Motorsports | Subaru Global

Preview
25 January 2002

The Event
The second round of the 2002 FIA World Rally Championship begins next Thursday when cars cross the ceremonial ramp in the town of Karlstad to start the Rally of Sweden.
Over the following three days, drivers will compete flat-out on almost 400 kilometres of snow-covered roads based around a single service point in the town of Hagfors, 80km north of Karlstad's rally headquarters.
The Swedish Rally is the World Championship's only true snow event, although in recent years, unusually warm conditions have meant that stage surfaces are also likely to be a mixture of ice, gravel and snow. For 2002 however, it looks like a return to the deep snow banks and -30 ‹c temperatures of old. The 555 Subaru World Rally Team's pre-event test team has reported about 20cms of snowfall in the last two days.
Scandinavian drivers, who thrive in the unique conditions, have traditionally dominated the event and are masters at controlling the cars on spiked tyres over the slippery stages. In it's 51-year history, the rally has only ever been won by Swedes or Finns. But despite the icy forest tracks that make up the majority of stage miles, Sweden is a very high-speed event. And with cornering techniques often involving the help of the snow banks that line the stages, it is one that calls for nerves of steel from the drivers.
Apart from the regular WRC entries in Sweden, the event is also the first round of the Production Car World Championship, the new name for Group N.

Entries
The 555 Subaru World Rally Team will be entering two cars in the Swedish Rally - one for Tommi Makinen, the other for Petter Solberg. Both will be eligible to score Manufacturers' points for current Championship leaders Subaru.

Tommi Makinen
New team driver Tommi Makinen, who made his debut for the 555 Subaru World Rally Team in Monte Carlo, has a wealth of experience in Sweden. He has competed in the event eleven times and has achieved six podium finishes and three outright wins.
"I have a good feeling with the car for now. We have made a lot of preparations for the conditions and some changes to the set up like we did before Monte Carlo. I think the pre-event testing shows that we have a good car for Sweden. The tyres will be important for me here, the car handles well, but it is difficult to compare the speed against the competition before we start the rally. I'm hoping that the snow will become a bit harder on the stages before next Friday, as for now it is quite deep and that can make it difficult running first on the road."

Petter Solberg
Fresh from an incredible season opening performance in Monte Carlo, Tommi's teammate Petter Solberg is gearing up for the challenge of the snow. Despite having less experience on the rally than his Finnish colleague (he has competed in 1998, 1999 and 2001) he's proved a quick learner and finished 6th last year.
"It's difficult to say how we'll get on, as I haven't driven on the snow really since this time last year and with so many developments to the car I don't know. I'm looking forward to getting some more experience on the pre-event test. The rally is very good, it's so special to be driving on the snow of course, and I have lots of friends who come from Norway to watch so there's always plenty of local support."

The Car
The 555 Subaru World Rally Team will be running two Impreza WRC cars on the rally. Each of which has been specially prepared for the unique conditions found on the Swedish stages. Of particular note in Sweden are regulations that allow up to 400 20mm tungsten-tipped studs in each tyre - almost double the 240 permitted in Monte Carlo. At maximum speed the studs in the narrow Pirelli tyres will hit the ground up to 20 times per second.
According to 555 Subaru Team Principal and Technical Director David Lapworth, conditions in Sweden require a complex set up: "Sweden is one of the fastest events in the Championship, and this, combined with the unusual stage surfaces and freezing temperatures demand a very specialised set up. Mechanically speaking, the stages aren't too hard on the cars. They tend to be quite smooth and flowing, and as there's relatively low levels of grip, components are not up against huge levels of stress. Additionally the low temperatures help dampers and engines stay cool. In Sweden the suspension has to be quite soft to generate good grip, but firm enough to give the drivers confidence in the stability at high speeds. The high-speed corners also make this a rally where the aerodynamic devices on the car make a significant difference. Tyre choices in Sweden are absolutely critical to a good result, and making them is tough - there are so many contradictory factors to consider. For instance, when choosing the length of stud, you have to consider the trade off between performance and durability, likewise with the hardness of the compound."

Monte Carlo Result
Following yesterday's decision by Citroen to withdraw its appeal regarding Sebastien Loeb's time penalty, 555 Subaru World Rally Team Driver Tommi Makinen has been confirmed by the FIA as the winner of the 2002 Monte Carlo Rally.

The result marks a landmark for the four times World Champion as it brings him a 24th WRC victory and makes him the most successful driver ever in the sport. Additionally, Tommi makes the record books as the only driver to win the Monte on four consecutive occasions since it was first run in 1911.
Commenting on the new result Tommi said, "I don't really know what to say - it's obviously fantastic news and a great honour to have reached this position as a driver. It's just a pity I have no time to celebrate it just for the minute as we are in the middle of our Sweden test. So for now, it's good news but also business as usual I think. But maybe though things will be a little better for me on the rally as there is no pressure for me to break the record - I've done it now and all of that pressure has been passed to the other drivers who must try to catch up!"
Team Principal David Lapworth said, "To start the year with a win is a fantastic achievement for Tommi and Subaru. This was a new combination for 2002 and you'd have to say it bodes well for the rest of the year. Naturally it's disappointing that we weren't able to commemorate Tommi's new status on the podium in Monte Carlo, but we had to wait until Citroen and the FIA had resolved the appeal process. I'm just glad that the matter of who won Monte Carlo has been cleared up relatively swiftly and that we can draw a line under it and concentrate clearly on the task ahead in Sweden."

