Niclas Grönholm and GRX Red Devil chasing more points on Arctic Lapland Rally
After finishing fourth and scoring 12 points on the opening round of the 2026 Finnish Rally Championship (FRC) in Mikkeli, Niclas Grönholm and co-driver Samu Vaaleri are aiming to continue their points-scoring run at the upcoming Arctic Lapland Rally, held in Rovaniemi on the Arctic Circle.
This second round of the FRC is the only three-day event on the calendar, and will be held from Thursday, January 29, to January 31. Arctic Lapland Rally covers a total of 221.85 kilometres (138 miles).
Ahead of Arctic Rally Lapland, Grönholm carried out a successful test of over 100 kilometres (62 miles) with the MRF snow tyre in Finland’s Arctic region. The tyre displayed very little wear at the end of the test. As such, the 29-year-old believes points are very much possible this weekend.
Moreover, last time out in Mikkeli, Grönholm once again demonstrated the top-three pace he showed throughout his 2025 campaign.
“GRX Red Devil is the only team using the MRF tyre in the FRC, but after a successful test, I’m happy with the levels of grip they provided along with what we learned,” he said. “I’m confident we will be able to challenge for more points on Arctic Rally Lapland.
“The event is the most difficult on the calendar - the stages are narrow, they’re full of ruts, and it’s dark most of the time. The key to a strong result will be finding a balanced setup for our GRX Red Devil Škoda Fabia RS Rally2,” he continued.
“If you set the car up too soft, you’ll lose time. If you set the car up too hard, then it’s like driving on an ice hockey rink. Arctic Lapland Rally, isn’t just a case of planting your right foot and seeing how fast you can go - you have to use your brain, too!”
GRX Team Manager, Marcus Grönholm, also exercised caution ahead of the event.
During his FRC championship-winning days during the 1990s, the 2000 and 2002 World Rally Champion won Arctic Rally Lapland three times - once with the Toyota Celica Turbo ST185 in 1996, then again in ’97 and ’98 with its successor, the Celica GT-Four ST205.
“This rally isn’t easy at all,” the elder Grönholm said. “Like all rallies, preparation is key, and that’s what Niclas, Samu, and the rest of the team have been focusing on during the two-week break since Mikkeli.
“The stages are really challenging mentally and physically, so it’s a case of risk vs. reward - you have to weigh up when to push and when to back off,” the winner of 30 WRC events explained.
“But Niclas doesn’t have a habit of crashing, unlike me when I was younger! Knowing that helps me sleep easier at night,” he added with his characteristic good sense of humour. “Our MRF tyres are good, so it’s down to us to find the right setup for the car.
“If we manage that, then I’m confident we can finish Arctic Lapland Rally with some more points in the bag and smiles on our faces.”
The timings and full schedule for Arctic Lapland Rally 2026 can be accessed via the Finnish Championship website.
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Photo: GRX / Marko Mäkinen
