Ford boss Malcolm Wilson has paid homage to the organisers of the Uddeholm Swedish Rally.
The Karlstad-based round took place in unseasonably mild weather this year and that meant there was little snow and ice on the forest tracks for what is traditionally the championship's only pure winter event.
Indeed, temperatures hovered around the zero degree mark for all three days, in stark contrast to last year's round when they dropped as low as -26 in the northern Hagfors region.
As such, slush and water filled the rutted gravel roads as cars carved through the soft surface and two speed tests had to be cancelled due to the poor conditions.
“I know how difficult it is for the organisers. I have been here in conditions similar to this and it's tough,” said Wilson Sr in the post-event press conference, “But this rally has created more drama than any other in the last few seasons – that's a real positive for the sport.
“We're here to entertain and that's happened this weekend. The organisers deserve credit for running the event.”
Wilson also thanked Pirelli too, adding that their tyres did an ‘incredible job' in the inappropriate conditions, while Pirelli's motorsport director Paul Hembery admitted that he was also very pleased with how the company's tyres performed.
"We had to face some very gravelly conditions this year in Sweden, because of the lack of snow and ice, [and] this meant that our tyres had to face a much wider performance window than we expected,” he explained.
“For that very reason, it's important to underline the fact that our Pirelli Sottozero tyres were a pleasant surprise for everybody in Sweden because of their strength and adaptability in the variable road conditions.
“Pirelli has been able to supply all the teams with a product capable of delivering the best possible performance even in these unusual circumstances compared to the normal winter weather that could be expected in Sweden."
