Andreas Mikkelsen and Ola Fløene are back on the WRC trail for their first event in 2008 as they hit the fast sweeping roads of the Uddeholm Swedish Rally.

The pair have entered Mountain Rally Norway in Gol on 12th January and the Galway International Rally from 1st to 3rd February since their last WRC event, which was Wales Rally GB in 2007.  

There were also a few days of winter testing of the Norwegians’ new Ford Focus WRC 06 in the mountains very early in 2008, when Andreas invited Marcus Grönholm to attend and the Finnish former world rally champion agreed to coach 18-year-old Mikkelsen in rally driving technique.

Andreas said, “We are back in 06 car for Sweden which I haven't sat in since I left for Galway - as we took the 05 car there - so it will be great to get back in the new car.   The two cars are rather different and I didn’t feel totally comfortable going back to the old car in Ireland.  It had taken a steep but short learning time to get accustomed to the 06 car and now it feels like the norm.”

Giving his first impressions about the Swedish Rally route, Mikkelsen said, “Last year I wasn’t old enough to enter the Swedish Rally as I was just 17.  I got special dispensation from the Norwegian automobile sport federation to enter Rally Norway the week before the Swedish Rally, but trying for the same thing in Sweden would have been pushing my luck!  So this is my first time here and I’m really excited.”

“I've been looking at the roads and there is a lot more snow than I was expecting.  The stages look really good, in fact it looks like Rally Finland on snow.  Superfast with many crests: it looks like very good fun.”

The teenager is looking forward to friend and mentor Marcus Grönholm arriving to give him some tips.

“The recce has gone well and I feel we’ve made good pace notes.  Marcus is coming along to go through the route with us and help us with any final adjustments to the notes.  He knows, of course, which corners are difficult and where we have to be careful.  He may well give me some tips and advice for each stage and how to approach it and that could be a big help.”

On the experience of driving in the closest event to a “home” WRC rally this season, Andreas said, “It's always nice to see Norwegian supporters and flags at rallies but even more so at a world event like this.  I came to the Swedish Rally as a spectator two years ago and I have to say, this year, just like then, there seem to be just as many Norwegian fans as Swedes, if not more!  Hopefully we can put on a good show for them.”