The second day of the 2008 Swedish Rally saw Dani Sordo/Marc Martí and their Citroën C4 WRC produce a spectacular comeback from overnight 18th to 7th overall this evening which, as things stand, is worth four Manufacturers' points for Citroën. The second C4 WRC posted two fastest
times today in the hands of
Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena but the Citroën Total pair was later sidelined by an engine problem which stemmed from their off on the opening leg.
The second day's stages were based in the Hagfors region and were more familiar territory for the crews than yesterday's tests. The scheduled 121km of against-the-clock action – which included two visits to 'Colin's Crest' (SS11/14), the jump named after the late Colin McRae – were divided into two loops of three stages to be covered twice each. However, the decision was taken by the organisers to cancel SS12 when the surface cut up badly during the first pass.
The temperature (6°C) was far from wintry and the initial thin coating of ice that covered the gravel tracks soon disappeared once the first few cars had been through, bringing loose dirt to the surface. As a result, the Pirelli tyres weren't in a position to give their best because the studs weren't able to bite properly into the ground. "The conditions don't get any worse than this in Sweden," reflected Dani Sordo. "The grip kept changing all the time and there was no way of knowing whether the next corner would be icy or just dirt. And there are no snow-walls to keep you on the stage either! You've got to be on your toes all the time." Citroën's two crews were in top form over the morning's tests, claiming the fastest time on all three to reveal the C4's potential in the challenging conditions."
Citroen Sport
