Next week’s Rally Sweden is expected to offer full points, despite an itinerary comprising only 57% of the original route.
Following the loss of Saturday’s Swedish stages to unseasonably warm conditions, the revised 171.64-kilometre (106.65 miles) route offers 57.05% of the originally planned 300.84-kilometre (186.94 miles) event, which means a win next week could be worth 12.5 points under the rules.
Should a further 7% or 21.05km (13.14 miles) be lost to the conditions, article 3.3.3 of the sporting regulations would dictate just 25% points should be available, meaning a win could be worth eight points.
Hypothetically, a further loss of 96.26 kilometres (59.82 miles) would take the total distance below 25% of the planned competitive route, meaning no points were available.
But the final line of article 3.3.3 states: “In exceptional circumstances, the FIA may decide to apply a different principle for the attribution of reduced points.”
DirtFish understands that will be deployed and the regular points structure will remain in place.
The organisers of the Torsby-based event have revealed the final itinerary for next week’s Rally Sweden, with six separate stages for the revised route.
Rally week now starts a day later on Wednesday, with a shortened, day-long recce. The competition gets going with the traditional Thursday night superspecial in Karlstad – the crews will practice this test in their rally cars before the eight o’clock start.
The 63.68-kilometre (39.57 miles) route for Friday and Saturday is identical with three stages in Norway and the Torsby Sprint bringing the crews back into service.
The Torsby stage runs at 1500, while the stages across the border all run in the morning in an effort to get down the roads before the temperatures rise in the afternoon.
Sunday’s plan is two runs through Likenäs with the second forming the power stage.
Rally Sweden itinerary
Thursday February 13
Shakedown – Skalla (7.21km) 0901
SS1 Karlstad SSS (1.90km) 2008
Friday February 14
Service Torsby 0647
SS2 Hof-Finnskog 1 (21.26km) 0842
SS3 Finnskogen 1 (20.68km) 1008
SS4 Nyckelvattnet 1 (18.94km) 1108
SS8 Torsby Sprint 1 (2.80km) 1500
Service Torsby 1532
Saturday February 15
Service Torsby 0647
SS5 Hof-Finnskog 2 (21.26km) 0842
SS6 Finnskogen 2 (20.68km) 1008
SS7 Nyckelvattnet 2 (18.94km) 1108
SS16 Torsby Sprint 2 (2.80km) 1500
Service Torsby 1532
Sunday February 16
Service Torsby 0846
SS17 Likenäs 1 (21.19km) 1008
Regroup Ambjörby 1048
SS18 Likenäs 2 (21.19km) 1218
Finish Torsby service 1500
Map courtesy of Rally Sweden
