Mikko Hirvonen posted two fastest stage times to top the overall standings at Rally Sweden. Sébastien Loeb lies fourth, despite being handed a ten-second penalty.

Rally Sweden got underway this morning with the shakedown, including the first ever qualifying stage in the history of the WRC. Mikko Hirvonen was Citroën’s highest placed driver, after finishing second.

Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen overcame a variety of extreme conditions – snow, ice and temperatures of around -30° – combined with the handicap of being first out on the road to win the 2012 Rally Finnskog.

How did it feel to complete your first tests with the Citroën DS3 WRC on ice? “It was very enjoyable to drive in conditions that I really love. Unlike Monte-Carlo, where the grip changes all the time, ice provides a very consistent level of grip. In the first few kilometres, my feeling with the car was mixed. We worked with [...]

After the 2012 season kicked off in style at Rallye Monte-Carlo, the World Rally Championship moves on to Scandinavia for Rally Sweden, part of which will also be run in Norway.