The overall position doesn’t truly reflect the Finnish driver’s consistent performance during this pre-Sweden test.
It was a positive start to the season for Team MS Munaretto, with Lauri Joona and Samu Vaaleri bringing the team’s Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 across the finish line at the Arctic Lapland Rally. The 60th edition of this classic event in Lapland confirmed its reputation for being a tough challenge, with a long and treacherous route.
From the very start, Joona and Vaaleri were competitive, fighting for the top positions alongside other ice surface specialists. However, they were forced to retire from the first leg after a small mistake on the third special stage, which caused their Skoda to get stuck in a fresh snowbank.
Undeterred, and with the clear goal of perfecting the car setup for the upcoming WRC Rally Sweden, the entire team worked tirelessly to restore the car to full working order, allowing the Finnish duo to start the second leg. Here, they confirmed their strong pace and competitiveness, culminating in an impressive second-place finish on the final special stage.
Target achieved, and now the team looks ahead with optimism to the first World Championship event of the season.
