Sweden : Subaru World Rally Team - Leg 1
Leg one of Rally Sweden proved disappointing and frustrating for Subaru World Rally Team drivers Petter Solberg and Chris Atkinson.

Last year`s winner Solberg ended the day 21st overall after mechanical problems prevented him from showing the potential of the new Impreza WRC2006.

An impressive start for Chris Atkinson came to an end on the first corner of SS3 when a collision with a tree broke his car`s power steering rack. Atkinson paid a heavy price for the mistake and dropped more than five minutes as he negotiated the rest of the loop with no power assistance. He ended the day in 26th place.

Petter Solberg
"It`s such a shame that we weren`t able to get the result we wanted today. The new car felt incredible yesterday and I was really excited about putting it to the test this morning. We`ve suffered more than our fair share of problems today and now we`re in a position where we can`t do anything other than test for the future. Of course we`ll do what we can to learn and make the most of this opportunity but overall it`s very disappointing."

Chris Atkinson
"The day started out very well, and we were happy with the speed at the beginning but unfortunately a small mistake, and then the power steering problem as a result, cost us a lot of time. Otherwise I really think we could be in a position for a podium - the car and the tyres felt very good. I`ve just got to move on now and try to learn more over the rest of the weekend. It`s a shame though; this was one of the events we were looking to get experience on and maybe a strong finish. In fact, it turned out that with our speed that we could have been heading for a really good result. I hope we can make more of the potential in Mexico."



David Lapworth, SWRT Performance Director
"Clearly it`s not been one of our better days. And the fact that things were looking so promising after shakedown yesterday makes the end result even more disappointing. The most frustrating thing for us is that most of the problems we`ve experienced today are related to established carry over parts, not the new car teething problems you might expect to have. It`s extremely frustrating for Petter. He deserves a better run than he`s had in the last two rallies.

“Chris too has had a tough day. Physically, he`s not feeling 100 percent and a high temperature and stomach pains mean he`s had an uncomfortable time in the car. In these circumstances it`s not surprising that he`s found it difficult, and he paid a heavy price for a small mistake early in the day. Nevertheless Chris can still take a lot from this rally and the experience will be very valuable to his development. What Petter has to do now is take the opportunity to test and get more experience of the new car so he`s ready to go out and win in Mexico."

Tomorrow`s Leg starts at 0650 when crews leave parc fermé for a 20 minute service with the competitive action beginning at 0800 with the first of two passes through the Hara and Sundsjon stages. Crews will cover 127.80 competitive kilometres over seven stages, including a final blast through the Hagfors Sprint spectator stage.

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