Pontus Tidemand to contest Rally Sweden in a Skoda Fabia R5

Swedish rally driver Pontus Tidemand will drive his home event Rally Sweden in the WRC2 class with a Skoda Fabia R5, together with the ERC-winning team Toksport World Rally Team.

– We start the season with Rally Sweden at home, which is my absolute favorite event. Toksport is a very professional team, and I look forward to work with them, says Pontus.

Last year, Pontus advanced from the R5 class to WRC after several successful years together with SKODA Motorsport. It was a year of very useful experience and lessons for the future.

– We have been competing in WRC2 for four and a half season and felt that in 2019 it was time to take a step up and try WRC. So we did four rallies together with M-Sport Ford, but it was not easy to get into today’s cars and be able to push them to the max with their advanced aerodynamics. It takes a lot more time behind the wheel of those cars, says Pontus and continues:

– If you look at the rally sport now, there is very exciting things coming in 2022, and it is important to stay in the sport and perform well. Going back and driving an R5 car offers the opportunity to drive more and to challenge for wins. That’s why we choose R5 in 2020.

Patrik Barth will join Pontus as co-driver for this season. Barth has previously competed with Pontus, among others in the French WRC-rally in 2014, and 2015 they won the Swedish Sprint Championship together.

– Patrik has been with me before, a few years ago. He has accumulated good experience since then, and it is important to think long term with a co-driver whom I can compete with for a long time, Pontus concludes.