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Andreas Mikkelsen explains how to drive on ice
The Norwegian rally ace and guest Red Bull TV reporter at Rally Sweden 2017 demonstrates the art of slipping and sliding on a frozen lake.
3 min
Andreas Mikkelsen explains how to drive on ice
Professional rally driver Andreas Mikkelsen explains how to drive on snow and ice
So as he prepares to swap his steering wheel for a microphone as guest host of Red Bull TV's coverage of Rally Sweden 2017, check out the video above to watch Andreas putting his considerable skill to good use in an Audi RS3 road car. Once viewed, read on to find out Andreas' six tips on how to do winter driving like a pro. We already knew about avoiding the yellow snow though, Andreas…
1. Know your ice
“There are so many different types of ice. There is white ice, which has better grip, and polished ice, which is quite slippery. Then you have the ice that you don’t see, which happens when you have zero degrees, it starts to rain and then it freezes. This ice just looks like wet Tarmac. That’s the worst because then you have absolutely no grip.”
Andreas with Red Bull TV's WRC presenter Mike Chen
© Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool
2. Know your snow
“You have to watch out for all types of snow – and I don’t mean yellow snow! Snow on the road comes in different types as well. When it’s slush it’s terrible, and new snow also has no grip. Then of course there's snow which has been driven over a lot: this is compacted and actually has good grip. That’s the one you want to see.”
3. Take your time
“If you’re not used to driving on snow, take it easy. If I’ve been away on holiday, it sometimes surprises even me how little grip there is when I come back home. We have a lot of crashes here in Norway and Sweden, especially when people from outside Scandinavia come to drive on our roads. On normal asphalt roads you can stop in maybe 10 metres, but sometimes on snow you use 80 metres with full brakes. So it’s really important to keep a good distance to the car in front.”
Yellow sunglasses on the road might be too much!
© Volkswagen Motorsport
4. Wear yellow sunglasses
“If you really want to be extreme, wear yellow sunglasses. This actually helps a lot because you see all the different contours in the snow. If you want to be really committed in the snow then it might be a good idea to get some! I use them for rallying, but not normally on the road, to be honest.”
Studded tyres are key to driving on ice
© Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool
5. Know your tyres
“You have to know what kind of tyres you’re on. People talk about ‘winter tyres’, but do you mean a snow tyre or a tyre with studs? It makes a big difference. If you know your tyres, you know your grip.”
The most important thing is simply to take your time
6. Be smooth
“You have to be much smoother, because if you make quick movements the car will start to slide. So everything needs to happen more slowly. Same with revs – don't use too many. It’s just like I said earlier – the most important thing is simply to take your time.”
