Neuville fastest in shakedown, Gronholm guests in Sweden
Related Articles
Thierry Neuville of Belgium posted the fastest time in the shakedown for Rally Sweden, the second round of the 2019 WRC series.Neuville clocked a time of four minutes, five seconds in his Hyundai i20. Estonia’s Ott Tanak was second fastest in his Toyota Yaris, 2.2 seconds behind Neuville.Just 0.01 of a second behind was six-times world champion Sebastien Ogier of France, who won the opening round in Monte Carlo last month.Marcus Grönholm of Finland, WRC champion in 2000 and 2002, is making a guest appearance in Sweden as a 50th belated birthday present to himself.Gronholm, a five-times Sweden winner who last took part in the WRC nine years ago, became 51 nine days ago on February 5 and will compete in a privately-entered Toyota Yaris.Later on Thursday, Gronholm and nine-times world champion Sebastien Loeb will face off in the final heat of the 1.90km super special around the trotting track in Karlstad.