Subaru driver Petter Solberg topped the timesheets today in the shakedown stage ahead of this weekend's Swedish Rally.
The Norwegian set the pace on his fifth run across the short pre-event test stage, beating reigning world champion Sebastien Loeb by just one second. Loeb's Citroen team-mate Francois Duval was third fastest followed by Ford driver Roman Kresta.
This year's Swedish event has been affected by less snowfall than usual due to warmer than normal temperatures, leaving the stages with more gravel on the surface.
It is expected to snow over the weekend but teams are concerned about their tyres with the narrow, studded snow tyres they are restricted to using on the event easily damaged on gravel.
Solberg, however, remains hopeful the conditions will not fail to disappoint. "My feeling is that it's going to be okay. The driving is fun whatever the conditions and I'm not worried," he said.
