Kalle Rovanperä fastest when Rally Sweden started

Reigning world champion Kalle Rovanperä fastest when Rally Sweden started

Kalle Rovanperä started last year's winning streak in the WRC season by winning Rally Sweden. This year's competition opened the reigning world champion just as promisingly.

- I'm satisfied; it was slippery in some parts with loose snow, but approved, explained Rovanperä.

After the opening and fireworks, he directed the sprint around The Red Barn Arena by driving 1.6 seconds ahead of Ott Tänak and a further 1.5 seconds to the credit of third Elfyn Evans.

Swedish hope Oliver Solberg, who drives WRC2, was eleventh, 12.4 seconds behind Rovanperä, but third among the WRC2 drivers in his Skoda.

- I took it easy; it's tomorrow that counts, said Solberg.

The opening of this year's Rally Sweden, with the presence of the Swedish prince, Carl-Philip, and with the Swedish pop artist Klara Hammarström, otherwise framed the evening at The Red Barn Arena, which offered a considerable crowd and fireworks as the end.

This year's Rally Sweden is up and going.

Stagetimes after SS 1;
1) Kalle Rovanperä, 3.23,3
2) Ott Tänak, +1,6
3) Elfyn Evans, +3,1
4) Esa-Pekka Lappi, +3,9
5) Thierry Neuville, +5,0
6) Takamoto Katusa, +5,6
7) Craig Breen, +6,7
8) Pierre-Louis Loubet, +10,8