Teemu Suninen looks to confirm and score points on Portuguese soil!
Team ORECA will continue its FIA WRC-2 programme in Portugal, just a few kilometres North of Porto, from May 19th to 22nd. Following on convincing performances at the Rally Monte-Carlo and Rally Sweden, Teemu Suninen and Mikko Markkula will compete on board the No. 33 Skoda Fabia R5 entered by the French squad. However, the Finnish duo will have to shine on a gravel surface, a new opportunity to score some important points in the championship.
A year ago, Teemu Suninen made his debut with Team ORECA for his first entry in a World championship, outside Finland. The young Scandinavian driver has gone a very long way since: successfully moving up from WRC3 to WRC2 and achieving two wins: in Great-Britain last season then in Mexico this year. He is now back with team ORECA after two great performances in the Rally Monte-Carlo, 5-place finish in the RC2 and 1 scratch time, and the Rally Sweden where he claimed the second place in RC2 punctuated by 3 scratch times and one overall Top 10. It is time to experience another surface now, as gravel is expected at the Rally Portugal. In order to get the best preparation possible for this challenge considered very tough, the team had a two-day practice session in early April.
“Our tests went well and I’m happy with the set-ups we’ve found” Teemu Suninen explains. “We still need to make a couple of adjustments for asphalt and I have to get used to the car, but it’s one of the best ones I’ve ever driven on gravel. Of course, with an R5, the way I approach this rally is totally different. It’s a solid car which allows no time for rest, you just have to be fast. I’m convinced that there’ll be lots of fighting in the lead.”
Teemu Suninen and Mikko Markkula, who already participated in this rally last year, will return to a virtually similar layout since out of the entire 338km, over 330km will be identical. Combining sandy roads, rocks and ruts, this Portuguese round will be key in the sense that it will sorely test the cars. Once again, it will begin on Lousada rallycross circuit and will take the contenders all the way to Fafe special stage.
Teemu has two objectives in mind: to carry on making progress and to score the maximum amount of points. “I want to keep improving, not making one single mistake while driving and scoring as many points as possible in the FIA WRC-2” he confirms. “There’ll be lots of corners in Portugal which means that it’ll be really challenging for both drivers and co-drivers. Many great drivers compete in our class so there’ll be lots of competition. Personally, I think, that’s what’s best in rally!”.
Teemu Suninen and Mikko Markkula will take part in seven other rounds of the FIA WRC-2, with Team ORECA’s Skoda Fabia R5. After Portugal, they will head to Sardinia in June, then Poland and Finland in July, Germany in August, finally Corsica, Spain and Great-Britain by October.