Relying on his Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, joint championship leader Oliver Solberg as well as Toksport WRT teammate Gus Greensmith are chasing their second category victory of the season. French youngster Pierre-Louis Loubet kicks off his season at the wheel of a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 fielded by Toksport WRT.
At Rally Portugal, a whopping 40 crews are registered for points. Among the five manufacturers involved, Škoda is with 19 entries by far the strongest brand.
Oliver Solberg and co-driver Elliott Edmondson want another win after a victory in Sweden and a second place at Safari Rally Kenya. This would give Solberg the advantage over Yohan Rossel, with whom he shares the overall WRC2 championship lead.
“My Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 and the gravel stages of Rally Portugal are a perfect match. Last year, I missed the WRC2 victory by just 1.2 seconds to Gus. At least, it stayed inside the team”, laughs the young Swede.
With last year’s result in mind, Gus Greensmith is on the mission to catch up in the current championship standings. From the four WRC events of this season, he had nominated only one to score points – Safari Rally Kenya, which he duly won. “It’s all about finding a clean line on the tough gravel stages. And to avoid punctures”, explains Gus Greensmith ahead of Rally Portugal.
Both Toksport WRT drivers will be joined by their new teammate Pierre-Louis Loubet, who is competing his first WRC event of the season with the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 and new co-driver Loris Pascaud. “I am not totally new to Škoda. In 2019 I won the WRC2 championship with a Škoda Fabia, on the way taking WRC2 victory in Portugal,“ says Loubet. “I cannot wait to return to competition with the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, which has proven to be the most successful car in the category.”
