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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Emil Lindholm: "The final push was missing"

27 April 2025

Toksport WRT's Emil Lindholm and Reeta Hämäläinen finished 6th in the WRC2 category at the season opener in the Canary Islands. A puncture on Saturday took them out of the battle for a podium finish, and although they drove good special stage times on the final day of the rally, the overall result remained unchanged.

WRC Islas Canarias, a new addition to the World Rally Championship calendar, went according to plan for Emil Lindholm and Reeta Hämäläinen, except for one punctured tyre. The eight-month break from racing was evident already on the opening day of the rally, as the duo fought hard for 3rd place in WRC2.
The biggest setback came on Saturday's 3rd stage when a puncture cost them 1:10 minutes. This effectively ended their hopes for a podium finish.

The Finnish duo still tried to fight for 5th place in WRC2 on Sunday, but even the first stage of the day showed that it would be impossible to close the half-minute gap. Additionally, co-driver Reeta Hämäläinen's illness and fever almost took her voice away entirely.

"We set out to fight for a podium position, and on Sunday, we aimed for 5th, but both of our goals were too optimistic. The puncture took its toll, but there's nothing you can do. Sunday went quite well for us, but on these roads, closing the gaps is tough. Reeta pushed through despite being sick and trying to save her voice, and we made it to the finish in one piece."

"Our pre-event testing went well, but in the rally itself, I quickly realized that I hadn't raced in eight months. The long break showed in my performance, and my confidence in my own driving wasn’t at the level needed for the top pace. The final push was missing," Lindholm sums up.

Lindholm also mentioned that the start of the season had been eagerly anticipated, and the rally in the Canary Islands lived up to expectations as a WRC event.

"It was really great to race here. Our car worked flawlessly. An asphalt rally belongs in the WRC program, and here we got to drive one. The roads were fantastic and smooth, and the location was beautiful. A welcome addition to the WRC calendar."

Lindholm and Hämäläinen will next compete for WRC points on gravel when WRC Rally Italia Sardegna takes place from June 5th to 8th.

"We got a good feeling from this trip. A big thank you to our team, Toksport WRT, who handled everything very professionally and gave me a confident feeling about my performance. Huge thanks to our supporters for us being able to compete in the WRC2 series. A big thank you also to our gravel crew, Axel Lindholm and Samu Vaaleri, for their great work and information. We’re looking forward to continuing the season with the gravel rallies," Lindholm reminded.

Final Results – WRC Islas Canarias, WRC2:
1. Yohan Rossel – Arnaud Dunand (FRA) Citroën C3 Rally2: 3:01:50.5
2. Alejandro Cachón – Borja Rosada (ESP) Toyota GR Yaris Rally2: +29.5
3. Nikolai Gryazin (BUL) – Konstantin Aleksandrov (KYR) Škoda Fabia RS Rally2: +47.7
…
6. Emil Lindholm – Reeta Hämäläinen (FIN) Škoda Fabia RS Rally2: +2:35.6