WRC Rally Sweden organisers have cancelled five special stages and pushed the recce back a day due to a lack of snow in the area around host city Karlstad.
Unusually warm weather has seen any snow diminish to the point where the studded tyres used on the event will destroy the snow-barren roads.
"The only tyres we have available here are the studded tyres," Kiwi driver Hayden Paddon says. "Secondly, from a drivers perspective driving on a gravel road with a stud is no problem - in fact the grip can be quite good. The only issue is that the gravel tears all the studs out and when you do get to the snow patches you have zero grip - like Monte Carlo all over again.
"Where the problem lies for the organisers is that with soft/unfrozen roads, the road damage would be huge - resulting in huge road repair bills. But the biggest concern for the organisers is general safety of everyone involved. Its not an easy situation for the organisers."
Reigning world champion Sebastien Ogier won the opening event in Monte Carlo three week's ago in his Volkswagen.
