The chase for fulfillment within the FIA World Rally Championship continues unabated in Sweden subsequent week with the WRC’s annual pure winter fixture.
From February 13-16, a few of rallying’s quickest drivers can be put by their paces on the spectacular ice-packed roads of Sweden’s northerly Västerbotten area, the occasion’s residence since 2022.
Whereas the focus will shine on the battle to win the 72nd Rally Sweden, the occasion additionally marks spherical one of many five-event FIA Junior WRC Championship. Included on the entry checklist are FIA Rally Star crews Taylor Gill/Daniel Brkic and Max Good/Cameron Honest, plus the WRC Younger Driver Group pairing of Claire Schönborn/Jara Hain and Lyssia Baudet/Léa Sam-Caw-Freve.
Schönborn and Baudet, who got here by WRC Promoter’s Past Rally improvement programme for feminine drivers, which was run in partnership with the FIA , will go head-to-head to safe the WRC Younger Driver Group seat for the rest of the Junior WRC season.
FIA Rally Star duo Romet Jürgenson/Siim Oja make their first appearances in Rally2-based FIA WRC2 in a Ford Fiesta Rally2 after profitable the Rally3-based Junior WRC title in 2024. Swedes Mille Johansson and Johan Grönvall start their Junior WRC marketing campaign as their prize for profitable the 2024 FIA Junior ERC Championship.
Twelve headlining Rally1 vehicles are entered for Rally Sweden, the second of 14 rounds between January and November. Powered by 100 per cent fossil-free gasoline, Rally1 vehicles have been made lighter, easier and extra inexpensive for the 2025 season.
With out the plug-in hybrid items deployed over the previous three years, the minimal weight of the vehicles has been lowered from 1260 kilograms to 1180 kilograms. To keep up an equal power-to-weight ratio between the 2024 and 2025 Rally1 vehicles, the air restrictor dimension has been lowered from 36mm to 35mm.
FIA CEO Alberto Villareal can be attending Rally Sweden when he’ll meet representatives of the Vehicle Sports activities Federation Svenska Bilsportförbundet and Rally Sweden organising crew, WRC producers and companions, plus a few of the 4000 volunteers who quit their time with out monetary reward to make the occasion occur.
TALKING TYRES
Hankook Tire, the FIA WRC’s new official tyre provider, is equipping all four-wheel-drive vehicles contesting Rally Sweden with its Winter i*Pike SR10W tyre. They’re fitted with tungsten-tipped metal studs to chunk into the ice coating the highway beneath and provides drivers essential grip. Drivers additionally depend on the snowbanks lining the phases for added stability by the high-speed corners. Rally1 groups can use a most of 28 tyres during the occasion.
SWEDEN’S MAGIC INGREDIENTS
Ice-coated roads, compacted snowbanks and freezing ambient and floor temperatures are Rally Sweden’s magic components. And so they’re all anticipated to be in plentiful provide in line with the long-range climate forecasts for host metropolis Umeå and the encompassing countryside.
THE ROUTE IN SHORT
A number of adjustments have been made to the Rally Sweden route for 2025, together with the three.44-kilometre Strandpromenaden Shakedown stage in central Umeå, plus the Andersvattnet and Bäck phases on Friday and Kolksele on Saturday.
Following Shakedown on Thursday morning, the aggressive motion begins that night with the primary go of the Umeå Dash stage, which features a spectacular closing part on the Purple Barn Area spectator advanced.
Three repeated phases both aspect of service in Umeå make up Friday’s itinerary along with a rerun of the Umeå Dash stage to spherical out the day. The 2 loops start with the 28.27-kilometre Bygdsiljum check.
Leg two consists of dual visits to the Kolksele, Sarsjöliden and Vännäs phases plus a costume rehearsal of the ten.08-kilometre Umeå Energy Stage.
Sunday’s closing third leg is an identical to 2024 with two runs by the 29.35-kilometre Västervik check adopted by the Umeå Energy Stage from 12:15 hrs native time.
RALLY SWEDEN DATA
Stage distance: 300.22 km
Whole distance: 1060.05 km
Variety of phases: 18
RALLY1 CONTENDERS
Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Group
The Korean producer unveils its upgraded Hyundai i20N Rally1 on Rally Sweden, an occasion it gained final season. Reigning champion Thierry Neuville, from Belgium, is joined by Estonian Ott Tänak, the Rally Sweden winner in 2023, plus Frenchman Adrien Fourmaux, who started his Hyundai profession with third place on final month’s Rallye Monte-Carlo and scored his breakthrough FIA WRC podium in Sweden 12 months in the past.
M-Sport Ford World Rally Group
Luxembourger Grégoire Munster embarks on his second full season at Rally1 stage. Josh McErlean, a product of the Motorsport Eire Rally Academy, pilots the second Ford Puma Rally1 having stepped up from FIA WRC2. After impressing on three Rally1 outings in 2024, Latvian Mārtiṇš Sesks begins his six-event bid in a 3rd Puma, whereas Greek Jourdan Serderidis set to make his first WRC begin since Central European Rally final October.
Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Group
5 Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 vehicles are entered for the second occasion working. Within the absence of Rallye Monte-Carlo winner Sébastien Ogier, for whom Rally Sweden just isn’t one in all his scheduled occasions in 2025, Briton Elfyn Evans is the highest-seeded Toyota driver adopted by Kalle Rovanperä, the two-time FIA WRC champion. Evans and Rovanperä gained Rally Sweden in 2020 and 2022 respectively. Japan’s Takamoto Katsuta and Finn Sami Pajari are joined within the Toyota-powered line-up by privateer Lorenzo Bertelli.
SUPPORTING CATEGORIES
Twenty crews are entered in FIA WRC2, whereas 22 are eligible for FIA WRC3 factors, together with 12 in FIA Junior to underline the recognition of the FIA World Rally Championship help classes.
Sweden’s Oliver Solberg is the highest WRC2 seed in a Printsport-run Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, the automotive of alternative for Estonia’s Georg Linnamäe, Japanese Toyota improvement drivers Hikaru Kogure and Yuki Yamamoto, plus Finns Roope Korhonen and Tuukka Kauppinen, who turned the youngest winner of the latest Arctic Lapland Rally aged 18.
Mikko Heikkilä and fellow Finn Lauri Joona, Swedes Isak Reiersen and Pontus Tidemand, plus Paraguay’s Fabrizio Zaldivar are among the many Škoda Fabia RS Rally2-powered drivers entered for Rally Sweden.
FIA Rally Star and Junior WRC champion Romet Jürgenson graduates to WRC2 in a Ford Fiesta Rally2. Rally Sweden rookie Rachele Somaschini is entered in a Citroën C3 Rally2 with main FIA WRC Masters Cup contender Michał Sołowow competing in a Toyota GR Yaris for the primary time.
Not solely will Paragayan Diego Domínguez proceed his FIA WRC3 title defence on Rally Sweden, he’s one in all 12 drivers contesting Junior WRC for an identical Ford Fiesta Rally3 vehicles run on Hankook tyres by M-Sport Poland. Turkey’s Ali Türkkan, Motorsport Eire Rally Academy’s Eamonn Kelly and former circuit racer Tristan Charpentier from France are additionally entered in Junior WRC.
Mattéo Chatillon (Renault Clio Rally3) and Matteo Fontana (Ford Fiesta Rally3) head the FIA WRC3 entry.
THE SEASON AHEAD
View the FIA World Rally Championship occasion schedule for 2025 here.
MEDIA INFORMATION
Media accreditation
Media accreditation have to be collected in individual by accredited media from the Accreditation Desk, Media Centre, Rally HQ, Nolia, Signalvägen 3, 903 22 Umeå, Sweden. The Accreditation Desk is open as follows:
| Tuesday February 11: | 14:00 – 20:00 |
| Wednesday February 12: | 08:00 – 21:00 |
| Thursday February 13: | 08:00 – 21:00 |
| Friday February 14: | Upon request to accreditation@rallysweden.com |
Media Centre
The Media Centre is positioned as follows: Rally HQ, Nolia, Signalvägen 3, 903 22 Umeå, Sweden. The next opening hours apply:
| Tuesday February 11: | 14:00 – 20:00 |
| Wednesday February 12: | 08:00 – 21:00 |
| Thursday February 13: | 08:00 – 21:00 |
| Friday February 14: | 08:00 – 21:00 |
| Saturday February 15: | 08:00 – 21:00 |
| Sunday February 16: | 07:30 – 19:00 |
Media actions and alternatives
| Wednesday February 12 | |
| 16:00 | Obligatory Tabard Media Security Briefing (Media Centre, Umeå) |
| 17:50 – 19:00 | Interview and autograph signing with chosen P1 and Swedish drivers (Umeå Metropolis Corridor Sq.) |
| Thursday February 13 | |
| 09:01 – 10:00 | Shakedown for P1 and invited crews (Shakedown Umeå Metropolis, 3.44 km) |
| 10:01 – 11:30 | Shakedown P1 and P2 (Shakedown Umeå Metropolis, 3.44 km) |
| 11:00 – 12:30 | Shakedown P2, P3 and P4 (Shakedown Umeå Metropolis, 3.44 km) |
| 12:00 – 13:00 | Shakedown P3, P4 and non-priority crews (Shakedown Umeå Metropolis, 3.44 km) |
| 12:00 – 13:30 | FIA WRC Media Pen for P1 and P2 drivers (Media Centre, Umeå) |
| 17:30 | Prestart Present, incl. Interview, autograph signing and household photographs (Purple Barn Area). |
| Friday February 14 | |
| 08:05 | Begin of Part 2 (TC1B) |
| 18:10 (approx) | FIA WRC Meet the Crews with high 3 drivers and high 3 WRC2 (TC7A/B, Purple Barn Area) |
| Saturday February 15 | |
| 08:25 | Begin of Part 5 (TC8D) |
| 17:25 (approx) | FIA WRC Meet the Crews with high 3 drivers and high 3 WRC2 (TC14A/B, Purple Barn Area) |
| Sunday February 16 | |
| 06:45 | Begin of Part 8 (TC15D) |
| 13:15 | Podium Ceremony, Prize-Giving and FIA post-rally Press Convention (Purple Barn Area) |
Media zones
Media Zones attended by all drivers and chosen crew representatives will function on the entry of the Service Park, previous to the Regroup/Service In. This Media Zone can be operational as follows: TC4A, 8A, 11A, 15A and 16A.
