Oliver Solberg and Gus Greensmith, teammates at Toksport WRT, are aiming for their second category win of the season in the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2. They currently share the top spot in the championship standings. Joining them is Pierre-Louis Loubet, a young French driver, who will kick off his season in the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, also fielded by Toksport WRT.
A total of 40 crews will compete for points at Rally Portugal, with Škoda being the dominant brand with 19 entries. Solberg and his co-driver, Elliott Edmondson, are determined to secure another victory after their success in Sweden and a second-place finish at Safari Rally Kenya. A win in Portugal would give Solberg an edge over Yohan Rossel in the overall WRC2 championship.
Solberg reflects on his previous experience at Rally Portugal, where he narrowly missed out on the WRC2 victory last year, finishing just 1.2 seconds behind Greensmith. He jokes about the fact that at least the victory stayed within the team.
Greensmith, on the other hand, is focused on improving his position in the championship standings. Out of the four WRC events this season, he has only nominated Safari Rally Kenya to score points, which he won. He emphasizes the importance of finding the right racing line on the challenging gravel stages and avoiding punctures.
Joining Solberg and Greensmith is their new teammate, Loubet, who is making his first WRC appearance of the season. Loubet is familiar with the Škoda brand, having won the WRC2 championship in 2019 with a Škoda Fabia. He expresses his excitement to compete with the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, which has proven to be the most successful car in its category. His new co-driver for this event is Loris Pascaud.