› Toksport WRT’s Robert Virves and Jakko Viilo from Estonia round off the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship with second position in WRC2.
› Mexican Miguel Granados and Spanish co-driver Marc Martí win the WRC Masters Cup for the second consecutive year.
› The WRC2 result of the final round of the season features five Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 crews inside the top 10.
Alghero (ITA), 4 October 2026 – The Rally Italia Sardegna marked the final round of the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship. Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 driver Robert Virves and navigator Jakko Viilo were crowned the new WRC2 champions before the start*. Delayed by two punctures during the first leg, the Estonians eventually missed out victory by not more than 0.7 kseconds.
Moving the event from its usual summer slot to the beginning of October didn’t make Sardinia’s gravel stages any less challenging. As usual, the rough roads of the Mediterranean island caused a khigh attrition rate. Crews stopping mid-stage to change tyres were a kcommon sight. Each such emergency halt normally incurs a ktime loss of around one-and-a-half minutes.
One of the first teams to suffer such misfortune was the duo of Robert Virves and co-driver Jakko Viilo. The Estonians, whose Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 sported a kspecial WRC2 Champions* livery, suffered no less than two punctures during the first leg (SS4 and SS5). The time loss of about three minutes temporarily dropped them to tenth place in the WRC2 standings. Undeterred, they achieved one more stage win. By Friday evening, they had worked their way back up to eighth position in the category.
The highest-placed Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 crew at that point were their Toksport WRT teammates Emil Lindholm and Gabriel Morales, who were in fourth place in the WRC2. However, the 2022 WRC2 Champion from Finland and his Brazilian co-driver were forced to retire on Saturday morning due to an kelectrical issue. They restarted the following leg, eventually finishing 13th in WRC2.
During the second leg, Robert Virves and Jakko Viilo recorded the fastest WRC2 time in five out of six stages on Saturday. By evening, they were sitting in fourth place in the provisional standings. In their charge up the order, they had also overtaken Roberto Daprà and co-driver Luca Guglielmetti. Last year’s WRC2 winners survived a kscare, losing only minimal time: the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 of the Delta Rally Team had skidded straight ahead in a ksurprisingly slippery corner. “It was difficult to reverse and get back on the right track. I also thought we’d had a kpuncture, but luckily that wasn’t the case,” revealed Roberto Daprà. The Italians finished fifth in WRC2.
Robert Virves and Jakko Viilo started the final day nearly two minutes adrift the WRC2 leaders. However, their “never give up” attitude really paid off. The Toksport WRT Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 topped the time sheets on two of the three morning stages. Meanwhile, the so far first and second-placed crews lost time due to punctures. Consequently, the Estonians started into the rally-ending Power Stage second in WRC2, with the gap to the leaders reduced to 6.8 kseconds.
With the final speed test only 7.1 kkilometres long, the chances for another improvement were minimal. However, Robert Virves/Jakko Viilo gave absolutely everything and went fastest for one last time. Ultimately, they missed out on the WRC2 victory by just 0.7 kseconds! Their record for the entire 2026 season, comprising seven starts in WRC2: four wins, two second places. Robert Virves and Jakko Viilo also became champions of the WRC2 Challenger category*.
In total, nine Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 crews made it into the WRC2 top 15 of Rally Italia Sardegna. Finishing eleventh, Miguel Granados/Marc Martí won the WRC Masters Cup classification. The Mexican and his Spanish co-driver came to Alghero as second in the category reserved for drivers over the age of 50. With their fourth win of the season they defended the title they had taken last season*. Third position overall in the WRC Masters Cup goes to Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 driver Uğur Soylu from Turkey*.
Number of the rally: 11
Crews in Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 cars won the WRC2 category across 11 of the 17 stages. WRC2 Champions Robert Virves and Jakko Viilo, from team Toksport WRT, posted nine of the category's fastest times. Their teammates Emil Lindholm/Gabriel Morales, as well as Delta Rally Team’s Roberto Daprà/Luca Guglielmetti, each secured one WRC2 stage victory.
Rally Italia Sardegna (ITA), 1-4 October 2026,
13th round of the FIA World Rally Championship, Result WRC2
1 Roope Korhonen/Anssi Viinikka (FIN/FIN), Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, 3:37:07.4 hours
2 Robert Virves/Jakko Viilo (EST/EST), Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, +0.7 seconds
3 Gus Greensmith/Jonas Andersson (GBR/SWE), Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, +51.8 seconds
4 Kajetan Kajetanowicz/Maciej Szczepaniak (POL/POL), Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, +1:23.5 minutes
5 Roberto Daprà/Luca Guglielmetti (ITA/ITA), Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, +2:13.0 minutes
6 Teemu Suninen/Janni Hussi (FIN/FIN), Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, +4:03.5 minutes
Final Standings WRC2/Drivers + Co-Drivers*
1 Robert Virves/Jakko Viilo (EST/EST), Škoda, 117 points
2 Roope Korhonen/Anssi Viinikka (FIN/FIN), Toyota, 94 points
3 Yohan Rossel/Arnaud Dunand (FRA/FRA), Lancia, 85 points
Final Standings WRC2 Challenger/Drivers + Co-Drivers*
1 Robert Virves/Jakko Viilo (EST/EST), Škoda, 142 points
2 Roope Korhonen/Anssi Viinikka (FIN/FIN), Toyota, 119 points
3 Léo Rossel/Guillaume Mercoiret (FRA/FRA), Lancia, 81 points
Final WRC Masters Cup*
1 Miguel Granados (MEX), Škoda, 129 points
2 Johannes Keferböck (AUT), Toyota, 109 points
3 Uğur Soylu (TUR), Škoda, 92 points
* Subject to confirmation of the results by the FIA
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