- RaceSeven’s Gus Greensmith/Jonas Andersson (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) secure third position in WRC2 at the fifth round of the FIA World Rally Championship.
- Three Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 reach the finish inside the top 10 of WRC2.
- Complete Škoda podium in WRC Masters Cup classification.
Englishman Gus Greensmith and co-driver Jonas Andersson from Sweden took third place in WRC2 at Vodafone Rally de Portugal. The Matosinhos based round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) was the second points scoring event of the season for the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 crew. With this result, Gus Greensmith consolidates his third position in the WRC2 overall standings.
After the WRC2 victory at Safari Rally Kenya for Škoda Motorsport customer team RaceSeven, Gus Greensmith and co-driver Jonas Andersson again fought for championship points at Rally de Portugal. Right from the start, the British-Swedish pairing was involved in a duel for second position with French duo Yohan Rossel/Arnaud Dunand. The Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 crew had the upper hand until the end of the second leg, reaching Saturday’s intermediate finish with an advantage of 5.5 seconds.
On Sunday morning, Greensmith/Andersson somehow lost the momentum. At the end of stage 20, they had to concede second position to their French opponents. “For sure we have to take a few things on the chin this weekend. Such a long rally, so demanding and yet we had no problems with the car, so thanks to the team,” Gus Greensmith said at the finish line, receiving the trophy for third position.
Sixth place in WRC2 went to Italian crew Roberto Daprà/Luca Beltrame. A couple of WRC2 points also went to Mikko Heikkilä. Sharing a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 with his fellow countryman Kristian Temonen, Heikkilä admitted to choosing the wrong tyres on Friday. “It cost us dearly,” he said. After reaching the service park in tenth position in the WRC2 category on Friday evening, the TGS Worldwide crew eventually climbed to eighth position.
Robert Virves and co-driver Jakko Viilo experienced an even more miserable Friday. Running as high as fourth in WRC2, the Estonians sustained only moral damage with a roll in stage 10. But it was game over for their Toksport WRT run Škoda Fabia RS Rally2.
After a fourth WRC2 position last year, Fabrizio Zaldivar from Paraguay and Italian co-driver Marcelo Der Ohannesian had to leave without points this time. The Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 crew from Toksport WRT finished in twelfth place. Armindo Araújo drove a Racing Factory serviced Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 to 16th position in the WRC2 category. Thus, the multiple Portuguese champion and co-driver, Luís Ramalho, were the highest-placed local crew to finish. Victory in the WRC2 Masters Cup classification also went to a Portuguese pairing. Pedro Meireles and co-driver Mário Castro won the class reserved for drivers aged 50 and over by more than eight minutes.
From Matosinhos on the Portuguese Atlantic coast, the FIA World Rally Championship shifts its focus to the Mediterranean. Rally Italia Sardegna is next from 5th to 8th June 2025.
Number of the rally: 3
The podium of the WRC Masters Cup classification featured three Škoda crews. Locals Pedro Meireles/Mário Castro climbed onto the top step. Second position went to Uǧur Soylu/Sener Güray from Turkey and third to another Portuguese duo, Francisco Teixeira and co-driver João Serôdio.
Rally de Portugal (POR), 16-18 May 2025, Result WRC2
1 Oliver Solberg/Elliott Edmondson (SWE/GBR), Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, 3:57:51.0 hours
2 Yohan Rossel/Arnaud Dunand (FRA/FRA), Citroën C3 Rally, +51.8 seconds
3 Gus Greensmith/Jonas Andersson (GBR/SWE), Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, +1:08.2 minutes
4 Roope Korhonen/Anssi Viinikka (FIN/FIN), Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, +2:04.7 minutes
5 Jan Solans/Rodrigo Sanjuan (ESP/ESP), Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, +3:11.4 minutes
6 Roberto Daprà/Luca Beltrame (ITA/ITA), Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, +3:41.1 minutes
Standings WRC2/Drivers (after 5 of 14 rallies)
1 Yohan Rossel (FRA), Citroën, 67 points (from 3 events)
2 Oliver Solberg (SWE), Toyota, 60 points (from 3 events)
3 Gus Greensmith (GBR), Škoda, 40 points (from 2 events)
