Norway’s prime minster rides shotgun in road rally

jens-stoltenbergJens Stoltenberg, the Prime Minister of Norway, ripped around the Norway Rally circuit as World Champ Sebastien Loeb’s passenger in a celebration of new technology at this year’s Rally Norway. Using a cutting-edge Citroen C4 hybrid WRC car, the pair likely cruised at a somewhat slower speed than Loeb normally drives on such circuits.

Stoltenberg is a huge fan of Rally Norway, which kicked off on 12 February at Bjerkebanen outside of Oslo, the Norwegian capital. “Stoltenberg is enthusiastically supportive of Rally Norway, just as he was in 2007. He values our commitment to environmental causes and can clearly see that the event is positive for Norway’s profile internationally,” gushed Even Wiger, Managing Director of Rally Norway.

Eurosport reported that the Norwegian leg of the WRC was officially opened by Oslo’s mayor, Fabian Stang; but that before the real drivers took to the circuit, Stoltenberg and Loeb drove a full lap on the Bjerkebane racecourse as part of the opening show just before the stars of the sport entered the grounds.

“To have the Prime Minister here in the world’s only rally-hybrid car is just fantastic,” rally boss Wiger added. “It sends a signal that motorsport is a great platform for developing new environmentally-friendly vehicle technology.” The hybrid Citroen C4 itself was a major star at the rally, suggesting a more environmentally friendly future to the exciting off-road sport of rally racing.

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