Swedish rally driver Mille Johansson continues his FIA European Rally Championship campaign this weekend in Rally Poland – round four of the ERC season – alongside co-driver Johan Grönvall. The Swedish duo will compete in a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 from Italian team MS Munaretto, running on Hankook tyres.
This marks the third outing of the season in a Rally2 car in FIA ERC for Mille and Johan, following appearances on tarmac in Spain and at home in the gravel of Sweden. They made their ERC debut in the top category in April, finishing seventh in the Rally Sierra Morena. At last month’s BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia, the pair finished sixth overall and showed strong pace – including second fastest time on one of the stages and a 41-metre jump at the legendary Colin’s Crest.
– We’re definitely taking a lot of learnings from Karlstad with both the car and the tyres. It also gave us a good benchmark of where we stand in terms of pace against the others right now, says Mille Johansson.
The Rally Poland base in Mikołajki carries some familiarity for the Swedes, who made their Junior ERC debut at the event last year. While none of the stages remain from 2023, the event still brings memories from the very beginning of their international career.
– 2023 was our first ever rally together and the first time in the European Championship. It’s fun to return and see how much we’ve learned since then, says co-driver Johan Grönvall.
The stages in Poland is renowned for its soft surface and deep ruts. A total of 32 Rally2 cars are entered for the rally, which starts Friday with a qualifying stage and a super special stage in Mikołajki Arena, followed by seven stages on Saturday and six on Sunday – 14 stages in total.
– I think it’s going better for every rally. Now I feel like I know more about what’s possible with the car, and the goal for this weekend is to find that flow where everything clicks, Mille continues.
– The plan is to keep learning and try to find even more speed, Johan adds.