An extra Media Zone will function on the end after vehicles are pushed into the ultimate Parc Fermé.
FIA WRC Meet the Crews dwell interviews, Purple Barn Area, Thursday February 13
17:50 – 18:00 – FIA WRC Help Championships
Castrol Ford Group Türkiye – Ali Türkkan (TUR), Ford Fiesta Rally3
FIA Rally Star – Taylor Gill (AUS), Ford Fiesta Rally3
WRC Younger Driver Group – Lyssia Baudet (BEL), Ford Fiesta Rally3
WRC Younger Driver Group – Claire Schönborn (DEU), Ford Fiesta Rally3
Maciej Woda, representing FIA Junior WRC and M-Sport Poland
18:00 – 18:00 – Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
All Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 crews and Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Group Principal
18:15 – 18:25 – Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT
All Hyundai i20 N Rally1 crews and Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Group Group Principal
18:25 – 18:35 – M-Sport Ford WRT
All Ford Puma i20 N Rally1 crews and M-Sport Ford World Raly Group Group Principal
18:35 – 18:45 – Rally Sweden Swedisch drivers
Oliver Solberg, Pontus Tidemand, Mille Johansson, Isak Reiersen and Adam Grahn
Inrterviews at Ultimate Podium and Prize Giving, Purple Barn Area, 14:15 hrs, Sunday February 16
Prime 3 in general classification, profitable co-driver and consultant of profitable producer
Successful FIA WRC2, WRC2 Challenger, WRC3, WRC Masters Cup and Junior WRC drivers
FIA WRC Meet the Crews dwell interviews and FIA Put up-event Press Convention broadcast on FIA and WRC social media channels.
RALLY SWEDEN MANUFACTURER ENTRIES
| Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT | Thierry Neuville (BEL)/Martijn Wydaeghe (BEL) – #1 |
| Ott Tänak (EST)/Martin Järveoja (EST) – #8 | |
| Adrien Fourmaux (FRA)/Alexandre Coria (FRA) – #16 | |
| M-Sport Ford WRT | Grégoire Munster (LUX)/Louis Louka (BEL) – #13 |
| Josh McErlean (IRL)/Eoin Treacy (IRL) – #55 | |
| Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT | Elfyn Evans (GBR)/Scott Martin (GBR) – #33 |
| Kalle Rovanperä (FIN)/Jonne Halttunen (FIN) – #69 | |
| Takamoto Katsuta (JPN)/Aaron Johnston (IRL) – #18 | |
| Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT2 | Sami Pajari (FIN)/Marko Salminen (FIN) – #5 |
RALLY SWEDEN ADDITIONAL RALLY1 ENTRIES
| M-Sport Ford WRT | Jourdan Serderidis (GRE)/Frédéric Miclotte (BEL) – #9 |
| Mārtiņš Sesks (LAT)/Renārs Francis (LAT) – #22 | |
| Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT | Lorenzo Bertelli (ITA)/Simone Scattolin (ITA) – #37 |
RALLY SWEDEN 2024 RESULTS
| 1. E Lappi (FIN)/J Ferm (FIN) | Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid | 2h33m04.9s |
| 2. E Evans (GBR)/S Martin (GBR) | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid | +29.6s |
| 3. A Fourmaux (FRA)/A Coria (FRA) | Ford Puma Rally1 Hybrid | +47.9s |
RALLY SWEDEN RECENT WINNERS
| 2024 | Esapekka Lappi (FIN)/Janne Ferm (FIN) | Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid |
| 2023 | Ott Tänak (EST)/Martin Järveoja (EST) | Ford Puma Rally1 Hybrid |
| 2022 | Kalle Rovanperä (FIN)/Jonne Halttunen (FIN) | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid |
| 2021 | Cancelled on account of Covid-19 | |
| 2020 | Elfyn Evans (GBR)/Scott Martin (GBR) | Toyota Yaris WRC |
| 2019 | Ott Tänak (EST)/Martin Järveoja (EST) |
Toyota Yaris WRC |
