Rally Chile Bio Bío: Škoda drivers Gus Greensmith, Nikolay Gryazin need WRC2 win to stay in title race

› The eleventh round of the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship could be decisive in the four-way fight for the WRC2 drivers’ title.
› With four points scoring events left, Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 driver Nikolay Gryazin still can catch WRC2 overall leader Oliver Solberg and runner-up Yohan Rossel.
› Gus Greensmith and co-driver Jonas Andersson (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) chase their second WRC2 victory of the season.

Mladá Boleslav, 10 September 2025 – With Rally Chile Bio Bío (11-14 September 2025), the WRC2 title race in the FIA World Rally Championship is entering its decisive phase. Two Škoda drivers can still win the major support category overall: Englishman Gus Greensmith and Nikolay Gryazin from Bulgaria. However, only a WRC2 victory in Chile would realistically keep their respective title hopes alive.

Rally Chile Bio Bío marks the second South American event in two weeks for the WRC2 crews. They are both gravel events, but at least the weather will be different. While the recent Rally del Paraguay was mostly run in dry conditions with temperatures above 20 centigrade in heart of the continent, winter reigns on the other side of the Andes. Concepción, host city for the rally’s headquarters and service park, is situated on the Pacific coast and expects temperatures around ten degrees lower.

“I like the smooth gravel roads of Rally Chile. Last year, I finished the event second in the WRC2 category. This time, I must win to keep my title hopes. Fortunately, with the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 I have one of the best cars to deliver a top result,” emphasises Nikolay Gryazin. Navigated as usual by Konstantin Aleksandrov, Nikolay Gryazin finished Rally del Paraguay third in WRC2. He currently trails overall leader Oliver Solberg by a massive 80 points and runner-up Yohan Rossel by 69 points. However, while Rally Chile Bio Bío will be the last points-scoring event for both the Swede and the Frenchman, Nikolay Gryazin will have three more rallies left to overtake them. By winning all of them plus the Chilean round, he would collect 100 points.

The second Škoda driver with title hopes is Gus Greensmith. Together with Swedish navigator Jonas Andersson, the Englishman finished Rally Chile Bio Bío second (2023) and third (2024) in the past. Following his WRC2 victory at this year’s Safari Rally Kenya, Gus Greensmith currently is 53 points down on Oliver Solberg and trails Yohan Rossel by 42 points. With three points-scoring events remaining for Gus Greensmith, including Rally Chile Bio Bío, he can theoretically collect a maximum of 75 points. “For me, Rally Chile Bio Bío is critical to the championship. I need to win. That’s a lot of pressure, but I like that,” Gus Greensmith said.

For both Nikolay Gryazin and Gus Greensmith the calculation is easy: Only with WRC2 victory at Rally Chile Bio Bío – worth 25 points – they would keep their championship hopes chances in their own hands at the remaining events of the season. Any other result, and their chances would depend on Oliver Solberg’s and Yohan Rossel’s Chilean points haul in Chile.

Gus Greensmith/Jonas Andersson and Nikolay Gryazin/Konstantin Aleksandrov are not the only Škoda crews aiming for a top result in Chile. Emil Lindholm and co-driver Reeta Hämäläinen are back in the Toksport WRT run Škoda Fabia RS Rally2. After a challenging season thus far, the 2022 WRC2 champions are seeking a highlight. “I am thrilled to be back on these beautiful gravel roads. I still have unfinished business with this rally,” commented Lindholm. He failed to reach the finish at his only previous appearance in 2023. However, the Finnish pairing could at least help their Toksport WRT teammate Nikolay Gryazin as well as Gus Greensmith: If they finish ahead of Oliver Solberg and Yohan Rossel, it could cost both title favourites important championship points and ease the pressure on the two Škoda drivers for the remaining events.

The European crews will have to contend with strong South American competitors, five of them relying on the Škoda Fabia. Fabrizio Zaldivar from Paraguay and Italian co-driver Marcelo Der Ohannesian proved their potential by finishing Rally del Paraguay fourth in WRC2. Fabrizio's brother, Miguel Zaldivar, and his Argentinian navigator, Matias Ramos, will also be taking part, as will Martin Scuncio/Javiera Román (ARG/CHI) and Jorge Martínez/Rubén García (CHI/ARG). Mexican Miguel Granados, who listens to the notes of experienced Spanish co-driver Marc Martí, is competing for points in the WRC Masters Cup. He currently holds second place in the standings.

After 2019, 2023 and 2024, Rally Chile Bio Bío is part of the WRC calendar for the fourth time. The event features 16 fast and flowing gravel stages, which often wind through stunning forests and cover a total distance of 306.76 kilometres. Like last year, a Rally Village with hospitality facilities will be set up for fans to follow the action of the “Lota” and “Bio Bío” stages. The rally will start on Thursday (11 September) at 7h00 pm local time (Friday 1h00 am CEST) in Concepción, the podium ceremony will take place in front of the Hotel Casino Marina del Sol on Sunday (14 September) at 3h10 pm local time (9h10 pm CEST).

Did you know, that…
... the event is called after the river Bio Bío, which flows into the Pacific Ocean at Concepción?
... the Rally Chile Bio Bío was a round of the FIA World Rally Championship for the first time in 2019, and returned in 2023 after a three-year hiatus?
... that both in 2023 and in 2024 all of this year’s WRC2 title contenders – Nikolay Gryazin, Gus Greensmith, Oliver Solberg and Yohan Rossel – finished inside the top five of the category?
... that Concepción is Chile’s second largest city with roughly a million people living in the metropolitan area?

Standings WRC2/Drivers (after 10 of 14 rallies)
1 Oliver Solberg (SWE), Toyota 110 points (1 points-scoring event left)
2 Yohan Rossel (FRA), Citroën, 99 points (1 points-scoring event left)
3 Roope Korhonen (FIN), Toyota, 69 points (2 points-scoring events left)
4 Robert Virves (EST), Škoda, 60 points (1 points-scoring event left)
5 Gus Greensmith (GBR), Škoda, 57 points (3 points-scoring events left)
. . .
13 Nikolay Gryazin (BUL), Škoda, 30 points (4 points-scoring events left)

Standings WRC2/Teams (after 10 of 14 rallies)
1 PH Sport, Citroën, 178 points
2 Toksport WRT, Škoda, 173 points
3 Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT NG, Toyota, 89 points
4 Sarrazin Motorsport-Iron Lynx, Citroën, 64 points

2025 FIA World Rally Championship

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