Roope Korhonen Wins WRC2 at Rally Sweden 2026

WRC, Sportrik Media - Roope Korhonen controlled the WRC2 category at Rally Sweden 2026 from Friday morning and never relinquished the lead. The Finnish driver secured victory by 10.2 seconds over Teemu Suninen, marking a perfect start to his full-season WRC2 campaign.

Korhonen established his advantage early and maintained a consistent margin throughout the weekend. Suninen, returning to competition after an 18-month absence, pushed hard across the stages and significantly reduced the gap during Sunday morning’s long Vastervik stage. However, Korhonen had managed his pace strategically, ensuring that the lead remained under control.

“The gap was such that we didn’t need to do anything special. I thought we had to commit on the first run and then ease off slightly. That’s exactly what happened when we set the fastest time on the opening stage of the morning. After that, we deliberately reduced the pace and avoided problems,” Korhonen explained.

His only setback came on Thursday evening’s Umea spectator stage, where the car stalled at the start, costing a few seconds. Beyond that incident, his performance remained composed and error-free.

“The car stalled there and we lost a few seconds. Otherwise, there was nothing. Usually there are always small mistakes, but this time there really weren’t any,” he added.

This year’s Rally Sweden presented different conditions compared to previous editions. Limited snowbanks reduced natural support along the road edges, and grip levels became increasingly unpredictable, especially on second passes where gravel emerged through the thin snow layer. Korhonen highlighted that maintaining a calm driving approach was essential despite the temptation to push harder.

“This year the rally was different because there were no snowbanks and the grip conditions were tricky. We had to drive calmly at times, even if it felt possible to go faster. It was a good rally at this stage of the season.”

Competing in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 for a full WRC2 campaign, Korhonen builds on momentum from last season, when he secured a WRC2 victory in Finland and added a European Rally Championship win in Hungary. The Sweden result provides a strong foundation for his 2026 title ambitions.

“Last year in Finland it was an incredible feeling to take my first WRC2 win, but this is pretty sweet as well. Now that we’re doing the full season, this was important in terms of points. It definitely tastes good,” Korhonen concluded.

Behind the leading pair, Lauri Joona completed the podium in a Skoda. Australia’s Taylor Gill finished fourth ahead of Sweden’s Isak Reiersen and Poland’s Michal Solowow.

WRC2 Final Results – Rally Sweden 2026

With a controlled and strategically executed performance, Korhonen positions himself as an early contender in the 2026 WRC2 championship. The upcoming rounds, featuring different surface profiles, will test whether this level of consistency can be maintained across varying technical demands.