The second round of the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) is upon us. On February 13th, 2025, the M-Sport Ford Puma racers will take on an icy, snowy course, and they’re as ready as they ever will be.
Rally Sweden is the only full snow-and-ice course in the entire WRC season. Drivers often describe the feel of racing through snow as having a “floating” quality to it, making it challenging to take sharp corners and navigate potential obstacles. Hot off his first-ever stage win in Rallye Monte-Carlo, Grégoire Munster is focused on improving his winter driving skills in Sweden. He struggled during last year’s running of the event, but with a full season now under his belt, Munster and his codriver Louis Louka are confident in their abilities.
“I’m looking forward to driving on snow and ice again, it’s something that we’re not so used to and don’t do so often. Being able to do it with the Puma is really cool too,” Munster said. “We had the pre-event test earlier this week, where we learned a bit about how to work with the new tires, and I think that’s going to be an interesting factor on this event.”
Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy will take control of a second M-Sport Ford Puma. It will also be McErlean’s second start in Sweden. The Irish duo will be focused on managing tire wear and grip throughout the icy event.
“Really excited for Rally Sweden!” McErlean said. “This event is always incredible, it’s such a special event with the unique challenge of competing on snow and ice. The grip these cars can generate with the studded tires is something else. We learned a lot in Monte Carlo, and now the focus is on building momentum, taking another step, and building speed. I can’t wait to get back in the car and experience the thrill of flying through the forests at full speed.”
Mārtiņš Sesks and Renārs Francis will take on Rally Sweden for the first time, but Sesks is not deterred. “I’m excited to be back in Rally1 with M-Sport and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to do half of the season this year with them, which gives us more chance to show our pace and maturity in the car,” he said.
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