Even if Patrik Sandell and Emil Axelsson have been driving the Finish VM-rally once before, and drived through the recce twice, its many news this year. More than the halves of the SS are brand new for this year. But even the older SS that should be known contains challenges.
- We have grown so much this last year that we actually throw the pace notes from last year and wrote brand new notes. We drive in other lines today than just a year ago, says Patrik Sandell.
- This has been one of the longest recces I’ve ever been through. It uses to be around 18 SS, and we drive them two times, so it’s maybe 10 SS which we have to recce. But now we have recced 17 SS in two days, says Patrik.
Because of the quantity of the SS, Patrik makes an unexpected guess about who wins the WRC-class.
- I think Mikko Hirvonen will surprise us. He have had a little hard to show up compares to Loeb, Grönholm and Solberg, when we talk about stages that the other has been driving many years. But I think the new parts of the rally can be benefiting for Hirvonen, says Sandell.
On Thursday evening its time for ceremonial start and a short public stage in Jyväskylä. On Friday morning the seriousness begins.