Solans secured the victory in the WRC2 class, marking his first career win in the second tier of the WRC. In 2019, Solans had two victories in the JWRC category.
The win was also significant for Toyota’s rally team. For the first time, Toyota’s new Rally2 car took the top spot in the WRC2 class.
“Feeling with the car was really, really good. It was a tough rally, but the car was amazing in those conditions,” Solans told RallyJournal.com.
“The suspension worked really well, especially at the end. We were very consistent with no mistakes, and we got this victory.”
The Rally de Portugal was Solans’ third WRC event of the season. In Rally Monte Carlo, he finished sixth in the WRC2 class, but in the snowy conditions of Rally Sweden in February, he retired. Solans plans to compete in a full seven-round programme in the WRC2 class, but the plans are still somewhat open.
“We will continue in Sardinia, that´s for sure. We will do Greece, and then we will see the others,” Solans explained.
With Sardinia and Greece included, Solans would have completed only five rounds. After Greece, the only event in Europe left is the Central European Rally in October, so perhaps one of the fast gravel events in the summer will be added.
Solans is not at his best in fast gravel rallies, but to complete the seven-event programme within a reasonable budget, he would need to include the Rally Poland, Rally Latvia, or Rally Finland.
“Maybe I will participate in one of these. Maybe Latvia would be good. I don’t really know yet. We will think about it,” Solans stated.
One thing is certain, though. Solans’ budget is so tight that he can’t afford to compete in any event just for the experience over the summer.
“We will score points in every round I go to because I will do only seven races at maximum. I need to score in every round I go to,” the Spanish driver explained.
