Rally Finland: Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 crews target strong WRC2 results at the “Gravel Grand Prix”

› Robert Virves and co-driver Jakko Viilo (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) aim to continue their WRC2 winning streak at the 10th round of the FIA World Rally Championship
› With another top result, the Estonians from team Toksport WRT could take the overall lead in the WRC2 drivers’ and co-drivers’ standings respectively
› Other Škoda drivers with high ambitions include locals Emil Lindholm, Lauri Joona and Mikko Heikkilä as well as Estonian Patrick Enok

Mladá Boleslav, 30 July 2026 – Robert Virves and co-driver Jakko Viilo will start Rally Finland (30 July–2 August 2026) sitting second overall in their respective WRC2 rankings. Collecting more points at the 10th round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) would bring the Estonians a big step closer to achieving their dream of winning the championship. However, they will face stiff competition, including 10 more Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 crews.

Robert Virves and co-driver Jakko Viilo could not have done it any better: Until now, they had nominated the Kenyan and the Greek WRC rounds as well as their home event, Rally Estonia, to score WRC2 points. And they won the category on all three occasions. Competing with a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, Robert Virves and Jakko Viilo currently trail the leaders of the WRC2 drivers’ and co-drivers’ overall standings by just four points. However, their competitors have two additional starts to their names, what makes the title fight still wide open.

Following his hard-fought victory in the WRC2 category on the fast gravel stages in Estonia, Robert Virves is feeling confident ahead of Rally Finland. Dubbed the “Finnish Grand Prix on Gravel” by fans and competitors alike, the event usually features an average speed of more than 120 kph. “I love the high-speed stages in the Jyväskylä area,” Robert Virves says. “Last year, we finished third in WRC2. Given how well the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 performs in these conditions, I'm confident that I can achieve an even better result this time.”

Robert Virves/Jakko Viilo are not the only Škoda crew with high ambitions. Emil Lindholm, their team-mate at Toksport WRT, won the category at Rally Finland in 2022 on his way to becoming WRC2 champion. Now partnering co-driver Gabriel Morales from Brazil, the Finn is again targeting a top position. Other Finnish crews with high hopes include Mikko Heikkilä/Kristian Temonen as well as Lauri Joona/Antti Linnaketo. Both compete in Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 run by the Finnish team TGS Worldwide.

Another Škoda driver to watch is Patrick Enok. The 20-year-old and his experienced co-driver Silver Simm made a strong impression during their WRC2 debut at the recent Rally Estonia.
Of the 29 WRC2 competitors at Rally Finland, 11 rely on the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, among them Fabrizio Zaldívar from Paraguay and Italian co-driver Marcelo Der Ohannesian, French pairing Mattéo Chatillon/Maxence Cornuau, Giovanni Trentin/Pietro Elia Ometto from Italy and Czech duo Martin Prokop/Michal Ernst.

In keeping with tradition, Rally Finland will begin with a superspecial stage on Thursday evening, close to the service park in Jyväskylä. The Friday leg features nine stages totalling 127.72 kilometres. On Saturday, eight stages covering 125.70 kilometres will follow. The Sunday leg consists of two runs over the 30.02-kilometre “Himos-Jämsä” stage. The winners are expected on the podium at around 1:45 pm.

Did you know, that…

…on eight of the last 10 editions of Rally Finland, Škoda crews have won the WRC2/WRC2 Pro category?

...the rally first took place in 1951 under the name of “Jyväskylän Suurajot”, which translates as “The Great Race of Jyväskylä?

…the event was called the “Rally of the 1000 Lakes” from 1959 to 1996, before being
re-named Rally Finland?

…the rally was part of the inaugural world championship season in 1973?

Standings WRC2/Drivers (after 9 of 14 events)
1 Roope Korhonen (FIN), Toyota, 79 points (from 5 rallies)
2 Robert Virves (EST), Škoda, 75 points (from 3 rallies)
3 Alejandro Cachón (ESP), Toyota, 61 points (from 5 rallies)

Standings WRC2/Co-drivers (after 9 of 14 events)
1 Anssi Viinikka (FIN), Toyota, 79 points (from 5 rallies)
2 Jakko Viilo (EST), Škoda, 75 points (from 3 rallies)
3 Borja Rozada (ESP), Toyota, 61 points (from 5 rallies)

Standings WRC2/Teams (after 9 of 14 events)
1 Toksport WRT, Škoda, 210 points
2 Lancia Corse HF, Lancia, 163 points
3 M-Sport Ford World Rally Team, Ford, 45 points
4 2C Junior Team, Citroën, 15 points

2026 FIA World Rally Championship

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