Swedish Rally goes ahead without snow as Teemu Suninen comes off in spectacular fashion.
Suninen hits trees, Rovanpera fastest in snowless Sweden Rally shakedown
SHOWS: NEAR TORSBY, SWEDEN (FEBRUARY 13, 2020) (WRC - SEE RESTRICTIONS BEFORE USE) 1.
TEEMU SUNINEN IN THE FORD (3), DRIVING BEFORE HIS CRASH 2.
SUNINEN AT THE WHEEL WITH CO-DRIVER JARMO LEHTINEN 3.
VIEW THROUGH SUNINEN'S WINDSCREEN ALONG DUSTY TRACK AS HE LOSES CONTROL AND SLIDES OFF, THE BACK END OF THE CAR HITTING TREES 4.
DAMAGED REAR END OF THE FORD AT CHECKPOINT 5.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) FORD DRIVER TEEMU SUNINEN SAYING: "Yes, we went out and hit some trees but I don't know how I really lost the rear on this place." 6.
SEBASTIEN OGIER (17) STARTING STAGE IN HIS TOYOTA 7.
OGIER ON STAGE 8.
ELFYN EVANS AT THE WHEEL OF HIS TOYOTA 9.
VIEW THROUGH EVANS' WINDSCREEN AS HE DRIVES THROUGH FOREST 10.
CRAIG BREEN IN HIS HYUNDAI (16) 11.
OTT TANAK (8) IN HIS HYUNDAI STORY: Finland's Teemu Suninen escaped with only minor damage to his Ford after sliding off and hitting trees during the shakedown for the Sweden Rally on Thursday (February).
Suninen lost control on a forest stage, raising a cloud of dust and debris as he came off at high speed and was unable to explain the incident afterwards.
Despite the crash he managed to set the seventh fastest time after the organisers re-arranged the opening day to allow for the conditions., setting up a second shakedown on Thursday evening on a horse trotting race track.
The World Rally Championship's only snow-covered rally has been hit by unusually warm weather and there was hardly any snow to be seen during the opening day.
Suninen's compatriot Kalle Rovanperä set the fastest time in his Toyota with team mate Sébastien Ogier of France 3.5 seconds slower with another Toyota driver, Britain's Elfyn Evans finishing third fastest.
Ireland's Craig Breen drove his Hyundai into fourth place, 1.6 seconds ahead of team-mate Ott Tänak of Estonia.