Finnish crew Kalle Rovanperä, Jonne Halttunen with Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid on the Rally Sweden track on February 10, 2023.
Umea (Sweden) – Snow Rally Sweden Craig Breen surprisingly leads after the first stage with a Hyundai car. The 33-year-old Irish driver is targeting his first victory in the WRC championship.
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Breen was fastest in three of today's seven ersets and leads by 2.6 seconds ahead of Estonia's Otto Tänak in a Ford. Finn Esapekka Lappi is third in another Hyundai. “This is one of the best days of my life,” Breen said.
Kalle Rovanperä, the winner of last year's Rally Sweden and the entire WC, had to clear the track first today and is fifth with a gap of half a minute. “There's a lot of snow and it's slippery. I'm trying to be as fast as possible, but it's no more,” said the 22-year-old Finn with a Toyota, who nevertheless won two stages.
The winner of the opening Rallye Monte Carlo, Sébastien Ogier, will not start in Sweden and will take part in the championship again in March in Mexico.
Nineteen-year-old Czech World Cup debutant Filip Kohn did not finish today's second special stage, in which he went through the roof with his Ford Fiesta Rally3.
The competition continues on Saturday with seven tests and culminates with three on Sunday.
Swedish Rally, an event of the World Championship in car competitions – after the 1st stage:
1. Breen, Fulton (Ir./Hyundai) 57:05.5, 2. Tänak, Jarveoja (Est./Ford Puma) -2.6, 3. Lappi, Ferm (Fin./Hyundai i20) -11.2, 4 .Evans, Martin (Brit./Toyota Yaris) -26.5, 5. Rovanperä, Halttunen (Fin./Toyota Yaris) -31.1, 6. Neuville, Wydaeghe (Belg./Hyundai i20) -36.8.
