Swedish Rally preview

The closest in recent years is Carlos Sainz [now at Ford] who has taken second place for the past four years in succession and who believes it's time to change all that.

"It's not impossible for someone outside Scandinavia to win this rally and one day it will happen," he said last week. "I just hope that it will be me this year."

Naturally four-times World Champion Tommi Makinen, who goes to this year's event seeking a hat-trick of victories on the only true snow rally of the year, thinks differently.

"I've always gone well in Sweden and the Mitsubishi performs well on this surface. It's nice to try to beat the Swedes!"

Recent seasons have seen the quality of the snow deteriorate and at times this has been little more than an event run on frozen gravel.

Indeed, in 1990 the event had to be cancelled as the roads were not frozen enough.

Studded tyres will be used throughout this event although drivers will decide whether to use long or short studs depending on the conditions.

"It's actually only the stud that's in contact with the ground for most of this event," explained Colin McRae. "If there's not much snow then the gravel will tear the studs out of the tyres and it becomes a major problem."

Happily the weather forecast is favourable with the roads already frozen and more snow expected to add a vital covering before the rally starts on Thursday evening.

Makinen's Monte Carlo win brings back memories of last season where the Finn won both opening events and was never headed all the way to the title.

Several drivers come to Sweden to recover from a nightmare Monte, notably the British stars McRae and Richard Burns.

McRae's Ford blew its engine on the final stage to rack up the Scot's ninth consecutive non-finish while Burns' Subaru was one of four cars that failed to start the second day of
the Monte.

Burns, and Subaru team-mate Juha Kankkunen, could expect to be serious challengers for victory in Sweden although Makinen must start the event as favourite.

SEAT enjoyed an encouraging winter test but Didier Auriol and Toni Gardemeister lack experience of the car in these conditions and will possibly have to settle for a solid points finish rather than outright glory.

SEAT has brought Harri Rovanpera back into the team for this one event having dropped him at the end of last year.

Peugeot, the team that suffered a Monte Carlo wipe-out, will hope that its cold-start ability will be fully functioning this time.

Marcus Gronholm has to be the French team's best bet for victory. The last time Peugeot entered this event it won. But that was way back in 1986.

Hyundai enters the fray for the first time with the Accent WRC launched at Autosport International last month.

Kenneth Eriksson leads the team but has Alister McRae as his high-speed support driver.

With no form guide to go on, it will be a few stages before the world knows how competitive the car will be.

And if there is to be a surprise winner anywhere this year then this is the event where it's most likely to happen.

Thomas Radstrom was dumped by Ford when Sainz joined from Toyota for 2000 but he's back in a privately run Toyota.

The Swede has proved himself quick enough in the past, dominated the recent Arctic Rally in this very car and may feel he has a point to prove.

The rally begins on Thursday evening with a brief start-ramp ceremony.

The real action starts on Friday morning with a day that, temperatures permitting, will include the famous stage on the frozen lake at Torsby.