WRC2 CHAMPION 2022

Emil Lindholm Emil Lindholm

WRC2 CHAMPION 2022

Emil Lindholm Emil Lindholm

WRC2 CHAMPION 2022

Emil Lindholm Emil Lindholm

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Lindholm: "Highlights of the season ahead of us"

13 July 2022

Team GRX's Emil Lindholm and Reeta Hämäläinen are ready for their third World Rally Championship round of the season. After the tests Toksport WRT's Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo is in good settings and everything is ready for the upcoming rally.

Emil Lindholm and Reeta Hämäläinen, who are ninth in WRC2 class World Championship points, drove the preparatory tests for the rally with Toksport WRT team on Monday in Estonia. Lindholm says that in the tests they mainly fine-tuned themselves to the rally mode after a month's break from driving.

- There is a different kind of rally ahead of us than for example the SM Pohjanmaa Rally we drove last time. In the Estonian World Rally Championship the sandy roads traditionally turn into ruts and in these ruts our Škoda should be able to go hard during the weekend. There is no need to do anything radical to the adjustments of our car. During the tests our car felt good the whole time, says Lindholm.

The World Rally Championship Estonia is the third World Championship round of the season for the Finnish duo. In addition to the World Championship points in the WRC2 class, Lindholm competes within the class for the championship of drivers under the age of 30 (WRC2 Junior), in which Lindholm is currently sixth in the points. Competitors ahead of the Finnish driver have points calculated from 3-4 World Championship rallies against Lindholm's two rounds. In the series, you can drive seven World Championship rounds, of which the results of the best six are taken into account in the final points.

Lindholm and Hämäläinen will also compete with their Škoda for WRC2 class team World Championship points in the Toksport WRT 2 team, which is fighting in a series tied second before the start of the WRC Estonia. The Toksport WRT 1 team, also competing with Škoda, leads and dominates the series by far.

- Succeeding in the WRC2 class championship is an important goal, but equally important for us and Škoda Motorsport is to succeed in the WRC2 Junior and team championships. We are the only participant of the Toksport WRT 2 team in Estonia, so important points are expected from us here also for the championship battle between the teams.

- In the standings of both series we only have two WRC rallies under us, so our situation in the series is quite open. There are good opportunities for good places and all the way to the top of the series. Very interesting weekend ahead, which I am really looking forward to, says Lindholm.

Finnish drivers are expected to succeed in the WRC2 class in WRC Estonia. The reigning champion of the class, Škoda's Andreas Mikkelsen, will challenge the Finnish drivers.

- There are almost as many Finnish drivers (8) in the weekend rally as there are Estonians (10). If you’re trying to succeed in Estonia, you can't just cruise through to the finish line. A strategy that I have found to be good is to go to the first sections to feel your own speed and risk level and then compare it to others. And then adjust the speed according to what seems reasonable for the prevailing conditions.

- The special stages driven for the second time in the rally will probably play a decisive role. You have to react pretty quickly if the roads wear out fast. Surprising situations can come up, Lindholm reminds.

- There is an exciting WRC competition ahead. We’re going to drive WRC in Estonia and after that WRC Rally in Finland. Here we are building the highlight of the season from the driver's point of view within a few weeks, Lindholm reminds.

The World Championship Rally Estonia starts on Thursday evening with the fan-favourite parkland stage (1.66 km). On Friday (140.84 km) and Saturday (95.02 km), the program includes four special stages that are driven twice. Saturday night ends with the city special stage familiar from Thursday night.

On Sunday, three more special stages will be driven twice (77.98 km). Kambja 2 Power Stage (15.95 km), which concludes the rally, starts at 14:18 (UTC+3).