Event information
· Surface: gravel stages covered in snow and ice.

· Host town: Hamar.

· Practical information: Rally HQ is based at Hamar’s Scandic Hotel, while the ’Viking Ship’ serves as home for the indoor service. The Media Centre is located in the Scandic Hotel, while a remote media room will operate in the service park. There is no time difference between Norway and Continental Europe (GMT+1). Sunrise on Day 1 of the rally (Friday February 13) is 8.00am. Sunset is at 5pm.

· Technical matters: the engines used in Norway were sealed in Ireland and will go on to contest the round in Cyprus. One spare gearbox, one spare set of differentials and one spare turbo are permitted per driver for Norway and Cyprus. Steering racks and subframes will be sealed before the start and will also be used in Cyprus.

· Tyres: each crew will have 42 studded Pirelli Sottozero tyres available for the event. Competitors may carry two spares, but the ’re-cutting’ of tread patterns is not authorised.

· Recce: Tuesday February 10 (8.00am to 6.00pm) and Wednesday February 11 (8.00am to 4.45pm). Two runs authorised through each stage, with the exception of the Oslo super-special (SS1) where only one pass per lane is permitted. The maximum authorised speed is 70kph (or lower, depending on local restrictions).

· Shakedown: Thursday February 12 (8.00am to 12.00 noon). Uses a 3.35km stage near Nydal (9km from the service park).

· Press conference: Thursday February 12 (1.30pm), Media Centre.

· Start ceremony: Thursday February 12 (from 7pm), in the form of the Oslo Super-Special. From 7.45pm, crews will be introduced to spectators at the Bjerke Hippodrome.

· Route length: 1,218.72km, including 375.04km divided into 23 stages (12 different).

· Day 1 (Thursday February 12 and Friday February 13): 473.46km, including 124.16km divided into 9 stages (5 different). Thursday February 12: SS1 (Oslo 1, 2.00km). Last car due into parc ferme at 02.30. Friday February 13: Service A (07.10, 15 minutes). SS2 (Opaker 1, 14.98km), SS3 (Kirkenaer 1, 8.50km), SS4 (Finnskogen 1, 24.80km) and SS5 (Kongsvinger 1, 12.80km). Regroup (11.39, 13 minutes). Remote Service B (11.52, 15 minutes). SS6 (Opaker 2, 14.98km), SS7 (Finnskogen 2, 24.80km), SS8 (Kongsvinger 2, 12.80km) and SS9 (Kirkenaer 2, 8.50km). Service C (17.33, 45 minutes). Last car due into parc ferme at 22.30.
Day 2 (Saturday February 14): 400.40km, including 124.04km divided into 8 stages (4 different). Service D (06.30, 15 minutes). SS10 (Mountain 1, 24.36km), SS11 (Lillehammer 1, 9.20km), SS12 (Ringsaker 1, 27.31km) and SS13 (Hamar 1, 1.15km). Regroup (11.18, 13 minutes). Service E (11.31, 30 minutes). SS14 (Mountain 2, 24.36km), SS15 (Lillehammer 2, 9.20km), SS16 (Ringsaker 2, 27.31km) and SS17 (Hamar 2, 1.15km). Service F (16.37, 45 minutes). Last car due into parc ferme at 21.30.
Day 3 (Sunday February 15): 344.86km, including 126.84km divided into 6 stages (3 different). Service G (06.30, 15 minutes). SS18 (Valer 1, 30.03km), SS19 (Elverum 1, 13.60km) and SS20 (Budor 1, 19.79km). Regroup (10.22, 13 minutes). Service H (10.35, 30 minutes). SS21 (Valer 2, 30.03km), SS22 (Elverum 2, 13.60km) and SS23 (Budor 2, 19.79km). Service I (14.45, 10 minutes).

· Podium: Sunday February 15 (from 3.10pm), Hamar.

· Post-rally press conference: Sunday February 15 (4.00pm), Media Centre.

· New: nine stages have been carried over from the 2007 event. The rally visits Oslo for a superspecial (SS1) which will start the rally. Opaker (SS2/6), Kirkenaer (SS3/9), Kinnskogen (SS4/7), Kongsvinger (SS5/8), Lillehammer (SS11/15) and Elverum (SS19/22) have all been changed to differing degrees. Elverum has been shortened from 44.27km to 13.60km. Only Mountain (SS10/14), Ringsaker (SS12/16) and Hamar (SS13/17) are unchanged. The majority of the final day’s action is new: Valer (SS18/21) and Budor (SS20/23).

· Crew statistics before the Rally Norway:

Sébastien Loeb / Daniel Elena – First WRC start: Catalunya 99 (Saxo Kit-Car / ret.) – WRC starts: 114 – First WRC win: Germany 02 (Xsara WRC) – WRC wins: 48 – WRC titles: 5 (2004 to 2008).

Dani Sordo: First WRC start: Catalunya 03 (18th) – WRC starts: 60 – Junior title: 2005 (C2 S1600).

Marc Martí: First WRC start: Catalunya 92 (21st) – WRC starts: 126 – Junior title: 2005 : 2005 (C2 S1600).

· Crews before Rally Norway :

Sébastien Loeb / Daniel Elena : 2nd participation : 2007 (C4/14th) - Dani Sordo / Marc Martí : 2nd participation : 2007 (C4/25th)

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