Janni Hussi admitted she battled extreme exhaustion and recurring nightmares before finally securing her first World Rally Championship victory alongside Teemu Suninen at Rally Portugal 2026. The Finnish pairing claimed victory in the WRC2 category after surviving one of the toughest gravel events on the WRC calendar.
The result marked a major milestone for Hussi, who had previously never achieved a world-level victory as a co-driver. After finishing second in WRC2 at Rally Sweden earlier this season, Hussi and Suninen finally converted their competitive pace into a complete rally win in Portugal.
"It’s an incredible feeling. We worked extremely hard for this from the very beginning of our preparation and it feels really special," said Hussi.
Rally Portugal is widely recognised as one of the most physically and mentally demanding events in the WRC due to its rough gravel stages, high temperatures, and relentless schedule. For Hussi, however, the biggest challenge came from the lack of recovery time throughout the rally week.
Before the rally even started, Suninen and Hussi completed several intensive testing days before immediately moving into reconnaissance and pace-note preparation. Hussi revealed she managed only five to six hours of sleep each night throughout the event.
"I kept having nightmares about hearing my own voice because every night we were still watching onboard videos and reviewing pace notes before sleeping. It felt like I was still inside the rally even while trying to rest," Hussi explained.
From a technical perspective, the Portugal victory represented an important breakthrough for Suninen’s independent rally programme operating under a limited budget. Rally Portugal demands precise tyre management, flawless pace-note consistency, and the ability to protect the car across extremely abrasive gravel stages.
Suninen repeatedly demonstrated strong pace across several fast and technical special stages throughout the weekend. Despite facing multiple challenges during the rally, the Finnish driver maintained his rhythm and controlled the event until the finish, eventually securing victory by 45.6 seconds over fellow Finn Roope Korhonen. Andreas Mikkelsen completed the WRC2 podium in third place.
"It’s a huge relief because we finally achieved a strong result at an important moment. We had several challenges during the rally, but we managed to bring the car to the finish and show very good speed," Suninen said.
The Portugal victory also carries major importance for the future careers of both Suninen and Hussi. The pair remain focused on securing another opportunity in the Rally1 category next season amid increasing competition for factory seats. With several WRC2 drivers targeting promotion to the top class, the Portugal result stands as one of the most significant victories so far in Suninen and Hussi’s attempt to strengthen their position within the 2027 WRC driver market.
Baca Juga
Janni Hussi mengaku mengalami mimpi buruk selama Reli Portugal sebelum akhirnya meraih kemenangan WRC2 pertamanya bersama Teemu Suninen.
Teemu Suninen memimpin klasemen WRC2 dengan selisih tipis 0,9 detik dari Jan Solans. Kondisi lintasan berlumpur menjadi tantangan utama sebelum hari final.
Teemu Suninen mengambil alih pimpinan WRC2 di Reli Portugal 2026 setelah tampil konsisten bersama Toyota Rally2 dalam kondisi lintasan berubah.
Lanjutkan dengan Google
Diskusi & Komentar (0)
Mari Bergabung dalam Diskusi!
Masuk dengan mudah untuk mulai memberikan komentar, membalas, dan berinteraksi dengan pembaca lainnya.
Komentar Terbaru
Belum ada komentar. Jadilah yang pertama!