Joona and Hussi secured their first career podium finish in the Rally de Portugal earlier in May, so the duo heads to the Sardinian gravel roads in good form.
This year’s Rally Sardinia will be run on a tighter schedule. Recce is on Wednesday and Thursday, and the shakedown is on Friday morning. The actual competition starts on Friday afternoon.
“It will probably be a bit different at first, as we are used to the traditional four-day event format. But the same system was used in the autumn Rally Finland in 2021,” Joona laughed in a press release.
“This schedule is nicely compact, and Friday is a bit more relaxed than usual,” Joona continued.
This year, Rally Sardinia features 16 special stages and a total of over 266 stage kilometres.
“The event itself will certainly be challenging. Saturday’s long day is run without a midday service, and the roads in Sardinia don’t make it easy for anyone. Last year, we experienced punctures and heavy rain, so you have to be prepared for everything,” Joona, who is starting his second Rally Sardinia, predicted.
The route of Rally Sardinia has changed from last year, adding another layer of difficulty for Joona.
“There isn’t much that is familiar from last year, so the advantage will certainly be with those who have driven here multiple times. We have been watching old videos of the stages and studying them,” Joona said.
Joona and Hussi performed excellently in Portugal, and the goals are set high.
“We will continue from where we left off in Portugal. The goal is to drive good stage times and thus achieve another strong result,” Joona stated.
