Jan Solans regains WRC2 advantage during volatile Rally Portugal

Jan Solans moved back to the top of the WRC2 classification on Friday in his Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, emerging from a chaotic day of rallying with a 3.7-second lead over Roope Korhonen. The lead changed hands multiple times throughout the stages, with the top five competitors finishing the day separated by just 10.8 seconds.

Teemu Suninen briefly held the lead before dropping to fifth, while Alejandro Cachón occupied the top spot until an alternator failure forced his retirement before SS8. This attrition allowed Solans to capitalize during the final stages, while Korhonen surged into second place during the closing test, pushing Yohan Rossel back to third. Rossel’s performance marked a significant milestone, as he steered the Lancia Ypsilon HF Integrale Rally2 through its first full day of WRC2 gravel competition.

Behind the leaders, Suninen settled for fourth place, followed by Andreas Mikkelsen in fifth. The remainder of the top ten featured a mix of consistent performers and resilient drivers, including Mille Johansson in sixth and the young Giovanni Trentin, who maintained eighth place in his Fabia.