Tänak fifth in Rally Sweden initial stage
Rally Sweden, the second stage of the 2020 WRC championship, runs this weekend on a shortened circuit, required due to a lack of snow.
Estonian driver and defending world champion Ott Tänak finished fifth on Thursday evening's opening stage, a 1.9-kilometer test run also affected by scant snowfall, ERR's sports portal reports.
Rally Sweden is unique in being the only race in the calendar to be run on snow; international motorsport governing body the FIA had been weighing-up canceling the race altogether. This has only happened once, in 1990, in the rally's near 70-year history.
#WRC DAY1 #RallySweden include 4 stages with Norway and Sweden (63.68kms). Startlist = Neuville Ogier Evans Lappi Rovanperä Suninen Katsuta Tänak Latvala Breen
— Planetemarcus (@planetemarcus) February 14, 2020
???? Timetable ► https://t.co/CKnyLuCPdM pic.twitter.com/rNPOaZExgK
Kalle Rovanperä (Finland) finished first in Thursday evening's stage, with Sebastien Ogier (France) second. Both drive for Toyota, six-time world champion Ogier effectively replacing Tänak when he left for Hyundai just after clinching the world title with Estonian co-driver Martin Järveoja.
#Tyre Info - S2
— Michelin Motorsport (@Michelin_Sport) February 14, 2020
All the @Michelin @OfficialWRC drivers with 5 MICHELIN X-Ice North 3 #RallySweden #MichelinWRC pic.twitter.com/GmnZfQlARK
Welshman Elfyn Evans (Toyota) and Irishman Craig Breen (Hyundai) were third and fourth.
Only three teams, Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT, M-Sport Ford WRT and Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT are eligible for manufacturer's points this season, after Citroen pulled out at the end of the 2019 season.
#WRC Good morning from @RallySweden! ???????? The cars will head soon from the service to the first stage on the day (SS2). #HMSGofficial pic.twitter.com/2Tq3ySxSV6
— Hyundai Motorsport (@HMSGOfficial) February 14, 2020
The rally continues on Friday.
Editor: Andrew Whyte
