Mille Johansson leads the Junior FIA ERC – European Rally Championship after two consecutive victories, most recently on home soil in Sweden, is now heading to Rally Estonia for the fourth round of the season. Johansson and his co-driver, Johan Grönvall, are eager to secure essential points in their quest for the championship title.
”The feeling ahead of the weekend is good. It will be fun to come to Estonia and drive on the fast roads there, which I believe will suit us well. We have a strategy for the rest of the season that we will follow as much as we can,” says Johansson.
Rally Estonia, held in Tartu, marks the fourth of six rounds in this year’s Junior ERC, and the third and final gravel event.
”I think it’s good that the last gravel race is now, as it prevents switching between surfaces between events, which can be a hassle. It allows us to focus on one surface. Of course, gravel has its charm, so it’s a bit sad that there won’t be any more gravel races this year. But we feel comfortable on asphalt,” Johansson continues.
In the Junior ERC, where all participants compete in two-wheel-drive cars equipped with Hankook tires, Johansson and Grönvall lead the championship by 23 points over Briton Max McRae, with three events remaining.
”We have a strategy for the rest of the season that we will follow as much as we can. We will maintain a steady pace without taking unnecessary risks. We know that several local drivers have entered, and on home roads, they are probably fast, so we will see how we measure up in terms of speed, but the goal is to extend our championship lead,” adds Johansson.
Rally Estonia returns to the FIA ERC this year after being a part of the World Rally Championship (WRC) in recent years. Johansson and Grönvall will compete in their Opel Corsa Rally4 from the Slovenian team IKsport. A total of 13 cars are entered in the Junior ERC in Estonia.
”We have a really good feeling, but it’s still a long way to the ERC gold. So, it will be full focus throughout the competition. We hope to have luck on our side this weekend as well,” concludes Grönvall.
Rally Estonia kicks off on Friday with a shakedown and a spectator stage in Tartu. Saturday features nine stages, with four final stages concluding the rally on Sunday.