai Motorsport travels to Rally Sweden, the second round of the 2023 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) season, looking to build upon its positive podium start in Monte-Carlo • Rally Sweden is the only pure snow/ice terrain event on the calenda

•    Hyundai Motorsport travels to Rally Sweden, the second round of the 2023 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) season, looking to build upon its positive podium start in Monte-Carlo


•    Rally Sweden is the only pure snow/ice terrain event on the calendar and was the site of the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid’s first ever top-three finish in 2022


•    Taking on the wintry stages next weekend (February 9-12) will be Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe, Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm and Craig Breen/James Fulton.
 



Hyundai Motorsport will journey north to Rally Sweden next week for the second round of the 2023 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), looking to continue the momentum from a solid start to the season in Monte-Caro.
 


As the only snow event on the 2023 WRC schedule, Rally Sweden offers a unique test for both man and machine. Despite the terrain, the profile of the stages makes the event one of the fastest rounds on the calendar.



The studded winter tyres provide remarkably high levels of grip in the icy conditions, while large snowbanks can be utilised by the drivers to assist cornering. However this can be a risky game; when the temperature is slightly warmer, the banks can disintegrate on impact and leave cars stranded in the deep snow.
 


The 2022 edition of Rally Sweden was a strong outing for the Alzenau-based team; Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe secured second place to bring home the debut podium finish for the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid. All three crews will be aiming to show consistent pace and battle for victory in Umeå next weekend (February 9-12).
 


Neuville has amassed four podium finishes in Sweden, including a win in 2018. Alongside co-driver Wydaeghe, the Belgian will be hoping to deliver another strong result after securing third overall in Rallye Monte-Carlo. The opening round of the season was an important learning experience for Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm, as they worked on finding their footing within the team. Like Neuville and Wydaeghe, the Finns know what is required to stand on the podium in Sweden.
 


Craig Breen and James Fulton will helm the third Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid in Sweden. 2023 marks Breen’s return to the squad after a year away. With a relatively new face in the co-driver’s seat in the shape of Fulton, the Irishman will be aiming to get plenty of kilometres under his belt during his first rally behind the wheel of the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid.
 

All three crews have conducted pre-event tests on the surface ahead of Sweden. Hyundai Motorsport has entered Lappi and Ferm into the SM-Ralli Kuopio (February 3-4), second round of the Finnish Rally Championship to further their preparations.
 





Weekend at a Glance


•    Rally Sweden begins on Thursday with a shakedown and a lone evening stage, Umeå Sprint (5.16km)


•    The itinerary on Friday boasts two loops of three stages separated by a flexi service, followed by another pass of the Umeå Sprint stage


•    Saturday is the longest day of the event in terms of distance, with its seven stages totalling 126.22km


•    Three tests bring the event to a close on Sunday, including the 10.08km Umeå Power Stage.





Stefan Ph. Henrich, Nicoletta Russo, photo Hyundai