Ups and downs for MINI drivers in Sweden

The MINI drivers on Rally Sweden have encountered mixed fortunes during the second day.

Patrik Sandell - the leading local driver - had a good run through the 15th stage, Vargasen, but MINI Portugal drivers Paulo Nobre and Armindo Araujo both hit problems.

Nobre - the only Brazilian driver to compete regularly on the FIA World Rally Championship powered by Nokia - went off the road while running first in the order. The team has said that he may rejoin the event tomorrow, once it has had a chance to inspect the damage.

His team-mate Araujo, who started the day 14th, picked up a 70-second penalty for leaving service late at lunchtime following an exhaust manifold change. His problems were compounded by a loss of power, which caused him to push too hard and spin. He then deliberately went off the road a second time to avoid holding up Sandell behind him, losing just over a minute and a half in total.

“I liked the stage; it felt like there was a really good flow to it,” said Sandell, lying in eighth. "I saw Araujo’s car in the distance: I think he had been off but then he went off again on purpose, putting his car into the ditch so I could get past: it was really nice of him.”

Sandell, in eighth, is the only Prodrive MINI left in the rally after Dani Sordo went off yesterday and damaged the engine of his John Cooper Works WRC.