WRC: Warm weather threatens Rally Sweden stages

World Rally crews fear warm conditions could threaten some stages at this week's Rally Sweden.

Plans for the crews to recce this evening's Karlstad spectator stage in their rally cars have been shelved – the crews will now use pre-running cars, with smaller studs which will cause less damage to the road.

The temperature has remained above zero for the last two days in the event's home town, with today's average around 43 degrees and hopes of snowfall tonight fading.

Tomorrow's stages in Norway are located at higher altitude and further north, so they are likely to be in better condition.

"We know in some of the stages around Hagfors the snow is melting quite quickly now," Mads Ostberg said. "It's colder in Norway at the moment and that could help tomorrow's roads a little bit more, but we know that if it's plus five [more than 41 Fahrenheit] then it could be difficult for the conditions."

POSSIBLE KUBICA EDGE

Should the warmer conditions prevail, many frontrunners are tipping Robert Kubica to shine, as the Pole's Pirelli tires are reckoned to work best of all in slushy conditions.

One leading driver said: "He could be taking half a minute a stage out of the rest of us if it stays like this. Robert could be the man to watch."

Pirelli excelled at times during the season-opening Monte Carlo Rally, in particular when Kubica took 50 seconds out of Sebastien Loeb in just under four miles over Sisteron's snowy section.

Originally on Autosport.com