Sandell is P-WRC pace-setter

Former Junior World Rally Champion Patrik Sandell got his Production Car career off to the best possible start at today’s Swedish Rally Shakedown, when the Peugeot 207 S2000 driver posted fastest time.

Sandell’s quickest time at the 1.8km stage was three tenths faster than the Group N Mitsubshi Lancer Evo IX of Juho Hanninen. Another Production newcomer, Martin Prokop also impressed on his debut with third fastest time. The Czech Republic driver, also in a Lancer, was six tenths down on Sandell’s Super 2000 car.

Sandell said: “I was really happy with the time. We had some problems on the first three runs, just small things, but then it all worked. I was dropping some time on the start line. With the Super 2000 car, you need a lot of revs to get the wheels spinning - this meant I had to start out of the ruts and in the deeper snow. I’m learning about this car all of the time.”

Sandell completed a one-day test ahead of the Swedish Rally, but admits he will still be working on the set-up during PWRC round one. “I still have some questions for the car,” he said. “Things like, how will the tyre work on the Peugeot. There is much we don’t know. But, there is more speed to come than we showed at shakedown, so, yes, I think I can win - why not?”