After two seasons in the Junior ERC – where Mille Johansson and co-driver Johan Grönvall claimed the championship title last year – the Swedish duo is now taking the next step in their rally careers. This weekend, they make their debut in the top class of the FIA European Rally Championship as the season kicks off with Rally Sierra Morena in Spain.
Mille and Johan will once again compete with the Italian team MS Munaretto, driving a Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo on Hankook tires. The entry list for the ERC opener features 33 Rally2 cars and a highly competitive field, including former champion Efren Llarena, Mikołaj Marczyk, Andrea Mabellini, Jon Armstrong, Mads Østberg, and Yoann Bonato, as well as several strong Spanish contenders.
– ”It’s going to be really exciting and cool to make our ERC1 debut. We’re up against some serious competition, so we’re staying humble and not aiming for top results. This year is about learning and developing step by step,” says Mille.
The ERC season consists of eight rounds, but Mille and Johan will contest six of them. They are skipping the rounds in Hungary and Italy to focus on their campaign in the Junior WRC, where they currently lead the championship after the season opener in Sweden.
Rally Sierra Morena is an asphalt event featuring 13 special stages: an opening stage in central Córdoba on Friday evening, followed by six stages on Saturday and another six on Sunday.
Just last weekend, Mille and Johan competed in round two of the Italian Gravel Championship – Rally della Val d’Orcia – where they won the U25 category, finished fourth overall, and took their first-ever overall stage win in a Rally2 car.
– ”The rally went well and we’re happy with our performance. We set several competitive times and even won a stage, which we’re proud of. It’s always hard to beat the Italians in Italy, especially with the flexibility they seem to have around the recce rules,” says Mille.
A key difference from the season opener was that Mille and Johan were able to complete a full test ahead of the rally, helping them dial in the car’s setup.
– ”The biggest difference compared to the first rally was that we got a proper test beforehand and were able to fine-tune the car thoroughly. We made a big step forward in terms of the setup, and the car felt much more natural to drive,” he continues.
Now, a quick turnaround awaits – switching from gravel in Italy to asphalt in Spain with just a few days in between.
– ”The transition from gravel to asphalt week to week will be tough, but it’s something we need to get used to and learn from,” Mille concludes.