Suninen backs pace of i20 N Rally2

The Finn ran as high as second in the WRC2 category on the opening day around Umeå, but a mechanical problem on the first stage after lunch plummeted his i20 down the order to leave him sixth at the end of the rally.

“We know we had good speed for this event,” Suninen said. “On the first day, we could be fighting for the lead before we had the problem – we have to learn from these things and we have to look to the small details.

“The competition is going to be tight in WRC2 this year and we need to be ready for every event.”

With two Škoda Fabia RS Rally2s on the podium in Sweden and Oliver Solberg setting a blistering pace on the season-opening Rallye Monte-Carlo (when the Swede wasn’t registered for WRC2 points), Suninen was asked if he was concerned about the Škoda threat.

“The pace from their car is good,” he said. “We have seen that. But, like I said, on Friday, we were fighting with [the Škoda]. I don’t see any reason why we can’t do the same – of course, we need the full commitment from the driver!”