Action unfolded in the Spanish tarmac rally scene as Finnish rally star Roope Korhonen secured a strong runner-up finish at the 51st Rallye Costa de Almeria. Piloting his familiar Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, Korhonen faced the technically demanding Spanish tarmac roads which required absolute precision in braking points and tyre degradation management.
Before the event got underway, Korhonen shared his excitement regarding the new challenge on social media. "This is a completely new rally for us, but at the same time it is a great opportunity to improve our driving on Tarmac," he stated ahead of his debut in the CERA Tarmac Rally Championship.
Korhonen's familiarity with Spanish gravel roads was already proven earlier in the autumn when he triumphed at the Granada Rally. During that gravel outing, he clinched victory ahead of fellow Finnish competitor Mikko Heikkila, capping off a remarkable campaign on loose surfaces.
However, replicating that gravel success on smooth tarmac proved to be a taller order as local Spanish driver Alberto Ordonez delivered a stellar performance. Ordonez moved into the lead by going 4.2 seconds faster than Korhonen on Friday evening's opening stage. Throughout the rally, Korhonen kept the pressure on, occasionally narrowing the gap by setting three fastest stage times and even matching Ordonez's exact time on one of the stages.
On Saturday's final stage, Ordonez sealed the victory by setting his biggest margin of the day, beating Korhonen by 3.7 seconds to claim overall victory by an 8.9-second gap. The triumph marked a historic milestone for the new Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 model—switched by Ordonez from a Citroen back in August—securing the car's maiden victory in the CERA series.
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