Rautio Motorsport heads to Rovaniemi with high ambitions
Rautio Motorsport’s Roope Korhonen and co-driver Anssi Viinikka are heading to the Arctic Lapland Rally in search of momentum for the upcoming WRC2 season. Competing in the SM1 class with a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, the duo has achieved a great deal during their careers, but the iconic reindeer antlers are still missing from their trophy cabinet. In recent years, however, a difficult pre-event outing in Rovaniemi has often paved the way for Korhonen’s top-level pace at Rally Sweden.
“Arctic Lapland Rally has always been a challenging event for us for one reason or another, but this year we’re aiming to break that spell. In the past, a long break from driving has often played a role, but now we’ve been able to drive consistently, so our routine should be much better. We’ll focus on driving our own rally and will certainly try different setups during the event,” Korhonen plans.
“It feels like there are slightly fewer snowbanks this year, but the forecasts are promising excellent winter rally conditions for the weekend. I’m sure the conditions will be good, as they usually are.”
Korhonen, who is targeting a fight for the WRC2 championship this season, has already stepped onto the podium twice in Rovaniemi.
Late team change for Kauppinen
Last year, Tuukka Kauppinen made a strong impression by winning the Arctic Lapland Rally overall. Competing with a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, Kauppinen and his co-driver Topi Luhtinen were forced to change teams just days before the event.
Kauppinen was originally set to compete with a car run by Sports Racing Technologies, but plans changed when the vehicle failed to return from Saudi Arabia in time. Roope Korhonen had driven the same car in the final round of last season’s World Rally Championship, and its sea freight to Latvia was delayed. With little time to spare, Kauppinen’s new team became Estonia-based ALM Motorsport.
Despite the changes, Kauppinen was able to complete testing and is looking forward to the rally with confidence.
“We managed to do some good testing, and even though I was a bit concerned beforehand about the break from driving, the speed came back very quickly.”
Kauppinen says he likes this year’s route and believes that the tactical driving seen in recent years will be reduced due to the new tyre regulations. This season, all competitors will use tyres with a 7 mm stud protrusion.
“The route will certainly be good, and I don’t think we’ll see the same kind of tactics as in previous years. There aren’t as many stages run twice, and the lower stud height should be more durable. I’m really looking forward to the new stages.”
Kauppinen’s goal is to defend his victory, but he is well aware of the tough competition ahead.
“It’s good that there are many drivers capable of fighting for the win and putting pressure on each other — that’s how we get a proper rally. We’ll definitely be pushing hard from the very start and won’t be easing off at any point. However, we’re not contesting the full championship, and our main focus is on Rally Sweden, so that also has to be kept in mind,” Kauppinen concludes.
The Arctic Lapland Rally begins on Thursday with a shakedown stage at 13:00. Later the same evening, the rally atmosphere will build with the ceremonial start at 19:00 in Lordi’s Square. The competition continues on Friday and Saturday, with a total of 220 special stage kilometres. The winner of the rally will be celebrated on Saturday at 18:18.
Photo: Oinasneva Design
