KARLSTAD, Sweden: French driver Sebastien Ogier won Rally Sweden, the second round of the season, to take the world championship lead yesterday in the first victory for his Volkswagen team and their Polo car.
Ogier, 29, took the lead from Citroen’s nine-times world champion compatriot Sebastien Loeb on Friday and stayed ahead for the rest of the event on snow and ice, rounding out the final leg with a win in the power stage for bonus points.
Monte Carlo winner Loeb, who is not defending his title and is competing in only four events this season, finished runner-up and 41.8 seconds behind his former team mate.
Norwegian Mads Ostberg was third for Ford, 42.7 seconds behind Loeb, with Finland’s Jari-Matti Latvala — last year’s winner with Ford — fourth for Volkswagen. The French one-two marked the worst showing by regional drivers in the event’s history. Ogier was only the second non-Nordic driver, after Loeb in 2004, to win in Sweden.
Volkswagen, who have never won the world championship, are making their return to the series this season.
