WRC 2
Suninen takes slender WRC2 lead into Sunday in Portugal
Teemu Suninen will lead the WRC2 field into Sunday at Vodafone Rally de Portugal, holding a 0.9sec advantage over Jan Solans after a spectacular Saturday played out in monsoon-like conditions.
Starting the day fourth but just 2.6sec behind overnight leader Solans, Suninen made the best of the morning’s rain-hit stages in his Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. The Finn climbed one position on each of the opening tests before storming into the lead on the day’s third stage, where he was 5.6sec faster than the rest of the field.
Suninen then called on his experience to manage the changeable conditions, building a lead of as much as 19.7sec. But Solans fought back in his Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 after midday service, briefly reclaiming the lead on the penultimate stage after avoiding the worst of the rain that caught Suninen, who was running three cars further back on the road.
Jan Solans once again was pitted in a fight to retain his WRC2 lead
© At World
Suninen lost 11.9sec on SS18 alone, but could consider himself fortunate as those behind lost even more time when the rain intensified.
That brief loss of the lead set up a spectacular head-to-head showdown in the Lousada super special, where Suninen beat Solans by 2.2sec to regain top spot.
Behind the leading pair, the action was no less dramatic, with several front-running crews failing to make it through the longest day of the season so far. Most notably, championship leader Yohan Rossel crashed his Lancia Ypsilon HF Integrale Rally2 9.8km into SS18 while pushing to reclaim the podium place he had lost to Roope Korhonen one stage earlier.
Roope Korhonen in WRC2 action at Vodafone Rally de Portugal
© Jaanus Ree
Korhonen completed Saturday third in his Toyota, 47.7sec behind Suninen but 19.1sec clear of fourth-placed Andreas Mikkelsen’s Fabia.
Other drivers who started the day inside the top 10 but failed to return to service included Roberto Daprà and Giovanni Trentin. Fabrizio Zaldivar was the biggest beneficiary, the Paraguayan climbing five places on Saturday in his Fabia to end the day fifth.
Next came reigning Junior WRC champion Mille Johansson in his Ford Fiesta Rally2. He is set for an enticing Sunday battle with former top-flight regular Eric Camilli, with just 7.1sec separating the pair. Matteo Chatillon, Bernhard ten Brinke and Gus Greensmith rounded out the top 10.
