Competing with Toyota’s new GR Yaris Rally2, Korhonen kicked off his WRC season in February at Rally Sweden, where he finished fourth in the WRC2 class.
Korhonen is familiar with the Rally de Portugal from last year, where he clinched a victory in the WRC3 class on the gravel. Last year, however, Korhonen didn’t have to push to the limit since the only other driver in his class, Toni Herranen, retired on the first day.
The competition in the WRC2 class this year at the Rally de Portugal is extremely tough. The line-up includes Oliver Solberg, Yohan Rossel, Gus Greensmith, Pepe Lopez, Pierre-Louis Loubet, Teemu Suninen, Sami Pajari, and Kris Meeke.
“There’s a strong field of drivers. It’s going to be a rough rally, but this year we can’t just sit back and watch as we did last year in the Rally3 car,” Korhonen anticipates.
“You might place high if you avoid tyre punctures, but still, you need to go for it and not overthink it. In Sweden, we were at podium pace, and that’s also the target now.”
Representing Rautio Motorsport, Korhonen has also competed in this year’s Finnish Rally Championship, which he leads before the summer season begins. Additionally, the Finnish rally hopeful drove in Italy at the Rally Regione Piemonte on tarmac in April.
Korhonen conducted a test over the weekend in preparation for Rally de Portugal, but it went completely wrong.
“Heavy rains occurred during our test, turning the road into a mud slurry. The forecast for the event promises warm, sunny weather, so this was not at all reflective of the rally conditions. We only managed about 20 kilometres. We got the seats adjusted, but that was about it,” Korhonen lamented.
The Rally de Portugal starts with a spectator stage on Thursday evening and concludes on Sunday. The event comprises 22 special stages, totalling 337 kilometres.
