Technical problems caused harm in Rally Sweden

The begin of Rally Sweden was quite special: the route was shortened into 13 stages because of warm weather. Still the day before the rally drivers were thinking if the route was good enough to compete. Only two stage that took place in Norway were icy and snowy. The route was primed by competition organizers who smoothened roads diligently and froze them with the help of cold nights. However, Jari-Matti Latvala couldn’t enjoy it much, as he had to retire at the last stage of the opening day as the control arm went broken. Before that he had drive with two-driven car earlier from the morning until the drive shaft went broken at the first stage.

– When I crossed the hillock and turned I heard a knock from the car pool. When I gave gas I felt that the car doesn’t push. From that moment on we have been driving with two-driven car, Latvala described the situation. At the last stage of the leg of six stages Latvala had to retire due to broken control arm.

– Such an odd thing. There was a little mistake when braking and then I heard a sound when the control arm from the front went broken. There weren’t stones or things like that. Never before had control arm went broken this easily, Latvala said.

The team agreeded with what happened to the control arm and drive shaft. Neither of these were driver’s mistakes. And what else, On Saturday there was a problem with a flat tyre before Latvala could continue normally driving. He drove three fastest times right away.

– I turned left at a junction and we hit a stone and that caused a puncture. It was pretty frustrating, Latvala said about the situation.

Powerstage was only stage driven on the final day. Latvala was first driver at the start of the Powerstage but was only fifth at the end of the rally. Therefore he got none WRC points.

– There was no ice on the surface of the road. There was only snow and loose gravel under it. There were no chances to beat the drivers coming behind, Latvala told about the role of first car.

Sebastien Ogier took the victory in Sweden, Hayden Paddon was at the second place and Mads Östberg was third.