Korhonen leads WRC2 charge into Estonia
It is finally time to see how the WRC2 field handles the flat-out madness of Estonia. The championship leader, Korhonen, arrives in Tartu holding a slim three-point advantage over Alejandro Cachón. He earned that lead with a gritty fourth-place finish at the EKO Acropolis Rally Greece, and while many of his immediate title rivals are sitting this one out, he knows the road ahead is anything but simple.
Estonia’s gravel stages are fast, smooth, and unforgiving. They demand total commitment, and the list of contenders ready to punish the slightest error is long. All eyes, however, will be on the local hero Robert Virves. He won his maiden WRC2 victory on these very roads last year and comes into the weekend carrying the momentum of a class win in Greece. Though he currently sits sixth in the standings—14 points back—he has taken maximum points in every WRC2 start he has made this season. If he strikes again, he vaults right into the title conversation.
There is a massive home contingent looking to make a mark, including Romet Jürgenson, who will be piloting an M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2. Joining him in the Rally2 hunt are Jaspar Vaher, Patrick Enok, Egon Kaur, and Joosep Ralf Nõgene. These younger drivers have extra motivation, with a €50,000 prize fund up for grabs for the top three eligible Estonian crews, plus a further €50,000 grant supporting Enok’s development through the Estonian Next Rallystar Fund.
It is not just the locals, though. The Finnish contingent is looking dangerous, led by the proven speed of Teemu Suninen in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 and the return of former champion Emil Lindholm, who is back with Toksport WRT in a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2. With Lauri Joona, Mikko Heikkilä, and Tuukka Kauppinen also in the mix, the battle for the top spots will be brutal.
The challenge spans 18 stages and 301.80 kilometres of competitive road. The action kicks off this Friday with two passes each of Raanitsa, Karaski, and Kanepi, followed by the Elva linn super special. Saturday features the longest leg at almost 150km, while the weekend concludes on Sunday with two runs of Kääriku, the second of which will serve as the Wolf Power Stage. With a field that includes Jan Solans, Fabrizio Zaldívar, Yuki Yamamoto, Arthur Pelamourgues, Mille Johansson, and Giovanni Trentin, there is truly nowhere to hide.