		Itinerary
		Entry List
		Course Map
		Results
		Pre Release
		Leg1 Report
		Leg2 Report
		Leg3 Report
		Gallery

Uddeholm Swedish Rally Preview Preview 25 January 2002 The Event The second round of the 2002 FIA World Rally Championship begins next Thursday when cars cross the ceremonial ramp in the town of Karlstad to start the Rally of Sweden. Over the following three days, drivers will compete flat-out on almost 400 kilometres of snow-covered roads based around a single service point in the town of Hagfors, 80km north of Karlstad's rally headquarters. The Swedish Rally is the World Championship's only true snow event, although in recent years, unusually warm conditions have meant that stage surfaces are also likely to be a mixture of ice, gravel and snow. For 2002 however, it looks like a return to the deep snow banks and -30 ‹c temperatures of old. The 555 Subaru World Rally Team's pre-event test team has reported about 20cms of snowfall in the last two days. Scandinavian drivers, who thrive in the unique conditions, have traditionally dominated the event and are masters at controlling the cars on spiked tyres over the slippery stages. In it's 51-year history, the rally has only ever been won by Swedes or Finns. But despite the icy forest tracks that make up the majority of stage miles, Sweden is a very high-speed event. And with cornering techniques often involving the help of the snow banks that line the stages, it is one that calls for nerves of steel from the drivers. Apart from the regular WRC entries in Sweden, the event is also the first round of the Production Car World Championship, the new name for Group N. Entries The 555 Subaru World Rally Team will be entering two cars in the Swedish Rally - one for Tommi Makinen, the other for Petter Solberg. Both will be eligible to score Manufacturers' points for current Championship leaders Subaru. Tommi Makinen New team driver Tommi Makinen, who made his debut for the 555 Subaru World Rally Team in Monte Carlo, has a wealth of experience in Sweden. He has competed in the event eleven times and has achieved six podium finishes and three outright wins. "I have a good feeling with the car for now. We have made a lot of preparations for the conditions and some changes to the set up like we did before Monte Carlo. I think the pre-event testing shows that we have a good car for Sweden. The tyres will be important for me here, the car handles well, but it is difficult to compare the speed against the competition before we start the rally. I'm hoping that the snow will become a bit harder on the stages before next Friday, as for now it is quite deep and that can make it difficult running first on the road." Petter Solberg Fresh from an incredible season opening performance in Monte Carlo, Tommi's teammate Petter Solberg is gearing up for the challenge of the snow. Despite having less experience on the rally than his Finnish colleague (he has competed in 1998, 1999 and 2001) he's proved a quick learner and finished 6th last year. "It's difficult to say how we'll get on, as I haven't driven on the snow really since this time last year and with so many developments to the car I don't know. I'm looking forward to getting some more experience on the pre-event test. The rally is very good, it's so special to be driving on the snow of course, and I have lots of friends who come from Norway to watch so there's always plenty of local support." The Car The 555 Subaru World Rally Team will be running two Impreza WRC cars on the rally. Each of which has been specially prepared for the unique conditions found on the Swedish stages. Of particular note in Sweden are regulations that allow up to 400 20mm tungsten-tipped studs in each tyre - almost double the 240 permitted in Monte Carlo. At maximum speed the studs in the narrow Pirelli tyres will hit the ground up to 20 times per second. According to 555 Subaru Team Principal and Technical Director David Lapworth, conditions in Sweden require a complex set up: "Sweden is one of the fastest events in the Championship, and this, combined with the unusual stage surfaces and freezing temperatures demand a very specialised set up. Mechanically speaking, the stages aren't too hard on the cars. They tend to be quite smooth and flowing, and as there's relatively low levels of grip, components are not up against huge levels of stress. Additionally the low temperatures help dampers and engines stay cool. In Sweden the suspension has to be quite soft to generate good grip, but firm enough to give the drivers confidence in the stability at high speeds. The high-speed corners also make this a rally where the aerodynamic devices on the car make a significant difference. Tyre choices in Sweden are absolutely critical to a good result, and making them is tough - there are so many contradictory factors to consider. For instance, when choosing the length of stud, you have to consider the trade off between performance and durability, likewise with the hardness of the compound." Monte Carlo Result Following yesterday's decision by Citroen to withdraw its appeal regarding Sebastien Loeb's time penalty, 555 Subaru World Rally Team Driver Tommi Makinen has been confirmed by the FIA as the winner of the 2002 Monte Carlo Rally. The result marks a landmark for the four times World Champion as it brings him a 24th WRC victory and makes him the most successful driver ever in the sport. Additionally, Tommi makes the record books as the only driver to win the Monte on four consecutive occasions since it was first run in 1911. Commenting on the new result Tommi said, "I don't really know what to say - it's obviously fantastic news and a great honour to have reached this position as a driver. It's just a pity I have no time to celebrate it just for the minute as we are in the middle of our Sweden test. So for now, it's good news but also business as usual I think. But maybe though things will be a little better for me on the rally as there is no pressure for me to break the record - I've done it now and all of that pressure has been passed to the other drivers who must try to catch up!" Team Principal David Lapworth said, "To start the year with a win is a fantastic achievement for Tommi and Subaru. This was a new combination for 2002 and you'd have to say it bodes well for the rest of the year. Naturally it's disappointing that we weren't able to commemorate Tommi's new status on the podium in Monte Carlo, but we had to wait until Citroen and the FIA had resolved the appeal process. I'm just glad that the matter of who won Monte Carlo has been cleared up relatively swiftly and that we can draw a line under it and concentrate clearly on the task ahead in Sweden."