Behind every high-ranking FIA official at Rally Sweden is a driver who knows the local snow banks better than anyone.
Last week, as the WRC hit the frozen stages around Umeå, the man tasked with ferrying FIA Safety Delegate Paul Nagle through all 17 stages was Västerbotten local, Mats Helgesson.
This official FIA archive photo is the view from inside the FIA Safety Car – from the frozen tracks of Norway or the high-speed snow banks of Umeå, the mission never changes. All other photos © Kerry Motorsport News
While Nagle is the one with the ultimate responsibility for the safety on seven of the World Championship’s rallies this season, in Sweden Helgesson is the steady hand on the wheel.
It is a job that requires more than just a driver; it requires a navigator’s brain and a driver’s instinct.
Mats is no stranger to the pressure of a factory environment. Back in 1998, he was a lead driver for the Seat Dealer Team Sweden, campaigning a Seat Ibiza Cupra in the Swedish Championship and the European Rally Championship’s South Swedish Rally.
His history in the Umeå and Vännäs regions goes back even further:
1991–1993: A regular top performer in the Rally Vännäs North Swedish behind the wheel of a VW Golf GTi.
1994: Claimed second overall and a class win at the Silvernatten rally.
1998: Represented Seat Sweden at the highest national level in Group N.
This experience was vital last weekend. Saturday’s loop of six stages formed a semi-circle around Vännäs, Mats’ old stomping ground.
This area is rally royalty. It is the home of two-time Rally Sweden winner Thomas Rådström and the location of the Brattby stage, a place forever etched in the hearts of Irish fans following the late Craig Breen’s heroics there in 2023.
30 Minutes to “Green”
The task for Mats and Paul starts long before the Rally1 cars scream into the woods. Driving the official FIA safety car, the pair enters each stage exactly 30 minutes before the first car.
Working in tandem with the other safety vehicles ahead and behind of them, Mats must navigate the 17 stages while Nagle monitors every spectator point and marshal post. When they arrive at a junction, the road is officially closed.
They stop at every marshal point to ensure the crowds are in the correct zones and that the stage is “secure” for the likes of Evans and Solberg.
This is not his first Rally Sweden as the primary driver for the FIA safety delegate. In the past he has driven Michelle Mouton when she was in this job.
He is part of a dedicated group of Västerbotten-based motorsport enthusiasts who keep the WRC moving. While Paul Nagle focuses on the screens and the safety protocols from the passenger seat, Mats provides the local knowledge that only a former factory driver from the local area can offer.
Just as newspapers and magazines are paid for, digital editorial content will also have to be paid for.
Please subscribe and help us keep this machine running!
It’s only €50 per year – subscribe now
Subscribe to get access
Read more of this content when you subscribe today.
Kerry Motorsport News 