Lauri Joona finish seventh at Rally Estonia

Rally Estonia came to a close on Sunday, marking the second FIA World Rally Championship start of the season for Lauri Joona and co-driver Antti Linnaketo. The event, based around Tartu, featured an unusually compact schedule, with the entire rally completed in just 50 hours.

Photo:Hannu Rainamo

Competing in a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 run by TGS Motorsport, Joona and Linnaketo arrived well prepared for one of the most competitive WRC2 fields of the season. As expected, the competition was incredibly close, with just a few seconds making the difference between several positions in the standings. However, the Finnish duo did not get the start they had hoped for and ended Friday's stages in 12th place.

"Friday was a mixed day. Some stages suited us better than others. The level in WRC2 is incredibly high and the gaps are so small. Of course, I'd like us to have a bit more pace, but tomorrow is a new day and we'll come back fighting," Joona said after Friday's leg.

Photo: Hannu Rainamo

The pace improved steadily as the rally progressed. On Saturday, Joona delivered a nearly faultless drive, although the crew struggled to find the level of grip they were looking for. The repeated stages also deteriorated significantly on the second pass, making conditions increasingly demanding. Despite that, Joona climbed four positions during the day to move into eighth overall in WRC2 heading into Sunday's final leg.

The WRC2 category eventually turned into a fascinating Finland-versus-Estonia battle. Estonia's Robert Virves claimed victory, while the next three positions were occupied by Finnish drivers. Joona and Linnaketo gained one more place on Sunday to secure seventh overall in WRC2.

"It was a tricky rally. The feeling in the car was actually quite good, but the stopwatch didn't always agree. It felt like the rear of the car was moving around too much through the high-speed sections, and that definitely showed in the stage times. Still, it was great to be back jumping over these legendary roads. We had a strong fight throughout the weekend, even if we weren't quite in the battle for the top positions," Joona reflected after the finish.

Photo: Bencephoto

Joona and Linnaketo's next FIA World Rally Championship outing comes in less than two weeks at their home event, Secto Rally Finland.

"Now all the focus shifts to Rally Finland. It's the highlight of the season, and our expectations are high. Before rally week there's still plenty of work to do to make sure both the car and the crew are in peak condition for Jyväskylä."

Final Results – Rally Estonia 2026, WRC2

1. Robert Virves (EST) – Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 – 2:39:49.6

2. Teemu Suninen – Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 – +7.6

3. Roope Korhonen – Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 – +8.8

4. Emil Lindholm – Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 – +51.3

5. Mille Johansson (SWE) – Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 – +1:48.4

6. Patrick Enok (EST) – Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 – +2:02.4

7. Lauri Joona / Antti Linnaketo – Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 – +2:11.5