Rallying’s fiercest competitors will take on the ice-packed roads of Sweden’s Västerbotten region from February 13-16, with drivers battling to win the 72nd Rally Sweden. The event also marks round one of the FIA Junior WRC Championship, spotlighting the rising stars of the sport.
By Nida Anis
Rally Sweden will take place three weeks after the 2025 WRC season began with Rallye Monte-Carlo. This year, three new stages will make their debut: Andersvattnet (SS3/6, 20.51km), Bäck (SS4/7, 10.80km) and Kolksele (SS11/14, 16.06km). Driver crews must adapt to these unknowns and the 300 kilometres of challenging terrain ahead. Punishing snowbanks and treacherous icy passes place great importance on stage recce and accurate pace notes.
Rally1 entry list expands to 12 cars
12 cars feature in the Rally1 entry list for the 2025 Rally Sweden, making it the largest Rally1 field since the 2022 Rally Catalunya. Lorenzo Bertelli will drive a rented Toyota GR Yaris, whilst fellow privateer Jourdan Serderidis will take to the track in an M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1.
Bertelli’s previous WRC appearance was in the 2024 Rally Sweden. Serderdis also competed in the 2024 season, albeit at the Safari Rally Kenya, Acropolis Rally Greece, and Central European Rally events. Both drivers competed with the same machinery that they will race next week.
The 2025 season has seen the plug-in hybrid units removed from the Rally1 field, lowering the minimum weight of the cars from 1260 kg to 1180 kg. Other changes include a reduction in the air restrictor size from 36 mm to 35 mm in order to maintain an equivalent power-to-weight ratio, and the introduction of 100% fossil-free fuel.
Supporting categories set to shine
Swedish driver Oliver Solberg is the top seed in WRC2 and will compete in a Printsport-run Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. Meanwhile, drivers such as Mikko Heikkilä, Lauri Joona, Isak Reiersen, Pontus Tidemand, and Fabrizio Zaldivar will take to the track in Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 machinery.
Junior WRC champion and FIA Rally Star-supported driver Romet Jürgenson graduates to WRC2 in a Ford Fiesta Rally2, while Rally Sweden rookie Rachele Somaschini will race in a Citroën C3 Rally2. Leading FIA WRC Masters Cup contender Michał Sołowow will pilot a Toyota GR Yaris for the first time. In WRC3, Paraguayan driver Diego Domínguez continues his title defence.
FIA Junior WRC season begins
Rally Sweden also marks the start of the FIA Junior WRC Championship. The WRC Young Driver Team crews of Claire Schönborn / Jara Hain and Lyssia Baudet / Léa Sam-Caw-Freve will go head-to-head, with drivers Schönborn and Baudet battling to secure a seat with the team for the remaining four rounds of the Junior WRC season.
Australian rally driver Taylor Gill and South African racer Max Smart are embarking on their sophomore seasons in Junior WRC as they continue to be supported by the FIA Rally Star programme. Project Leader Jérôme Roussel has high hopes for the two drivers and their crews, stating that they have “made impressive strides” and have “[continued] to improve their skills and consistency.”
Gill said, “I’m really looking forward to the season. I have been back in Finland for a couple of weeks now and have already been able to do a private test with a Rally3 car.” He added, “Our plan overall is to win the championship this year and put all our experience from 2024 into our campaign this year.
“But I think it’s going to be a close battle and the competition is going to be just as strong, if not stronger, than it was in 2024.”
Smart echoed Gill’s thoughts. “Sweden is the rally I am looking forward to the most. I love driving on the ice, it’s one of my favourite surfaces. Before Sweden in 2024, I had never even seen snow! I learned tons about how the car reacts, how the grip feels on the ice, and how to carry speed in fast turns.”
He continued, “The plan for Sweden is to get a strong start at the beginning of the season and work towards our ultimate goal of becoming the Junior World Champion this year.”
2025 Rally Sweden itinerary
Shakedown will take place on Thursday morning, ahead of the start of competitive action in the evening with the first pass of the Umeå Sprint stage. Spectators watching from the Red Barn Arena complex will enjoy spectacular views of the cars as they take to the snow in anger for the first time.
On Friday, the three repeated stages will take place either side of service in Umeå before the day ends with a rerun of the Sprint stage. On Saturday, drivers will make two visits to the Kolksele, Sarsjöliden and Vännäs stages. They will also rehearse the 10.08-kilometer Umeå power stage.
The final leg of the rally will take place on Sunday on an identical route to 2024. Drivers will complete two runs through the 29.35-kilometre Västervik test before taking on the Umeå power stage at 15 minutes past midday local time.
Header photo credit: FIA
