This weekend, Mille Johansson from Katrineholm returns to the FIA European Rally Championship as he and co-driver Johan Grönvall from Arvika take on Rally di Roma Capitale. The Swedish duo will compete for Italian outfit MS Munaretto in a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 in what will be their first – and currently only planned – ERC appearance of the 2026 season.
After focusing primarily on the FIA World Rally Championship and a full WRC2 campaign this year, the attention now shifts back to the European stage. Rally di Roma Capitale will also mark their third event of the season with MS Munaretto.
“It’s great to be back in the ERC. Rally di Roma Capitale is always a demanding event, with high temperatures and long stages that really put both the car and the crew to the test,” says Mille Johansson.
The duo also competed in the event last year with MS Munaretto in a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, finishing 15th overall. Since then, Mille and Johan have gained valuable experience in WRC2, highlighted by a stage victory in the Canary Islands and a sixth-place finish in Portugal – their best result so far in the second-highest category of the FIA World Rally Championship.
“I feel like we found the right setup on asphalt with this car during the final day in the Canary Islands, so I’m looking forward to getting back onto tarmac and seeing if we can carry that pace into this weekend. Our speed on gravel has also improved, and I feel much more comfortable and relaxed in the Rally2 car now, which is very positive,” Mille continues.
This year’s Rally di Roma Capitale has attracted one of the strongest Rally2 fields of the season, with no fewer than 46 Rally2 cars entered. The event consists of 11 special stages covering nearly 200 competitive kilometres. The rally begins with a super special stage in the heart of Rome on Friday evening, followed by six stages on Saturday and four on Sunday, with the final stage serving as the Power Stage.
“The goal this weekend is to put together stages where everything works as it should. Tyre management will be crucial because the heat will be extremely hard on the tyres, so we need to keep them alive for as long as possible. If we can do that, the stage times will come. At the same time, we know the Italians on home roads are always difficult to beat, but we’ll do everything we can,” Mille concludes.