Two-time World Rallycross Champion Johan Kristoffersson is committed to next week’s Rally Sweden – but says he won’t start his home round of the World Rally Championship at any cost.
The Volkswagen Polo R5 driver will be keeping an eye on conditions as the countdown to the event begins and if he sees a deterioration, he’s ready to withdraw his entry.
“At the moment, everything is really good,” Kristoffersson told DirtFish.com. “We have a test tomorrow (Thursday) and we are getting prepared for the start. This event is a really big deal, we have our partners coming and, of course, we want to support to [Rally Sweden] organisers who are working so hard to make it happen.
“I really appreciate everything everybody involved in the rally is doing and if we get the minus temperatures and the weather stays like it is, we can have a good rally. But at the same time, I have to look at the value we’re getting back out of the cost of competing.
“If the weather does get warmer and the conditions are more complicated then I need to think about that investment. I’m not competing in the championship, so this is not a rally I absolutely have to do to take points. I want to do it, of course I do, but it can’t be at any cost.”
Since dominating the World Rallycross Championship through 2017/2018 with Petter Solberg’s PSRX Volkswagen Sweden squad, Kristoffersson has competed more frequently in rallies. Last year he competed at Rally Sweden and Rally Finland and finished on the WRC 2 podium in both.
This year his plans are more fluid.
“Beyond Sweden we don’t have a firm plan,” he said, “we’re looking at things.”
Rally Sweden starts next Thursday (February 13) with a heavily revised schedule – only three of the six stages used will run in Sweden and only Likenäs offers a meaningful challenge, the other two are the Karlstad superspecial and Torsby sprint stage, run on the fringes of the service park.
