The second round of the 2024 World Rally Championship takes place this weekend with Rally Sweden. Find out more below.
Championship Rundown
Thierry Neuville tops the championship after winning Rallye Monte-Carlo last month. Neuville holds a six-point lead over Sebastien Ogier. However, Ogier won’t be competing at Rally Sweden. 2023 vice-champion Elfyn Evans is third in the championship, three points behind Ogier and nine behind Neuville. 2023 Rally Sweden winner Ott Tänak heads into the snowy event fourth in the championship, six points behind Evans and 15 behind Neuville. Adrien Forumaux rounds out the top five in the championship, sitting four points behind Tänak and 19 behind Neuville.
Return Of The Champ
Kalle Rovanperä will suit up for his first WRC action since Rally Japan. Rovanperä has elected to contest a part-time schedule this year. As the now two-time champion wants a bit of a break to explore other motorsport disciplines. As well as just some time off as he’s been competing in rallies since he was eight. Rovanperä contested the Arctic Rally Lapland in Finland last week. He finished second behind Elfyn Evans.
Honoring Craig Breen
The organizers of Rally Sweden have elected to honor Craig Breen in at least one way this weekend. As they have added Breen’s number 42 to the stage Breen loved, Brattby. Breen won the stage both times it ran last season on his way to finishing second behind Ott Tänak. At what would ultimately be his final event, as he passed during testing for the Croatia Rally. Whether or not anything else will be done to honor the fallen Irish star is unknown.
Rally Sweden Event Rundown
Over the course of the four-day event drivers will contest 300.1 km across 18 stages. Day one will see drivers contest the events shakedown and a SuperSpecial stage to kick off the event. The second day of Rally Sweden will have drivers contest 107.9 km across seven stages. The third and longest day of the event will see drivers contest 125.96 km across seven stages. The fourth and final day of Rally Sweden sees drivers contest 61.08 km across three stages.