Swede Mille Johansson enters this weekend’s FIA European Rally Championship in Wales as the leader of the Junior ERC, with a chance to secure the championship title. Alongside his co-driver Johan Grönvall, they face the first asphalt round of the year.
Mille and Johan lead the FIA Junior European Rally Championship after two wins and two third-place finishes, with two rounds remaining. As the penultimate round, Rali Ceredigion on asphalt, now awaits in Wales, they have their first theoretical chance to clinch the title.
“The thoughts going into Wales are that we have a championship that could be decided here and now. There are a lot of thoughts swirling in my head right now, but we’re trying to focus on the race and do the best we can and see where it takes us,” says Mille Johansson.
To prepare for Rali Ceredigion and get back to asphalt driving, Mille and Johan have conducted tests. Last week, they also competed in Rally Dolina in Slovenia, where they finished second.
“The roads here are really challenging—fast, narrow, and quite rough in places. The test we did felt really good, and we made significant improvements throughout the day, so we’re more than ready to get started with the most important race of the year,” Mille Johansson concludes.
Mille and Johan enter the weekend with a 30-point lead in the championship and could theoretically secure the title in Wales. There are several possible scenarios, but if Mille and Johan win the event, they will secure the championship regardless of the other results.
Rali Ceredigion starts on Friday, August 30th, with two short superspecial stages in Aberystwyth. On Saturday, eight stages will be run, followed by four more stages on Sunday.