With Rally Sweden launching proceedings in this year's World Rally Championship later this week, we look at six of the favourites to shine on Scandinavian snow and beyond.
Sébastien Loeb (FRA) – Citroën 
Citroën Sport Photos
Six titles in a row for Loeb and co-driver Daniel Elena speak for themselves, even if last year’s was a narrower squeak after Mikko Hirvonen’s late-season charge in the Ford Focus. Crucially, Loeb’s win in Norway last year proved that he and the C4 WRC can win on snow. He also remains the only non-Scandinavian to win Rally Sweden, in a Xsara back in 2004. With such a strong Nordic presence, there are no foregone conclusions, but that statistic and last year’s Norwegian result at least mean Loeb (pictured above with Kimi Räikkönen at the official WRC launch in Paris) is in with a chance of striking the first blow of 2010.
Mikko Hirvonen (FIN) – Ford
Eduardo Parise
Came tantalisingly close to finally breaking Loeb’s WRC stranglehold in ’09, but Rally GB glory proved just beyond his grasp, and with that went his title chances. But Hirvonen is a patient man, and, being a Finn, ice-cool. He only came second to team-mate and compatriot Jari-Matti Latvala in the last Rally Sweden two years ago, and possesses the kind of skill on snow that makes him one of the favourites again. Despite the addition and reintroduction of some big names this season (see below), expect Mikko to be in the title shake-up once again in the Ford.
Kimi Räikkönen (FIN) – Citroën
Citroën Sport Photos
Räikkönen’s first serious foray into rallying has grabbed all the headlines, but whether or not the 2007 F1 world champion will thrive in the new environment and adapt to a sport where pace notes are as a big a factor as pace remains a fascinating question. From his recent debut outing in the Arctic Lapland Rally, it’s clear that he has the raw speed, but an accident also showed he’s still on a learning curve in the Citroën Junior Team C4. But whatever happens, the Flying Finn is box-office, and WRC needs all the big characters it can get right now.
Marcus Grönholm (FIN) – Ford 
Eduardo Parise
With Kimi stealing the limelight, another story has passed many people by – the full return to WRC of fellow Finn Marcus Grönholm. The double world champion is back in a Focus after a year out of WRC in 2008, where he turned down various offers of a drive, and one failed attempt in Portugal in a privateer Subaru Impreza last year. He has five wins from his last eight Rally Sweden events – and no doubt very serious ambitions to remind Loeb, to whom he finished second in 2006 and 2007, and everyone else in the field just what they’ve been missing.
Daniel Sordo (ESP) – Citroën
Citroën Sport Photos
The term ‘team player’ could have been invented for Dani Sordo, who loyally sacrificed his chances of a debut win at the 71st attempt in Rally GB last season to aid team-mate Loeb and the Citroën team’s double title-winning prospects, something Loeb was quick to acknowledge after he took the title from Mikko Hirvonen by a single point. A driver more deserving of an overdue first WRC victory would be hard to find. A win in the recent Arctic Lapland Rally suggest it could be on Swedish snow – but if not there, then surely it will come somewhere this year for the Spaniard.
Sébastien Ogier (FRA) – Citroën
Citroën Sport Photos
In his first full WRC season last year, Sébastien Ogier hit the ground running with a points finish (sixth) in his first rally in Ireland. At the Acropolis Rally in Greece, he finished second to Mikko Hirvonen, securing the best result yet for a non-works Citroën C4. Four other points finishes during the season meant a respectable eighth-place overall for the Frenchman. He’s back in the C4 again this year, and he and the Citroën Junior Team can rightly expect an even better return in 2010.
For more on the build-up to the 2010 season, head to wrc.com
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