ERC
Junior ERC champion Johansson “to play it smart” in Portugal
Mille Johansson has revealed his strategy for FIA Junior WRC Championship success in Portugal this week.
The recently turned 20-year-old finished runner-up on the Rally Sweden opener in February but starts this week’s Vodafone Rally de Portugal on top of the standings after he banked 12 stage-win points on his home event driving a Hankook-equipped Ford Fiesta Rally3 run by M-Sport Poland.
“It’s going to be a very tough rally, especially on the second loop it will be very rough, so we’ll just try to play it smart and maybe not push as much as I can, just keeping everything in one piece,” said Johansson, who is contesting a full Junior WRC season as his prize for winning the 2024 FIA Junior ERC Championship on Hankook tyres.
It’s going to be a very tough rally so we’ll just try to play it smart and maybe not push as much as I can, just keeping everything in one piece
Johansson holds a two-point advantage over FIA Rally Star driver Taylor Gill in the Junior WRC standings. Asked whether that made him a target, he responded: “I’m not feeling like I have any pressure on myself. We have a goal to win the Junior championship this year, we are in a good position and we feel confident in the Rally3 car. It’s not impossible but for sure it’s a long season with long events, 100 kilometres more per event than the European championship was.”
ERC Rally2 graduation was impressive
© ERC
As well as vying for the Junior WRC title, Johansson is undertaking a six-event FIA European Rally Championship campaign at Rally2 level with MS Munaretto. After finishing seventh among the registered ERC drivers on the 42nd Rally Sierra Morena - Córdoba Patrimonio de la Humanidad in Spain last month driving a Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo, Johansson and co-driver Johan Grönvall will upgrade to the latest version of the Czech machine for BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia from 29 - 31 May.
