Joona–Temonen showing steady progress and continued apprenticeship with the MRF-shod Škoda; Johansson–Grönvall fast and incisive until SS7; Kauppinen–Vaaleri fourth among Juniors with a stage win; Rahill–Smith competitive but forced to stop; Araldo–Boero consistent performers at Santo Stefano Belbo.
A weekend filled with mixed emotions for MS Munaretto, engaged on two fronts: the Croatia Rally, a round of the FIA European Rally Championship, and the Rally di Santo Stefano Belbo, part of the Italian Rally Championship.
In Croatia, Lauri Joona and Kristian Temonen completed a race of constant progression, climbing from 14th to 6th overall by the finish. The Finnish driver continues his apprenticeship with the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 equipped with MRF tyres, demonstrating maturity, pace, and an impressive ability to adapt to a demanding and selective asphalt event.
A high-level performance came from Mille Johansson and Johan Grönvall, who showed frontrunning pace from the very first stages. The Swedish driver, fresh from the Rally della Carnia, immediately found the right feeling with the car and the tricky Croatian surfaces, alternating aggression with precision. After a strong start and a series of highly competitive split times, Mille was fighting for an overall podium position, confirming one of the fastest paces in the field and an excellent ability to read the stages with clarity and control. The rally, however, ended prematurely on SS7, when an off-road excursion forced the pair to retire. Up to that point, the young Scandinavian had once again confirmed his natural speed and growing maturity behind the wheel.
It was also a challenging weekend for Craig Rahill and Conor Smith, competing in the Lancia Ypsilon Rally4 No. 42. The Irish duo had started with great promise, immediately finding a good rhythm and showing consistency through the opening sections. After their positive showing at the Barum Rally, Rahill was once again in contention for the Junior ERC podium, underlining his potential and reliability in the championship. However, an off on the third special stage brought their run to an early end, cutting short a performance that had been developing in the right direction.
Among the Juniors, Tuukka Kauppinen and Samu Vaaleri delivered a solid and improving performance, finishing fourth in class and setting a fastest time on SS4. The young Finn was even running second in the Junior standings before a puncture on Friday evening dropped him back to fourth overall. Nevertheless, the result highlights his pace, determination, and continuous growth.
Meanwhile in Italy, Jacopo Araldo and Lorena Boero completed a clean and consistent rally at Rally di Santo Stefano Belbo, gaining valuable mileage and confirming their strong feeling with the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 No. 5. The Piedmontese crew managed a technical and fast event with experience, ending the weekend with encouraging sensations.
