Bronze medal for Mads Ostberg

There were still some 142 kilometres of timed stages to run on today’s leg, which equates to 44% of the total distance. Despite the conditions remaining difficult, with a lot of slush and water, Mads Østberg managed to up his pace.

Increasingly comfortable in his Citroën DS3 WRC, the Norwegian closed the gap to his fellow countryman Andreas Mikkelsen in second. Pushing hard, he claimed his first stage win with Citroën on Torntorp 2. He repeated the feat on the Power Stage to collect the three bonus points. He secured his first podium finish in the DS3 WRC, ending the rally just 5.9 seconds shy of second spot.

After starting the day in sixth position, Kris Meeke lost seven minutes when he went off and got stuck in snow bank on SS18. The Northern Irishman nonetheless managed to finish the rally in tenth position, scoring eight points for the Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team in the process.

Once again one of the first on the road today, Khalid Al Qassimi had to deal with especially slippery conditions. Careful to avoid making any mistakes, he finished the event in sixteenth place.

QUOTE, UNQUOTE

Mads Østberg: “We have made a lot of progress since Friday. I’m pleased to finish on the podium in Sweden for the fourth year running! The three points from the Power Stage are a nice bonus. I feel more and more confident in the car, which is promising for the next few events. We have learned a lot and now I can’t wait to tackle the gravel rallies.”

Kris Meeke: “I think I can be pleased with this first rally on snow. The only minor mistake we made proved very costly. If there had been spectators around, we would probably have only lost fifteen seconds or so. But we had to get the car out ourselves. However, the rest of the weekend went very well. We have learned a lot. The main thing for me is that we managed to get close to the leading guys. And finishing in the points is encouraging for the rest of the season.”

Khalid Al Qassimi: “I tried to be more aggressive today. Things went well from the second stage onwards. We had a few hairy moments but we made good progress. On the Power Stage, I preferred to ease off a little and not make a mistake, so I could be sure of reaching the end without any problems.”

Yves Matton (Citroën Racing Team Principal): “Our crews met the targets that we set them. Mads has secured his first podium finish with Citroën on what is more or less his home event. More than the result itself, it’s the way that he has tackled the rally that has impressed us the most. He changed his driving style and took a step closer to getting the best out of Citroën DS3 WRC. He did a lot of work with the team and his times throughout the rally are very encouraging. Kris had an intelligent race. He completed all the stages and I don’t think we can hold his minor mistake against him. At the end of the day, he has produced a better performance that many a driver at their first Rally Sweden. We’re very pleased with his performance levels and the points he has picked up for Citroën. Khalid wanted to drive on snow. The conditions weren’t kind to him, but he enjoyed himself.”

HOW THE ACTION UNFOLDED

SS17 – Hara 1 (11.32km) – Jari-Matti Latvala won the stage to double his overall lead. Mads Østberg started the day with the second fastest time. Kris Meeke remained in sixth position.

SS18 – Torntorp 1 (19.26km) – Kris Meeke went off and got stuck in a snow bank, losing seven minutes. Mads Østberg finished third fastest, moving to within twenty seconds of second place.

SS19 – Vargasen 1 (24.63km) – Mads Østberg went third fastest again, further narrowing the gap to Andreas Mikkelsen. Latvala extended his lead at the top of the overall standings.

SS20 – Varmullsasen 1 (15.87km) – Mads Østberg continued to cut Andreas Mikkelsen’s lead ahead of the midday service. Kris Meeke continued to improve, moving up to twelfth overall.

SS21 – Hara 2 (11.32km) – To make up for the time lost in the morning, the organisers decided to cancel this stage.

SS22 – Torntorp 2 (19.26km) – Mads Østberg won his first stage in the Citroën DS3 WRC. Kris Meeke climbed to eleventh in the overall standings.

SS23 – Vargasen 2 (24.63km) – Stage win for Ogier, who moved up to sixth overall. Mikkelsen held off Østberg.

SS24 – Varmullsasen 2 (15.87km – Power Stage) – Elfyn Evans retired. Mads Østberg set the fastest time to secure the three bonus points, but fell short of claiming second overall by just 5.9 seconds. Jari-Matti Latvala won the rally, as Andreas Mikkelsen finished as runner-up. Kris Meeke completed the top 10, whilst Khalid Al Qassimi finished sixteenth.