The 18-year-old Swedish sensation, a
product of the Junior ERC Championship, moved to the head of the Junior WRC
pack on SS5 and reached the overnight halt in Umeå in front by 44.8sec. He is
already guaranteed four points from the weekend, having secured four Wolf Stage
Win points.
Estonian Romet Jürgenson, a member of the
FIA Rally Star quintet, is second followed by Germany’s Fabio Schwarz, Raúl
Hernández from Spain, Irishman Eamonn Kelly and José Caparó, who has travelled
from Peru to make his Junior WRC debut in Sweden as part of the FIA Rally Star
line-up.
Jürgenson would have been closer to
Johansson but for time lost on SS3 when a bonnet pin came loose and he had
difficulty seeing where he was going.
RACB National Team-backed Tom Rensonnet,
Chilean Geraldo Rosselot, Spain’s Roberto Blach and Bolivian Nataniel Bruun
complete the top 10.
Diego Domínguez made up for his SS1 crash,
which left him nursing a damaged car during Friday morning’s loop, by topping
the Junior WRC times on SS8 following a double deflation on SS7. Norbert Maior,
who has graduated to Junior WRC as his prize for winning the Junior ERC title
in 2023, was also delayed by two damaged tyres on SS7.
FIA Rally Star Taylor Gill was firmly in
the lead fight when two damaged tyres put the Australian out of contention on
SS6.
Poland’s Jakub Matulka, a frontrunner in
ERC3 last season, was fastest on SS3 and was in fifth place among the Junior
WRC contenders when he crashed on SS5.
In challenging stage conditions caused by
heavy snowfall, the 18 Junior WRC drivers who made the start all performed
admirably in their identical Ford Fiesta Rally3s run by M-Sport Poland on
Pirelli tyres. Bruno Bulacia was a non-starter after he damaged his Fiesta’s
rollcage when he rolled on Thursday morning’s shakedown stage.
The
battle for Junior WRC glory continues on Saturday morning when the 15.65km Vännäs test hosts the action.
Finland
Italy
Hungary