Lindholm will start defending the WRC2 championship from WRC Rally Sweden
Emil Lindholm, the reigning champion of the WRC2 and WRC2 Junior classes of the World Rally Championship Series, will compete in the WRC2 class with Toksport WRT's Škoda this season. Reeta Hämäläinen continues as Lindholm's co-driver. The duo's season starts in February with the WRC Rally Sweden.
Team GRX's Emil Lindholm and Reeta Hämäläinen will defend their WRC2 class championship with Toksport WRT's new Škoda Fabia RS Rally2. The program for the season includes a full WRC2 class series, which means a maximum of seven WRC rounds.
The Finnish duo's season starts in Sweden in February and continues in March with the WRC Rally Mexico. Lindholm and Hämäläinen will drive team points for Toksport WRT together with Sami Pajari.
Their car is going to be Škoda's new Fabia RS Rally2, with which the champion from Finland has done a lot of test work. Lindholm is ready for the WRC2 opener in Sweden, although he missed important snow tests in December due to illness.
- Our original goal was to fight for the WRC2 class championship this year. The championship came a year early but that does not change our goals in any way: we have the same work ahead of us and of course we are aiming to renew our championship.
- Let's hope that our development goes in the right direction, which is forward. That's the reason why championship is our only logical goal, Lindholm states.
Lindholm reminds that driving to win championships is never easy. For the upcoming season, several drivers have signed up for the WRC2 class championship battle. In the class there are three drivers who competed with Rally1 cars in WRC last year.
- There are new experienced challengers in the group. We are sure to have a tough competition coming up: everybody wants to be the fastest.
Lindholm's and Hämäläinen's season starts with Škoda's new Fabia RS Rally2 in February from WRC Rally Sweden. When Škoda tested its new car in Lapland, Finland this December Lindholm missed the snow test due to illness. Lindholm also travels to Mexico for the first time in his life.
- It (getting sick) was a disappointing thing. However, there is still a chance for one test day in Sweden before the start. It would be important to get it done before the season begins.
- I am traveling to Mexico and to Central America for the first time in my life. In Mexico, you drive at an altitude of about two kilometers and that brings new challenges to the first-timer. After Mexico we will know in which roundsour season is going to continue in spring and summer.
Photo: Toksport WRT