The 2025 Rally Sweden takes place this weekend (13-16 February) based out of the city of Umeå. As the only pure snow feature of the WRC calendar, the rally proposes unique challenges to the drivers as they look carve through the Nordic scenery. Rally Sweden has made a name for itself with its fast, flowing, icy stages. Hankook’s new winter tyres, the Winter I*Cept SR20 (non-studded) and Winter I*Pike SR10W (studded) will come into play as the combination of icy roads and heavy snow create extreme conditions for the drivers.
Some changes have been made to the route for this year, with the introduction of the 3.44km Standpromenaden shakedown stage on Thursday. Joakim Åström, Course Director for Rally Sweden says, “it will be an impressive setting with the river and the city in the background. Seeing rally cars on Strandpromenaden is going to be an incredible experience.”
The Andersvattnet, Bäck and Kolksele stages have been introduced to the route. There’ll be 18 stages in total, covering a distance of 300.22km.
Schedule:
Thursday: [SHAKEDOWN] Umeå City, [SS1] Umeå Sprint 1
Friday: [SS2] Bygdsiljum 1, [SS3] Andersvattnet 1, [SS4] Bäck 1, [SS5] Bygdsiljum 2, [SS6] Andersvattnet 2, [SS7] Bäck 2, [SS8] Umeå Sprint 2.
Saturday: [SS9] Vännäs 1, [SS10] Sarsjöliden 1, [SS11] Kolksele 1, [SS12] Vännäs 2, [SS13] Sarsjöliden 2, [SS14] Kolksele 2, [SS15] Umeå 1.
Sunday: [SS16] Västervik 1, [SS17] Västervik 2, [SS18] Umeå 2.
Rally1 Entries:
Hyundai are set to bring three i20 N Rally1 cars to the event: reigning world champion Thierry Neuville, 2023 Rally Sweden winner Ott Tänak, and Adrien Fourmax – who’ll no doubt still be on a high after his podium finish in the Rallye Monte Carlo.
M-Sport are also set to bring three Puma Rally1 cars: Grégoire Munster and Josh McErlean will continue their WRC campaigns while Mārtiṇš Sesks is set to begin his part-time campaign this weekend in a third Rally1 Puma. Privateer Jourdan Serderidis is also set to make an appearance for M-Sport, his first appearance since last year’s Central European Rally.
Credit: M-Sport.
Toyota will bring five GR Yaris Rally1 cars: 2020 Rally Sweden winner Elfyn Evans, 2022 Rally Sweden winner Kalle Rovanperä, Takamoto Katsuta, and Sami Pajari. Privateer Lorenzo Bertelli was also set to race but has since withdrawn his entry due to ‘unforeseen work commitments.’
