Photo: Petr Fryba

Drivers’ verdict: “Beautiful. Difficult. So much fun!”

That sums up the drivers’ comments about Rally Norway’s stages this weekend.  The Mountain stage (SS11 and SS15) was popular, and it proved fortuitous that it was run twice because the foggy conditions on Saturday compared to the bright weather on Sunday made for two very different experiences.

“The mountain stage was so beautiful; it really puts a smile on your face,” beamed P-G Andersson, who was also full of praise for the event: “That was a lot of fun. The organisers have done a great job.”

British Matthew Wilson added, “I really enjoyed it: this is what I thought Norway would be all about.”  Local young gun Andreas Mikkelsen exclaimed that it was the most fun stage he has ever driven and Daniel Carlsson said it was “Fantastic!”

Other driver remarks reflected on Norway’s volume of snow and level of difficulty, with most finding the event quite a challenge. 

Event winner Mikko Hirvonen said “Wow: that was amazing!  So, so difficult.”  Second placed Marcus Grönholm commented that the stages reminded him of Finnish Artic Rallies.  “On one stage it goes out on a fast road, then into the narrow.  It makes it quite difficult, but… very very nice.”  Predictably Henning Solberg, who finished third, thought it was all a thrill, saying “When you’re on the limit like we are here, it’s really fun.” 

Sébastian Loeb said he supports two winter rounds as Sweden and Norway are very different rallies.  He said, “I think it is really nice to have a second snow rally.  I like this kind of event.  The stages are really nice.  Compared to Sweden, you change the rhythm all the time, here you have very fast then slow then braking for the hairpin.  It’s easy to make mistakes.  It’s narrow, so you need a really precise car.”

Petter Solberg confirmed that the Norwegian crowds had cheered for their heroes, “We’ve had great reception from the spectators,” he grinned.

Other drivers remarked on the amount of snow and the technical challenge of the course.  Daniel Carlsson said that Rally Norway included “probably the most difficult stage of my career” and Mikko Markkula said, “It was very difficult and narrow. Not easy.”

Aaron Burkart said he had never seen so much snow, and Juho Hänninen added “I’ve driven in some snow rallies but nothing like this ever before.  Gigi Galli commented on the challenge, “It’s very, very difficult.  I like snow because I come from Livigno but this is something else.”

Henning Solberg shared a private joke about the snow that Loeb had made to him. Henning explained, “It’s much much more snow here (than in Sweden).  When we were on the recce, Sébastien said, “When I go off and I have to call Guy Fréquelin, I can say that I don’t know where the car is.  Where is the car? It’s buried underneath two metres of snow.  I can’t find it!”

With such convincing support, we can only hope it’s not too long before the WRC drivers are back in Norway!