The 2011 FIA Production Car World Rally Championship (PWRC) season opens with Rally Sweden in Karlstad from February 10-13. It is a typically snowy winter in Sweden this year and ideal conditions are expected for the only snow-based rally of this season. With hard packed icy roads lined by snow banks, the region has already seen fresh snow even before the start of the rally.

Rally Sweden will feature 6 SUBARU competitors in the PWRC category. Veteran Italian Gianluca Linari together with Majed Al Shamsi and Bader Al Jabri from Team Abu Dhabi, which will run two cars in the event, successfully completed their pre-rally test on Monday. Trained by former Swedish Champion Soren Nilsson, Linari has made suspension adjustments to his GB Motors SUBARU Impreza, resulting in stability enhancements for the high-speed roads featured in this rally. Meanwhile, the two drivers from Abu Dhabi, where temperatures average 28°C,will certainly face problems acclimatizing to driving with studded tyres on the -7°C snowy roads of Sweden for the first time. It will also be the first time for Shamsi and Jabri to compete in the rally with 4WD.

Patrik Flodin

Patrik Flodin, one of the front-runners, tested his vehicle over in Finland on Monday, as did Anders Grøndal in his homeland of Norway. Both were satisfied with vehicle conditions and are looking forward to running on the Swedish stage, which they always do well on. Finishing up the list of SUBARU entrants, Dmitry Tagirov from Russia will compete in his first WRC event.

In addition to the 6 SUBARU PWRC drivers, Russian newcomer Sergey Karyakin also takes part to be in the running for the SUBARU Challenge Award newly established by SUBARU in 2011 as part of the support for the Group N category.

Anders Grøndal

The ceremonial finish is scheduled to take place in Karlstad from after 17.00 on 13 February (Sunday).