The second tier of the World Rally Championship has been highly competitive this season, but the level is expected to rise even further on the fast gravel roads of Central Finland.
That’s because Oliver Solberg, who dominated Rally Estonia in a Toyota Rally1 car, returns to his “day job” behind the wheel of a Toyota Rally2 machine.
Toyota has made it clear that Solberg’s main goal this season is to win the WRC2 championship. At the same time, he also serves as an excellent benchmark for the rest of the field.
Finnish rising star Roope Korhonen views the whole situation in a positive light.
“I think it came as a surprise to everyone how fast Oliver was in Estonia. But from our class’s point of view, it’s a good thing—it shows how high the level is in WRC2,” Korhonen told RallyJournal.com.
“It also gives me confidence that if you can succeed here, you have what it takes to move up.”
Korhonen, however, isn’t intimidated by the strong competition. He openly voiced bold ambitions for his home rally.
“My goal in Estonia was a podium finish, and the same applies to Finland—at the very least,” he stated.
“Oliver seems to be in top form right now, but we’ll fight back as hard as we can,” Korhonen added.
He also believes that Rally Estonia served as great preparation for the season’s main event.
“The roads in Finland are a bit different, but it helps a lot to have two fast gravel rallies this close together—and to drive both with pacenotes. That’s always a good thing,” Korhonen previewed.
Rally Finland takes place from 31 July to 3 August.
